The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-07

Edmondson being in a gambling house.
BY Captain While.
Q. He runs a poolroom. doesn't heE
A. Yes. sir.
Commissioner Lane: You made that
statement just now that YOU never did
see him in gambling house or never
caught him in A gambling house.
The witness: | have heard his name
me@koned with gamblers but | have
nevee heard his name spoken of as
professional gambler.
Captain White | want to state to
the commission that we have nothing
to do with the men they have on the
police force but what ! do object to is
1t being told the witness on the stand
that you do not think he is com
ipetent man to be on the force De-
cause / do not think that Is calculated
to bring out full and free evidence
Officer Jim DAILY Called
Officer Jim DAILY took stand and
stated he had been ON force three or
four years; that Bodel<er and captains
| had always given him instructions to
| enforce all laws: that he had always
done his best. Witness describ ed raids
on gambling houses, telling of diff
sulties in making raids, one time walk
| ing on cornice of building. three floors
above ground. so he could crawl in
| window; another time getting into IN
|
| Forrest club, run by Oscar Freeman,
| by putting a ladder from one window
| to another; another time getting on
| to tops of buildings in rear of Iiillman
hotel and going over house tops TO
Suburban hotel, where they dropped
| into gambling den through window;
| that they were operating AT this time
under Captain Johnston.
| Witness described many raids under
Captain Eagan, in which many ruses
were worked to get into places. Arrests
were made in all raids he described.
Witness described raid at Undine when
The got into room and held crowd at
bay with revolver, stating that Lee
Edmundson sneaked up behind him and
| grabbed his arms; that both rolled
down stairway that he started to tele-
| phone for patrol wagon and Edmund
son kicked telephone wire loose; that
he then walked Edmondson to jail; that
Edmundson was fined 500 and $50 days
on charge of interfering with officer;
that he could place no other charge
against him as he couldn't prove them;
| that he did not know whether Edmund
| son served his sentence; that he got no
graft and knew of no officer getting
graft; that chief was kept busy at Of
flee and usually did not know where
officers We're going on raid; that he
believed chief all time was actively and
honestly trying to enforce all laws.
| Witness stated that way stop gamb-
ling was to keep enough officers on
work so that gamblers couldn't couldn't
play, and to pass laws allowing doors
to be broken down; that If doors could
be legally broken down whether or not
people refused to open them it would
help break up houses.
Adjournment was taken until 2:15
O'Clock after Judge CASTOR had made
statement regarding threats on Mr..
| A,,.t tit,tc al. IN, aa1t.
Afternoon Session
Upon eross-examination at the beginning
| of the afternoon session witness stated he
had made statement in city hall in
| which he told of having heard some one
say he wished when this trial was m
Judge Lane was 10 years Younger wit
ness stated he had not read sections in
state code making felony of matters
covered in city code.
Judge Castor asked him about the ''yel-
low affidavit" and witness stated he had
never used 1t because he could break
down doors easier; that affidavit was no
| good whatever Frank White, Jr. here
| remarked that the yellow affidavit
might be called "the yellow peril" Wit
ness stated that one Christmas Allie Ellis
had given him a signet ring and another
Christmas she gave him a lap robe; that
| neither present was made for any con sid
Grafton on his part: that he understood
| one of Mr.. Austin's detectives lived in
| Allie Ellis house.
w. S. Cole Called
W. S. Cole was next witness and stated
he was sergeant at North Birmingham:
that he had worked under Bode<er since
Greater Birmingham came in that Bode-
lSer's orders in regard to gambling, va
grancy, tigers and so forth were always
to enforce law and that he had no doubt
but what Bodeker meant it; that condi-
ticns are better at North Birmingham
than before Greater Birmingham; that
| there wasn't as much gambling nor as
| much killing: that there were two SER
geants and four policemen for over 6GN
| people, covering very wide area. in North
Eirmin CHAM; that Bodeker is busy at Of
fee and can't spend much time outside;
that there were not many tigers; that one
man was arrested about Is times year
for running tiger, but he always appeals
and is usually turned loose in higher
courts.
Judge CASTOR took witness. who stated
| North Birmingham was pretty law abid-
| ing community.
w. ]. Mcdonald Testifies
| W. j. Mcdonald was next witness and
| stated he was formerly chief of detec-
| tives and now a patrolman: that he had
| been on police force nearly 27 years; that
active and honest in enforcing law; that
| discipline of force was good that he
| knew of no graft and had no reason to
| believe that there was any graft being
| paid police department; that conditions as
| regards vagrancy, gambling and other
crimes We're as good now as at any time
| in bis police experience; that he had
| known Bodeker ever since he (Bodeker)
! was patrolman and he had always been
| an active and efficient officer.
| Witness described how cash bonds were
made, stating Chief Bodeker did not ham
die money; that he never had seen a
| cash bond refused in his 27 years under
| different administrations. Witness told
of Danny Odum incident, stating that
| Mr. Cocks identified Odum that Cocks
| did not want to swear out a warrant:
that Bodeker said he'd hold Odum on
$1,000 bond until Cocks had opportunity
| to swear out warrant; that Bodeker sent
! Odum to jail; that Odum's bond was made
by A. e. Campbell and Bradley Saunders.
Judge CASTOR took witness, who stated
that in comparison to population there
was no more murder or other crime, purse
scratching or gambling in Birmingham
now than any other time; that he owned
a house at Eighteenth street and Fourth
avenue, and had heard one of the women
who lived there was not of good char
acter; that he only owned an interest in
building and had nothing to do with rent
ing 1t and had never shown this woman
any favors.
G. X. Trigg's Testimony
G. X. TVgg, special detective or agent
for Illinois Central WAS next Witness He