The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-12
Judge Lane Begins Formal
Hearing Which He Thinks
Means Much to Health
of Community
PROMINENT MEN ARE
PUT ON THE STAND TO
OFFER THEIR VIEWS
Opinions of Scientists Vary as to
Whether Humans Can Contract
Consumption From Flesh OF
Infected Bovine

Surrounded with all the sensational feat
ures of a corner lot baseball scrap, the
tuberculosis hearing is on!
Amid an onrushing, swirling. confusing
flood of "evidence." the hearing was re-
cessed yesterday afternoon at O'Clock III
the city recorders court room by City
Commissioner A. o. Lane. Judge Lane
sfateseit will be continued just as soon as
more witnesses can be subpoenaed-he
thinks probably Saturday.
Whether or not tubercular affected cows
are sold for meat, whether such is dan
gerous to public health, whether dairymen
are cheated by packing house men,
whether doctors know a tubercular germ
when they see 1t, whether they can find II
In live COW and in a dead one, whether
the health laws are proper guards to pub
lie health, how much heat a tuberculosis
germ can endure, how he likes feeding on
humanity after having had chance at
member of the bovine species, where he
lives. how he lives, what he eats, what
he says what he sings and what is his
code of morals all remain to be decided.
Galaxy of Witnesses Present
With a galaxy of witnesses present yes
terday. some of whom are of statewide
prominence, much testimony was offered
before City Commissioner Lane when he
called to order at O'Clock the hearing OF
the charges recently made by Judge Zel
| CASTOR that cows condemned as mixers
because they had tuberculosis were sold
| for food purposes. The investigation be-
gun yesterday intends to go further than
F, the charges made by Judge Castor, and
determine whether or not such meat is
dangerous to public health.
Witnesses were introduced by botf
sides. Men of equal prominence in scien-
tific research contradicted each other
dairymen told of their selling condemned
cows to packers for food purposes ane
city health officials told of their methods
OF condemning cows, allowing them to be
sold for food on the ground that the meal
was not deleterious to public health. Al
the request of Judge Lane. Judge Castor
conducted the examination of the wit
nesses for the plaintiff" and DR.. Rob
ert Nelson, city health officer, conducted
the examination of witnesses for the de
fense."
| Feeling Shown at Times
| At times there was much feeling in evil
denc between tn contesting parties Once
ripple of aplaus broke out among the par
| tisans of on side, and Judge Lane i'm
| mediately announced that If such oc'
CURED again all the participators woule
| be invited to step inside the nearby cage
which connects with the city jail through
| the bridge of sighs." There was no more
applause.
Taken all in all, the hearing was
one of the most interesting proceed
| ings held In Birmingham in some time
and there were a good number of spec
tators. The evidence given by the ma
iority of the witnesses was very in
| teresting to any casual observer ano
constant tilts between opposing "coun-
sell gave q heightened color to the
proceedings. One of the most interest
ing parts of tive hearing was whei
DR.. Russell NJ. Cunningham former lieu
tenant governor of the state, was OF
the stand.
Matter of Life and Death
The result of the hearing is nil as
far as actual developments are con
cerned After 1t adjourned Judge Lane
stated that 1t was a matter of yer,
high Importance, that 1t was matter
of life and death to hundreds of peo-
pie, and he appeared to be very mucf
impressed with certain parts of the
evidence When the hearing ends
Judge Lane will make "A report to HIS
associate commissioners and If there
Is any action to be taken he will rec
ommend 1t. The most important parts
of the evidence as given by the diff
ferent witnesses yesterday were as
Hines First Witness
An effort by Judge CASTOR to in
troduce copies of The Age Herald was
overruled by the Judge on the grounds
of it being hearsay evidence. A. l.
Hines was the first witness.
II had 1S cows In 1910 and the in
spectors cut out II of them," he said
ION the grounds that they had tuber-
culosis. Nine of those cows were thrown
Into the tank and two of them / wa:
allowed to sell for beef I sold then
| to Mr.. Phillips owner of the Birming,
ham Packing company at North Bir-
mingham. l got $SS for the bunch, $5i
| for the ones which were tanked, leav-
| ing me $33 for the two cows which
were sold for beef.
..T had seven more cut out in 1911
| I sold them at the same place ant
three went for beef. l got $1Ol for then