The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-30

was emphasized yesterday when Dr. w.
 H. Oates. state prison inspector. ordered
 the removal of 25 negro women to other
 prisons on account of overcrowding. The
 women will be transferred this morning.
 according to Sheriff McAdory. 15 going
 to Centreville, the county seat of Bibb
 county, where the county jail is located,
 and 12 to the jail at Gadsden. the county
 seat of Etowah county.
 The expense of transferring the pris-
 oners will fall on the county and while
 the state will pay the feed bill the coun-
 ty will be responsible for the cost of
 guarding and bringing them backward
 and forward for trial. Dr. Oates states
 that the maximum number of negro wom-
 en to be confined in the present quarters
 Is 50, and he declared that if this num-
 Der was exceeded he would order another
 removal
 The members of the board of revenue
 had no comment to make yesterday on
 the action of Dr. Oates. except to state
 that they had been informed by their at
 torney that the state prison inspector
 had theauthority to order the removal
 of the prisoners. They are all in favor of
 making a change in the present condi-
 under advisement. On August 25 the board of revenue will meet again with Dr. Oates, who time and again has con demned the present Jail. and a line of action will be determined upon. when the board will decide whether they will make temporary improvements on the present structure, build new jail in some other section of the city. or build a modern jail and courthouse on the present site. Almost everyone connected with the criminal department of the county is
 against removing the jail from its pres ent site. A large number of citizens are of the same opinion. The sentiment is
 unanimous for a new jail built on modern plans, the large majority favoring the skyscraper with the jail on top.
 Successful in Other Cities In number of the larger cities of the country this plan has been adopted and
 jail on the top of 10 or 15-story building
 removes entirely the "carbuncle' feature
 that is so objectionable. According to those who have inspected this class of buildings the objectionable features con nected with a jail on the ground floor would be entirely eliminated and the pris- oners themselves greatly benefited by the pure air and sunlight such a building
 would afford.
 Dr. Lovelady, president of the board, is in favor of building as much for the future as to meet the present needs. and ic in fot- af ha erection nf a bilildinR that would meet all the requirements of the county MT. Pennington and MT.
 McGeever favor the skyscraper plan. All three are unalterably opposed to sepa- rating the Jail from the county court
 house. Major Cameron favors jail built on the outskirts of the city. MT. Bivins | Is noncommittal.
 However, the matter will be definitely settled August 25, for pr. Oates has given his final ultmatum and will insist on a new jail. and the board is ready to carry out his demands the difference being the matter in which the relief will be brought. After a session with the sheriff yes terday morning when he ordered the re- moval of the negro women to Gadsden and Centreville. Dr. Oates lunched at the Tutwiler with Robert A. Brown, presi- dent of the Roebuck club, and W. w.
 Crawford. president of the American Trust. Culpepper Exum was with them for short time. Dr. Oates told the gentlemen with him that he was of the opinion that the jail would be erected without question. He was asked if he would object to the skyscraper proposition and answered in the negative.
 Oates Will Not Oppose Skyscraper "I was interested In the statement accredited to members of the board of revenue about the skyscraper jail,y he c,id m, oia fn cit
 ment from the members of the board of this vital question. It should be very plain that l am officially interested in but one proposition, and that is the erection and maintenance of a prison
 which is decent and sanitary. 1t Is not up to me to say where the jail shall be erected or what kind 1t shall be. Naturally as one interested in the prog ress of the state I should be disap- pointed if any jail were erected in this state which was less than modern and up-to-dat I have been informed that skyscraper jails have proven success full in other cities If the local off, ficia1s therefore decide to erect a sky scrapper Jail I shall offer no objec- tions. I am striving to better prison conditions and 1t would be unbecoming g in me to favor one locality or another. I am interested only to the extent of getting a better jail than Is at present operated in this county.
 ''I have ordered the sheriff to remove 25 negro women from the local Jail. This action was taken because the ne- gro woman's department Is crowded to suffocation. I have also instructed him not to confine more than 50 women in the space at his disposal for the negro women. This order I am sure will be carried out I instructed the officials to convey part of the number to Gadsden and part to Centerville. The two jails where the women are to be confined are sanitary.
 T am certain that this situation will be corrected before the end of August II have every reason to believ that the members of the board of revenue are trying to figure out the best way of
 handling this situation and l am sure 1t will be corrected by a definite decis lion and the erection of a sanitary jail soon."
 The prevailing sentiment among the citizens Is against the removal of the county jail from it's present site. un- Hess the county courthouse is moved with it. All are seemingly in favor of 1 removing the present structure. The l following expressions on this matter were given yesterday by well known citizens.
 Transferring Prisoners Impractical 1 Robert N. Bell. United States district lattorney: T am certaily opposed to the removal of the county Jail from its | present location to some other part of | the city. l believe it is impractical to transfer prisoners from one part of the
 city to another, in that it will entail expense. delay and certain amount of danger from incensed mobs desir- 1rf Il.