The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-06
POLICE OFFICERS
/ TESTIFY TOORDERS
GIVEN BY bODEKER
Give Details of Efforts Made
to Break Up Gambling
Houses
ALL SAY FORCE is
ENTIRELY TOO SMALL
Weatherly Asks Questions of Wit
nesses to Find Out Something
About Their knowledge
of the Law

The police probe yesterday was do
cile. 1t was probably the most quiet
day passed since the probe began.
The entire day was taken up with
the examination of members of the
police department, the evidence tend
ing to prove that Chief of Police Bod
eker was urgent and dligent in his
orders to the police department to en-
force all laws and that conditions of
crime in Birmingham were due to
various things such as prohibition,
growth in population, increase in area
of city, decrease in police force and
so forth.
The crowd attending the hearing at
both sessions yesterday was not as
large as Saturday. Much of the evil
dence was statistical and the reading
of reports and orders consumed con-
siderable time. Three or four great
iron covered doors, which. it was
stated, had been broken down in
gambling raids by Connie Austin were
on exhibit in the commission room
throughout the day.
Sergt j. E.. Burke was placed on the
witness stand to open the session yes
terday morning. Witness stated he was
now sergeant of police at West End
and had been on police force about
20 years; that about time Bodelxer took
office he (witness) was on gambling
squad; that Bodeker never gave him
any instructions or orders other than
to enforce the law: that he was a
prohibitionist; that conditions now in
regard to vagrancy. gambling. pick
pockets, blind tigers and other crime
We're about the same as in past years,
according to his best judgment in com
parison to population.
Mayor O'Brien's Efforts
Judge CASTOR took witness, who
stated he and Patrolman A. d. Brown
had been ordered by Mayor O'Brien to
work with two special detectives from
Nashville on blind tigers; that he was
with these two detectives when Officer
Burge was shot at Metropolitan gamb-
ling house; that he understood no 9TH
er officers knew of two detectives un-
less it was Chief Bodeker: that one
time, witness, Bodeker, George Estes
and probably other officers were called
to Mayor O'Briens house that this
was before Burge was shot; that Mayor
|O'Brien and Bodeker had private con-
versation
Capt. NJ J. Donlin, police captain at
Ensley, stated that in 1910 there were
1876 blind tiger cases in Ensley court.
that since local option came in there
had been 150 blind tiger cases up to
present time; that there was no gamb-
ling house in Ensley; that there were
about 10000 people under his juris
dfction at Ensley, Wylam, Pratt CITY
and Rising, and that these were 80 po-
licemen under him; that he wanted
more men but Bodeker tried to give
him one man for every thousand peo-
pie; that there We're no yagrants in
Ehsley; that when vagrants We're run
out of Ensley he supposed they came
to Birmingham because Birmingham m
was bigger place with less policemen
ana vagrants could easily keep away
from officers of law: that he was chief
or police in July, 1912, while Bodeker
was out of city, and he was kept in
ofice all day by many duties: that
ne believed Bodeker had done his best
TO enforce laws; that the handling OF
crime depended almost entirely on ef-
Iclency of men under him as chief him
self is kept too busy in office.
Captain Johnston on Stand
Capt. J. F. Johnston. who stated he had
peeh Oh force 27 years, took witness
stand. Witness stated at one time when
ne was In charge of gambling squad la st
year that Gaiety hotel gambling house
closed up and hung key on step SO that
ne could go in; Captain Johnston identi-
ned and read some of his reports made
from day to day to Chief Bodeker The
reports We're to the effect that at times no
gambling was found, at other times there
were some signs of gambling, and at
others raids and arrests were made Wit
ness described Cooler at Peerless say
irg 1t was protected by several doors right
pehind each other, some of them made of
wire and sheet iron; that there was no
way out of this cooler except back
through gambling rooms
Mr. Ward asked witness why he did
not arrests 'touts'' at doors of gambling
houses on suspicion, and witness an
swered 1t was illegal TO arrest any man
on suspicion. and If he could do so, he'd
run in the whole town." Witness de-
scribed a raid at the Undine club when
he thought he had 'em," but found out
later that he had turned.in the alarm him
self by mistake. Adjournment was taken
to oclock.
Eagan's Reports Read
The afternoon session opened with the
reading of long list of reports of Capt.
Martin Eagan for several months prior