The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-02
Contractor c. M. Allen Says
Door Was Left Open and
Tools Left in Hands
of the Prisoners
SAYS NO JAIL COULD
BE PROOF AGAINST
SUCH CARELESSNESS
Though Architect Wheelock Was the
Designer, Every Feature of Con-
struction Was Under Personal
Supervision of Street
Commissioner Gafford

Contractor C. NJ Allen. who built the
new city jail. Yesterday issued statement
defending the construction of the building
and charging the recent escape of a num-
Der of negro prisoners to ineompetency
mismanagement and carelessness at the
Jail.
Yes, am glad to say that built the
new city Jail, from which a great lot II
negroes. numbering anywhere from one
to sixteen were recently turned loose"
said Mr.. Allen.
81 say turned loose from the simple fact
that when all of these promised investi-
cations have been concluded il the real
facts are given TO the public, l believe
they will show that the actual conditions
connected with the handling of the new
city Jail are very bad, to my mind, nc
worse than the conditions put upon the
entire citizenship through either the neg
lect or inefficiency of the street commits
sioner's office.
1T is a well known fact that this same
jail was designed and built especially to
suit each and every whim and idea of Mr..
Gafford: the proper official, Mr.. W. o.
Mathews. the building inspector. not even
being consulted or advised that the city
was to or would build a new city jail
and each and every detail and plan and
proposition was submitted and exam
ired discussed and accepted before Mr.
Wheelock, the architect, proceeded with
the work.
Under Gaffords Supervision
'And while Mr.. Wheelocl was really the
designer, architect and superintendent Of
this jail, the information was given out
at the street commissioner office a num-
Der of times that the city was building
an elegant new Jail under the direct per-
sonal supervision of Mr.. Gafford the
street commissioner. And, strange to say.
no one at the city hall dared to correct
this misstatement. However, when Mr..
Gafford was finally forced to either cease
removing material from the city jail with
out authority or discontinue his vlists to
the building, he preferred to do both, and
on the day following Mr.. Gafford suggest
ed to the city commissioners that they
employ one Mr.. Webb, member of the
engineering department, at raise In sal
airy. TO visit and superintend the new Jail
and inspect the same, which he did-from
the place on the ground, where several
months before the sand had been piled,
to the number of revolutions made by the
concrete mixer before the material was
discharged from same.
Heavy Doors Left Open
consequently Mr.. Gafford through Mr..
Webb superintended this same jail and
accepted every item and detail therein
and swiped all of the glory--until Tues
day night, January %. when 1t SO hap
pened that the heavy doors In steel
frames. placed between the sleeping de-
partment and toilet and bath rooms, at
q cost of several hundred dollars to the
city for the sole purpose of being kept
locked and avoiding this wholesale deliv-
cry that has just occurred. were really
left open and hack saws and two inch
iron pipes four feet long allowed in the
different departments in order. | sup
pose, that the prisoners have somethin Z
with which to amuse themselves.
nothing less than the turning loose OF
these negroes, and this bugbear about the
steel bars being too light and too soft and
improperly put in, is, In my Judgment.
for no other purpose than to divert the
attention of the general public from the
real facts. And the matter Of putting
more wire or steel in the windows will not
prevent another delivery of prisoners II
the street commissioner avoids his duty
4 nv Ian inn
open and allowing the prisoners TO play
with such toys as hack saws. gas pipe. etc.
Jail Cannot Be Surpassed
'Money and skill will not build a better
jail than Mr. Wheelock has built for thit
city and for the purpose Intended IL can
not be surpassed in the United States.
And when the proper mana cement is adj
nInistered at hat particular bastile, there
will be no more Jail deliveries, and I feel
sure that wire muzze in the proper
place would do more good than additional
wire on the iail windows, II the street
commissioners insists on leaving the doors
open and allowing the guards to sleep.
"f simply make this statement In llIx-
tiee 10 Mr.. b. II. Wheeloct. who is being
made the goat in this case and who
does not deserve such unjust criticism
and who has too much self respect TO be
drawn into such an unreasonable argu-
ment By q man who alone is responsible
for this disgraceful delivery of criminals
either through his neglect or Incompetent
oy. and possibly through both.
&C. NJ. ALLEN"
the deceased superintendent has not been
r1er superntendents who still live has
not been made Mr., Willingham gave as
another reason why he would not care Ia
discuss these names the fact that thera
u III be still further developments in thl
,.ay of publicity. The governor has au-
thorized any newspaper which desires To
rnblish the report to do so. although he
makes the provision that the report ia
culi must be published.
The discrepancy in the educational de-
narfment is said to be due to the activ-
~ of Willngham. Shortly after he en-
I, rcd office he was besought by a man
VINO had purchased school lands for the
t;.ie. The man showed the receipts. Mr..
RVillingham thereupon approached the
former superintendent. who has since
d;ed. and this particular case was set
tied.
At tho request of Mr. WillinSham Gov
ernor O'Neal instructed Examiner Mccall
10 investigate. After extended investi-
cation the facts were brought to light.