The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-11
Man Who Made Charges
Last June Will Be Placed
on the Stand Today
WANTS FREEDOM TO
TELL ALL HE KNOWS
Will Also Ask That All Testimony
Given Last June at Governors
Investigation Be Placed
in Record

Thomas l.. Long of Jasper, who, in view
of the fact that it was he who preferred
4 charges against the head of the state con-
vict department last June, Is the most
Interesting figure connected with the of
/ ficial probe under way in Montgomery at
the present time, will testify today. He
spent last night in Birmingham, regis
tered at the Morris.
That 1t was his hope that the rules of
/ the investigation will not be so restrictive
as to tend to prevent him telling all that
he knows and has heard concerning the
convict department. was a statement Of
the well known Jasper citizen. He inti-
mated, also, that he would request that
inasmuch as the investigation is said to
be full and otherwise exhaustive, he
would request the governor to make pub
lie the testimony of James G. Oakley,
John Gamble and Mr.. Waits as given in
the hearing of the charges preferred
against the department last June.
All the Light Possible
ut is my understanding, stated Mr.
Long, that those at the head of the in
vestigation are anxious that all the light
possible be thrown into the convict de-
partment. II stands to reason, therefore,
that the rules of evidence which obtain
in formal court proceedings. should not
obtain in this hearing. ] will insist that
l be permitted to tell all that I know,
and all that l have heard. If my an
swers are to be confined to yes and no,
] win make no answers unless [ am
forced to, and before | am forced TO- l
Will consult an attorney. | may be able
to refer to some people, not examined
Up to the present time, who may be later
put upon the stand to advantage, and L
may refer to what | have heard which
will result in direct testimony from GER
tain people who have not testified and
some who have testified in Part.
Asked for Public Hearing
Il think all light possible should be
thrown into the scandal. Last June,
heard things which I felt II my duty to
report to the governor l did report them,
and asked for a public hearing before
Examiner II. Y. Brooke. The hearing oc-
CURED in the office of the governor, be-
fore the governor and his stenographer.
/ did not attend that hearing because l
did not consider 1t a public hearing. /
am carrying to Montgomery the letters
which passed between me and the gov
ernor | will show that the governor
originally held that he could not remove
the president of the convict bureau, and
that all he could do under the statute
was to instruct the attorney general to
file impeachment proceedings against him
provided he had been proved guilty of
maIfeasance or other official misconduct.
/ will show also that the governor last
June was of the opinion that the investi-
cation could not be held before an ex-
aminer of public accounts, and that as
the examiner mentioned was not a law
Yer, his opinion on a legal question would
be worthless, this following the examina-
ton of the conduct of two OF the COVER
nor's appolntees by the examiner in Ques-
ton.
~ will ask that the testimony adduced
In the previous hearing of the charges
against the department be made public
That testimony. in my opinion, in view of
the fact that the men who gave 1t have
recently been examined, would be in
teresting to the public.
Il am anxious that all light possible be
thrown ON the situation, and that no strict
rules of evidence will tend to cut off that
light"
Longs Original Charges
Mr. long. as is remembered, preferred
charges with the governor against the
convict department. last June. and re-
quested public hearing to be conducted
before Examiner Brooke. The charges
were later Investigated in the governors
office, but everybody, including reporters,
were invited to be present. The governor
himself conducted the investigation, and
subsequently issued a statement that the
charges had not been sustained. Mr.
Long, because he held that his request
for a public hearing had not been granted,
declined to attend or TO furnish any wit
nesses.
Before the hearing referred to, but af-
ter the preferring of the charges, Mr..
Long was assaulted in the lobby of the