The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-24
Does Austin Now Represent
the Prominent Enemies
Who Have Fought the
Chief for Years?
COMMISSION WILL
PROCEED WITH CARE
TO GET AT TRUTH
Not Unlikely That Judge Lane viii
Be Witness Because of Intimate
knowledge of the Whole
Police Situation
BY HUGH w. RonERrs

As result of the current inquiry
into the private and professional life
of George II. Bodeker, chief of police.
there will be, in the near future, peace
The defendant will be eliminated as
servant of the municipal government
or he will be exonerated of charges
which have been periodically preferred
from time immemorial
1t is anticipated that while the com,
missioners will not restrict the inves
t1gation to the technical rules of con-
ventional legal procedure, that they
will refuse to convict unless evidence
is adduced and sustained proving be-
yond peradventure that the defendant
is unworthy
1t is an anomaly that whereas Chief
Bodeker has incurred the undying en-
nifty of certain opulent and influential
people of the city of Birmingham, he
has possessed himself of the enduring
friendship of scores of others. And
while the former are forcing them
selves into strenuous exertions to gain
the head for which they have annual
ly prayed, the latter are imbued with
the idea that the present investigation
is the climax of long series of per-
secutions.
Because of this situation. the com
missioners will proceed with unusual
care. If the defendant is guilty. they
desire that guilt proved. If he is in
nocent of the charges brought again
against him, they desire the estab
l1shment of that innocence in order that
the insolent tongue of the scandal
monger might wag no more
The Fixed Charges
The charges that have been pre-
ferred by Conrad w. Austin. for
mer chief of police. have been brought
before. Mr.. Austin, while editor of a
local weekly. preferred them in the
long ago. In January of this year, the,
were brought to the attention of Judge
Lane, and the commissioner of public
justice conscientiously Investigated
every one of them. They have been
put into the hands of grand juries.
and grand juries have fought for. the
light and the truth
They concern a financial transact
ton in which the money of a lewd
woman was borrowed. They concern
the possession by the widow of a
gambler of note signed or indorsed
by Bodeker. They concern the alleged
existence of gambling houses, and the
patronage of houses of ill repute. They
concern the alleged existence of
blind tigers. They concern alleged
protection and nurture furnished nv
the police department of everybody and
everything which should not be If
Bodeker is guilty he is a DIR. Jekyll
by day and by night a Mr.. Hyde. If
he is innocent. then those who have
camped on his trail, who have cried
aloud when the moon was full for the
blood of his heart, and the sight of
his fallen head are scarcely worthy of
that ardent admiration which one so
freely showers upon the pure of soul
and the strong in patriotic zeal
Some Stated Reasons
There is rapt speculation through
out the environs of the municipality
concerning the renewal of the strug-
gle for the dishonor of Bodeker
1t was said yesterday that George
=. Ward, president of the city commits
sion, had promised prior to his cleo
ton to give to the prohibitionists the
head of the chief. Mr. Ward had pre-
viously declared that charge false. He
had previously stated that recent up
heavals in the police department were
not indirect movements for the elm
ination of the chief. And, Furthermore,
indirection has never been a charac-
teristic of Ward.
1t was said yesterday that certain
influential prohibitionists were, with
out the assistance of the president of
the commission, battling under the
guise of civic devotion for the gore of
a man. And as soon as the statement
was made memory declared that once
upon time Bodeker had informed GER
tain leaders of the cause of the pure
in heart that he would not be bossed
or bullied or forced by them to do 9TH
err than mete out justice to all alike
But still no proof was furnished to
indicate that any of the individuals UNI
der discussion were concerning them