The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-07
Jones and Propst Will Be Practically At Disposal
 County Officer
NEED FOR AID HAS
 BEEN KEENLY FELT
New Ordinance Is to Be Drafted Requiring More Careful Reports From lnfirmaries and Am
 bulance Men
By RICHARD E. LESSER


 In accordance with the plans now talk ing hold in the police and detective de- partments of the city of Birmingham two city detectives-Edward H. Jones and
 William II. Propst, will be detailed to CO., operate with Coroner Charles l.. Spain in all homcdes and fatalities within the | city limits. Detectives Jones and Propst will practically be at the disposal Of Coroner Spain at all times
 It has come to the notice of the off clals of the departments of public safety l that in the past little attention was paid to homicides, fatal accidents. and suicides once the public interest had waned in the case. In fact. it is stated that there was a spirit of indifference to the taking of human life and the punishment thereof. And, as for fatal accidents there was little effort to ascertain if 1 there was negligence, and in suicides there was practically no investigation at all. This condition of affairs is past according to the new heads of the po- lice and detective departments, and great stress will now be laid on finding out to the smallest detail all that pertains to homlcides, fatal accidents and suicides and there will be direct and hearty CO., operation with Coroner Spain. And ac- curate records of all cases will be kept to aid in the state prosecution which will naturally follow in many cases
 As stated by the newly appointed po- l Ice and detective officials the past indif- ', ference to murders and other deaths has effected the local infirmaries and under- | takers 10 the point where it seriously | retarded the ends of justice, as in the case of the killing of the negro Charley IWinn at the Soss-Sheffield furnaces in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The negro Vim was shot from ambush several times about 3:30 O clock Tuesday morning. The police were immediately summoned and the negro ambulance also was called and removed the negro to the Hillman hospital, where he died within an hour. However, when the negro died the infirmary did not notify Coroner Spain or notify the police that he was dead, and the body was turned over to Windham X Tinker, negro undertakers, who also failed to noti1s .ae properly constituted authorities of tlsh death That the police were mad .cognizant of the death of the negro Winn was due to the notation of the call offct ', Benja- min Harrison, who left a note'4tt police headquarters that he mad sent badly wounded negro to the llilman he spital. When Desk Sergeant Kenneth lrren saw the note Tuesday night and sI -ted to transcribe it to the record boo he first called up the Hiliman hosr s''s Q ascertain the condition of the negi y Il was then told that the negro had been dead for II hours. Investigation then re- yealed that the coroner also had not been notified and that there had been no at tempt to apprehend the murderer of the negro on anyones part and the murderer in reality had IA hours start on the agents of justice.
 Investigation, yesterday, further dis closed that the negro Vim had quarrel with another negro few days ago in which he struck his assailant over the head with a coupling pin and that when negroes advised the wounded negro to have Vim arrested he retorted that he did not settle his affairs that way. That the negro is the one that hid behind an an iron pillar at the Sloss furnaces and fired several bullets at Vim, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, the detectives have no doubt, as that negro has disap- peared. The detectives, however, aver that if they had been notified that the negro had died early Tuesday morning they then would have been able to ap- prehend the murderer as the suspect was about his usual haunts throughout Tues day.
 The case of Charley Winn brought clearl? to head this condition of af- fairs and 1t promptly led Chief of Police Martin Eagan to irstruct Sergeant of Detectives Sydney Iarnell to take steps towards better co-opcrati tion with Coroner Spain and also to see that the local in- firmares and undertakers were brougat to the realization of their duty. towards the police and detective departments. Sergeant Darnel at once placed Detec- tivcs Jones and Propst at the curoner's service.
 However, Messers Eagan and Darnell are not satisfied with merely detailing two special officers to look after the Interests of the coroner, but they will urge on the city commission to pass an ordinance whicn will make it a misda- meanor for any person or persons dii ect- ly connected with Il homicide fatal ac- cdent or suicide not to report same to the police authorities at once; in fact the ordinance planned will be drastic and will mean that all infirmaries must at once report to police headquarters the arrival of any suspicious patient or accident. Ambulance drivers will also be compelled to take the names and addresses of persons picked up in accidents or shooting and cutting scrapes and at once make reports to the police, Undertakers receiving dead bodies from hospitals or from any other source will be compelled to make a report at once to the police. There are other sec tions of the ordinance. all of which were drafted to the effect that the public wei- fare will be better guarded in the fu- ture. It is assured that the city com missioners will take kindly to the pro- posed ordinance and it will be part of the city code within the next 10 days.
 When Coroner Charles l.. Spa;ns atten- tion was called to the fact that the city of Birmingham had voluntarily and with out any solicitation on his part given him the services of two able detectives he was overjoyed and made the follow ing statement:
 That is really a progressive move and Chief Eagan and Sergeant Darnell are to be congratulated that they take the public interest so much to heart It is more than Jefferson county does for my office.
 'In the past few weeks there have been several suicides; several murders: and several fatal automobile accidents have had to investigate all of these deaths by myself and I will admit that hone of my Investigations was adequate; they could not be with the time that I had to conduct them, and the limited means have to reach witnesses and conduct investigations. Therefore this voluntary offer of two detectives from the city of Birmingham to cooperate with me m my city work is more than well
 The placing of Detectives Jones and Propst at the disposal of Coroner Spain Will make four city detectives in the combined service of Jefferson county and the city of Birmingham without any remuneration for their services from the county Detectives Branncn and Macke are attached to Judge H. B. Abernethy or the court of common pleas and prac- dcally work under his directions in s3mplng out tho vagrant and cocaine