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

= fAopdois sood one, and | will state
Captain Austin will swear out a war
rant. but he cannot swear out a war-
rant for witness, because that Is in,-
possible. Since your honor has sug-
gested that Captain Austin ought to
swear out warrant for him, he will
take it before the grand jury
| captain White: | am tired of these
things being run into here, not to in
iuenoe the commissioners, probably, but
to influence the public
| Commissioner Ward: l am tired of
having Dick Wray live here Is or 20
years and defying everything and
| everybody.
Captain White Yes; I am, too; but I
| think the thing to do is to swear out
a warrant for him and prosecute him to
| the bitter end.
| Commissioner Ward: l think it is a.
reflection upon the city of Birmingham
that he has been allowed to live in it.
Captain White I think So too; but l
don't think it ought have anything to
do with this investigation.
Commissioner Lane: think the thing
to do is to go before the grand jury;
the grand jury can make the witness
come
| Chief Bodeker. | will say this to the
commission, If the witness comes Will
/ have every man in the department 70
meet him at the STATEN or any number
get through with him, and l will guar
antee that he won't be touched.
! Commissioner Lane: We will protect
him all right
Adjournment until 2:15 o'clock.
Afternoon Session
| CAPTAIN White: A thing occurred before
| dinner that | want to call to the attention
of the commission. That was the grand
stand play about this matter OF DICK
Wray's place. Now, that has no place
before this commission. There could not
| be but one purpose in it and that is 10
| infAence the public and prejudice them
against Chief Bodeker There wasn't put
| one WY to han6le that proposition, ana
| that was to go UP here before the IN
| ferior court and swear out warrant
| against Dick Wray or go before the srano
| Jury and present IL there. NOW, we nave
| an affidavit to show up here In the neWs-
| PAPERS, not before the commissioners, put
published in the newspapers
| Commissioner Weatherly: Do you mean
the afternoon paper, Captain?
! Captain White: The Robinette affidaVlt,
| Which cannot have any other influence.
and | do not think they have any more
| I 1eason for that except to prejudice the
| public against Chief Bodeker. Now /
| Protest against it, These OUTSIDE mat
ters ought not to be lugged in here, and
it is SO easy to have gone to the commits
| sion III private and told them about 1t
| there.
Commissioner Weatherly: What do you
ask the commission to do?
Captain White: l just want to have 1t
| stopped. ! want you to pass resolutl'1.
| that that has nothing to do with this
| case.
Commissioner Weatherly We gave the
gentlemen suggestions about what the
| proper remedy was before adjourned.
| Judge CASTOR: Do you want to hear
| anything further about it?
| Commissioner Lane: No, ! believe not.
| Judge Castor: Captain Austin desires
me to say to you gentlemen. that he
/ asked me to make this statement to you
before adjourning, and l know nothing
about the facts and have not talked to
the witness, but Captain Austin says that
| lie has and expects to get this man back
here. Says that the statement that he is
doing this for a grandstand play has not
placed him in the proper light. stated
! that l wanted to take tic matter up al
ter we adjourned and you heard me state
that and | thought it was matter that
you ought to know about.
Getting Into the Papers
Captain White: Why didn't he bring it
| before the commission in private; he
knew it would get in the papers through
|
gone before the commission in private or
/ the commissioner of justice and placed
/ il before him. Now, what is the Rob
inette affidavit published right now for :!
| | am tired of this grandstand play busi-
ness.
Commissioner Lane: We viii try to pre-
yent that in the future, captain; any
thing of that kind that has to be said
in the future should he said in private
tefcre the three commissioners and no
| body else.
| Commissioner Weatherly; Unless 1t
should directly effect this case.
! Judge Lane: | mean things that TINS
| commission has nothing 10 do with.
| Captain Austin: | want to make my
self clear; my object WAS to get this man
| here and | propose to get this man here,
and show the statements that | have
made to be true, and show the utter dis
regard these people nave for the law.
CAPTAIN White. What has that to do
with this case?
/ captain Austin: good deal
! Captain White But he is trying to
| make a grandstand play before this
commission.
| Captain Austin: 1 deny any such state
ment. a.
Judge Lane: We nave no power TO
| make the witness come here; he can
come or not, just as he chooses.
| Commissioner Weatherly: If he shouid
come and you want to introduce ms eVi-
dence, and If it is proper matter tha'
we should hear, we will hear him.
Captain Austin: Yes, sir.
|