The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-27
AGAINST THE LAW TO
DUMP CONV|CTS IN
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Judge Lane Calls Attention
to Statute Which 1t Is
Solicitors Duty to
Enforce

The man responsible for the release of
convict in jefferson county, who was
convicted in another county of the state,
violates the law himself and is punish
able by fine.
A law to this effect was brought to
notice yesterday by City Commissioner
A. o, Lane, commissioner of public Jus
tice of the city of Birmingham. 1t is
section 552 of the code of 1903
In discussing the matter yesterday Judge
Lane stated that 1t was up to the county
solicitor to put a stop to this practice. 1t
is well remembered that some lew months
ago Judge Lane issued a formal statement
i'm which he said the practice of dumping
the states convicts into the Birmingham
district was largely responsible for the
well known criminal record of this city
and county. Not only Judge Lane but
many other well known and prominent
citizens have stated that to this practice
could be traced almost the entire respon-
sibility of the unenviable reputation Bir-
mingham has acquired for murder, crime
and lawlessness.
ct is for the county solicitor to take
the initiative in this matter" stated Judge
Lane Yesterday Since IT is now known
fense and give us the very relief which
we need, in my estimation the county
solicitor should lose no time in issuing
warnings to those responsible for the
practice that it must be stopped at once.
Then if it is not stopped within reason
able time legal proceedings should be in
! stituted and they should be given the full
| penalty of the law.
"It appears to me that this statute
strikes at the very heart of the situation.
Almost the entire criminal element of the
state centers in Birmingham from the
very nature of things and instead of the
states taking the blame for the lawless-
ness here the city has to shoulder it,
"If these criminals after serving their
sentences were returned to their home
counties it would so scatter them that
they would lose track of criminal associa-
tions and the chances would be much bet
ter for them to change their lives and
become law-abiding citizens. As it Is
here now the city not only has to take
the blame for their acts, but the very
fact that they are kept together here and
thrown in constant contact with each
other breeds boldness in them and eXcites
them to acts which otherwise they might
never think Of"
The statute which Judge Lane refers to
provides. that 1t shall be unlawful for any
corpora tion or any warden or officer Of
the law to discharge prisoner after hav-
ing served his term in any county, the
population of which is 100000 or more, un-
less the prisoner was convicted in that
county. 1t provides that in cases where
a penitentiary is located in a county of
this population 1t shall be the duty of the
warden or officials of the institution to
take prisoners to their home counties be-
fore being discharged, that contracts must
not be made by the state with corpora
tions for the use of convicts as laborers
unless the corporations or companies
agree to return the convicts to the coun-
ties in which they were convicted in case
their terms expire while they are in their
charge. Persons violating the statute are
guilty of misdemeanor and can be fined
not exceeding $l00 In case of wardens,
sheriffs or officers of the law failing to
carry out the statute the fine is fixed at
800 or over