The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-08
CRIMINAL JUDGES
WILL BE ASKED TO
GO ON THE STAND
Continued from Page Fiyc)

from rage FIye)
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that he told Chief Virgins about theft
and Virgins said he could hardly handle
matter unless he had some outside help:
| that he tWitness) then secured a Pinker-
ton detective; that some few days after
news of theft leaked out through detec-
| tive department, PinkertOn man quit, and
they now would never recover property.
Witness stated that he believed gambling
| conditions better now than ever before.
ard law enforcement generally was bet
ter now than in last 10 or l. years.
DIR. Whelan Called
| DR.. Charles Whelan stated that he was
| thrown with police force constantly as
| city physician; that he had been inter-
ested in sociological phase of his work
and that state convict department turned
| loose or there escaped about 700 convicts
| a year; that about 500 of the 700 were in
! north Alabama and almost entire 500 in
| Birmingham that Bodeker and police
| department as far as he knew had been
| faithful to their official duty; that lewd
women and dope hends came here from
| Atlanta some time ago; that dope selling
could be broken up with special officers;
| that dope made more negro criminals
| than whisky: that he understood over
! $500 worth of cocaine was brought into
| Birmingham every month and sold for
police force was too small by 100 men;
that he thought Bodel<er a good chief
Witness described Danny Odum case.
lie stated he was in chiefs office with
Danny Odum and Officers Brannon and
Perkinson; that soon after Sid Cowan
came in: that Odum got mad at Cowan
for telling on him. that some time
later Bodeker came in and stated that
odum could not be tried in police court
and they should swear out warrant
for him. that this made Cowan mad and
he told witness to remember incident as
they might want to use it later; that
Odum was placed in Jail and under $1,000
bond. Witness stated Bodeker had re
fused his second request for special
officer to work on cocaine sellers because
| he said, he could not spare a man now
| as the police force was too SMALL that
police department had arrested cocaine
| sellers; that he had no complaint to make
| against police.
| ]. C. Alrnon of Pratt City testified that
| conditions regarding law and order ther
We're good.
| Police Sergt. George w. Armstrong of
Woodlawn stated he had been on force
about % years; that in proportion to pop
ulation he did not believe vagrancy gara-
| bling or blind tigers were any worse or
| as bad now as in past years; that there
were several blind tigers in Woodlawn
duth, brother of the man whom he had
| asked chief to take his badge away from
| also was being complained of by citizens
| on charge that he ran blind tiger; that
| there were no saloons east of Twenty
| sixth street and this was probably the
cause of many blind tigers in eastern
| section of city, that when blind tigers
were arrested they very often escaped
! sentence by appealing and by other tao
! tics; that chief gave him orders that he
| knew were orders and were meant for
what they seemed to be and he believed
| if he didn't carry them out he'd lose
his job; that he believed chief was faith
| full to his duty and an able and efficient
! chief of police; that he had asked chief
| to take away Sudduth's badge: that chief
told him to take 1t away and he did
take badge away; that the reason he had
asked Sudduths badge be taken away
was because he had heard Sudduth was
| msusing his special police badge was
settling matters out of court: that his
taken money from people at Birming-
ham hotel, and that he had taken some
girls to a house of ill repute: that he
did not know these things about Sud
duth, but that they were reports. Adjourn
| ment was taken until 10 o'clock this morn
| ing.
Weatherly's Statement
| Inc inference tnat considered II more
| the duty of the city commission than
anyone else to inform the police depart
ment in regard to laws under which they
might operate, was not exactly right"
| said Commissioner Weatherly yesterday,
after the days hearing. 81 did state that
| | was inclined to agree with Captain
| White that some of this duty fell to the
commission but I did not mean to infer
that the obligation of the commission on
| this score was greater than any other
| city official charged with the enforce
| ment of the law. AS matter of fact
| think this duty falls first on the po-
lice captains; second on the police chiee
then on the commissioner in charge of
the police department, and then on the
entire city commission. In other words
| admit our duty in that line but do not
| believe 1t is as large as it Is for certain
| other members of the city government"