The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-11-30
GET FELLOWS
SAYS JUDGE FORT
Delivers Impressive Address
to Ensley Audience
ENERGY is WASTED
Says Big Offenders Should Be Made
Example For Little Ones-New
Leagc Is Formally
Organized

Leave the small fry alone and get after
the big fellows"
This was the statement of Judge Will
liam E. Fort at the Ensley opera house
yesterday afternoon before large audi
ence OF the substantial citizens OF that
community In his address on Law En-
forcement'
Judge Fort delivered scholarly ad-
dress in which the various subterfuges
and techniealities that obstruct the en-
forcement OF the laws of the state were
pointed out Judge Fort refrained at all
times from personalities and his impress
sive words spoken In quiet strain were
very effective on his audience.
Judge Fort stated that there were great
underlying reasons for crime; that il was
invariably traced to mtemperance and
that the habitual criminal was insane He
also touched on mlsdemeanors In calm
attention to the gambling eNN:
1T is harmful to clog the Nckets
the courts" said Judge Fort. 'Aithl
cases of hundreds of minor offenders,
have been arrested for Sunday gar
What really should be done is to pref
strong cases against the well-known \
| notorious lawbreaker and punish hinfN
| and his ilx as n warning to the smaller
| fry. The energies of the county and civic
authorities should be directed Away
against the men higher up for they alone
are responsible for the smaller fellows"
Judge Fort also told his audience that
they were becoming Indifferent and al
lowing the government to get away from
them. lie warned them of the danger OF
this as INSCRIPTIONS men were never in
different to taking over the reins when
the good people of community Pc
came careless. He also stated that he
had carefully and painstakingly studied
out several reforms in the statutes which
would be submitted to the attention of the
next legislature.
"Al these suggested reforms will not
go through" said Judge Fort. but IL only
half do 1t will be some gain. and the
next time the legislature meets the con-
science of the public will be alive to the
needs, and 1t will be easier then to cor
rect the evils that confront legal pro-
cedure In the courts today"
Following the address of Judge Fort,
which was loudly applauded, cards were
passed throughout the hall, and 1t was ex-
planned that persons who desired to join
league OF law enforcement In Ems
ley could sign their names and return
the cards. Everyone in the hall signed
the cards and nominating committee
| selected II. f.. Chadwick. cashier of the
Bank of Ensley, as president of the
"Clvic League of Public Improvement"
VIII Cochran was nominated secretary
and the election was by reclamation.
The name "Civic League of Public I'M
provement'' was selected by Judge Fort
as better suited than the "Anti-vice and
Crime league which was organized under
difficulties a week ago at the Orphcum
theatre The cards passed in the Ensley
opera house yesterday afternoon bore the
name of "Ant-vice and Crime league
but following the action of the nominating
committee composed of representative
citizens of Ensley. wylam and Pratt
City, In discarding the name In favor
of Judge Forts suggestion, 1t was averred
that the "Anti-Vice and Crime league"
would be swallowed up by the newly or
sanized "Civic League of Public Improve
ment." No collection was taken up.
While the nominating committee was de-
liberating In a rear room OF the Ems
ley opera house on the selection of Of
ficers. and the plans of the proposed
Civic League of Public Improvement
Conrad w. Austin. former chief of po-
lice. amused the crowd with anecdotes
OF police life.