The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-04
Captain Hawkins on Stand


time because the houses were too widely
altered. Hf if.iIk
Captain Hawkins on Stand
Capt. r. H. Hawkins. formerly SER
sesnt OF police and patrolman, took stand
and stated he always voted prohibitions
that he tried to keep tigers broken 1p
and often received written and verbal in
structions from Bodslxer to stringently
enforce all laws; witness identified a
bundle of old orders as ones given TO
force by Bcdeker urging Inem to their
duty In enforcement of Ill laws; witness
stated he had been on force for II years;
that Bodeker is kept in office by duties.
and he trusts to captains and sergeants
for reports of conditions; that he had 10
reason to suspect Bodeker ever failed in
his duty as an official; that Bodekers
regime compared favorably with any other
chief; that 1t is much more difficult to
enforce law now than In former years on
account of increase in area and popula-
tion, decrease in police force and other
new conditions that have arisen; that
| chief always stands by captains in en-
forcing discipline IN police force; that
police force is far too small; that he
believed police force only about half
| large enough; that all captains are in
structed by chief to look out for gam
| bling.
Judge CASTOR took Witness who stated
tha- gambling and vagrancy are RESPONSE
BILE for most of crime in Birmingham:
that vagrancy is harder to break up than
gambling; that he knew nothing about
graft except that he didn't get any; that
| police have to work hard on one thing to
neglect of something else on account of
| small force.
Captain Eagan was recalled and witness
stated he knew a policeman named Sud
duth that Sudduth said he got IS for him.
self and IS for his partner in case at
| the Birmingham hotel, and that Bodeker
| said, when witness told him of occur
| renee, that Sudduth should be dis
| charged: that Sudduth took girls to house
| of i'll repute and that when proof of this
was offered Judge Lane ordered Sudduth's
| badge removed and such was done; that
| 1t was several months after the event be-
| fore he twitness) heard of 1t and reported
to Bodeker.
Cochran of Ensley
Sergt. p. A. Cochran of Ensley took the
stand and stated he was a prohibitionist,
that his instruction was to catch blind
tigers if he could, that Bodeker never in
| timated or said he should protect or wink
| at any violator of the law; that Bodeker
always instructed him to enforce law and
never hindered him from doing so; that
| there was no gambling he knew of. and
little vagrancy IN Ensley; that arrests of
| all the time.
Judge CASTOR took witness. who stated
there were 30 men on Ensley force and
used to be 10. Witness stated population
was greatly increased from time there
were 10 policemen.
w. E. Garner took witness chair and
stated that he and his partner McGin ar
rested some 500 or 600 blind tigers in
year and a half; that many cases were
appealed to higher court, and many were
turned loose there because he supposed
we did not have full cooperation of
higher courts"
Witness identified list of orders from
Bodeker to police force urging them
to enforce laws; he stated verbal or
ders were often given by chief to same
effect: that chief had never told him
or intimated to him to disregard these
written orders; that chief ordered him
to arrest gamblers: that chief did not
tell him to favor big gamblers that
he had never seen disposition on Bod
eker's part not to enforce law: that
chief would not know where officers
were going when they went on raid;
that he and McGill were on gambling
when McGill had trouble at Undine;
that Captain Eagan told McGill to work
on Twentieth street and leave Garner
at Undine; that McGill said he didn't
feel he could desjustlce to himself by
leaving Undine as they might think
he was a coward; that witness then
told Captain Eagan of this and cap
tain said IL McGill felt that way to let
him go back; that he had worked on
vagrants and pickpoclSets and chief al
ways urged and instructed him to get
them: that he believed Bodeker sin
cere, conscientious and honest in doing
his duty that he did not believe his
captains or officers got graft money;
that as far as he knew no member
of force got any graft money.
Judge CASTOR took winess, who stated
that chief told witness and partner
that he (Bodeker) had received instruc-
tions from Judge Lane and to arrest
Dick Wray's blind tiger, which Bodeker
had often told them to catch, or he'd
get somebody to catch Wray who
could; that professional gamblers were
put out of business by Captain Eagan
and his gambling squad. Judge CASTOR
tried to make witness say that either
Austin's injunctions or the police force
had closed gambling houses and wit
ness would not say either.
Witness stated Captain Johnston only
had two men when he (Johnston) was
on gambling squad that Bodeker went
with men on several raids. The hear
ing concluded at $40 after both attor-
neys had spent about 90 minutes In
each trying to ask witness the last
question.