The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-03

Desperate fighting continues on the western front, where the entente allies have been pressing their general offen- sive movement for A week, but few changes of ground are recorded.
 Paris reports two points at which the French have gained. Despite a violent bombardment east of Souchez they pro- gressed from trench to trench on the heights of Le Folie. while in the Cham pagne, where the allies gains have been most pronounced, they took an important salient north of Mesnil, the official state ment declares.
 Berlin negatives both the French claims with the statement that the French at- tacks, both east of Souchez and north of Mesnil, were repulsed. French troops which penetrated one position In the Champagne were virtually annihilated, the German official statement asserts.
 The British have attacked north of Loos in an effort to retake the territory wrested from them by the Germans. but failed with heavy losses, Berlin declares.
 The Germans report the capture of a total of 211 officers, 1o7a men and 35 ma
  Bessemer police force. and he answered every QuestionSput him straightforwardly and without cavil, not hesitating to an- swer questions that might have had tendency to put him in bad light. That his openness was approved by the crowd was evidenced by the spontaneous out burst of applause that greeted him as he stepped from the witness stand.
 Houston testified as to the method of taking firearms from prisoners of the city of Bessemer. and said that he himself had done so. He also gave testimony regard ing the beatings alleged to have been administered negro prisoners, saying that John Westbrook, an aged negro, was se- verely beaten. Pretty badly hammered up was the way he put 1t, Hooked as if some of the police had had hold of him."
 Wallace on Stand
 Chief Wallace of the city of Bessemer was placed on the stand by MT. Perry Friday night and testified that he had been told by George Ross that he had no authority to suspend any of the of- ficers of the force without first consult
 
 mittee However, the chief testified, 30 days ago he was given full authority over the police force.
 The question of Chief Wallaces author ity became so heated that MT. Perry de- manded to see a set of rules as laid down by the police commission. These were se- cured by Chief Wallace and read. MT. Perry could not find in the rules where the chief had any authority MT. Ross read them, and showed Mir. Perry where he had authority to consult with the chairman of the police committee on matters of importance"
 There's the joker, exclaimed Solicitor Perry, and the crowd cheered.
 J. H. D. Smith, freight agent for the Frisco in Bessemer, created a sensation Friday night in his testimony When he said Mayor Lewis asked him How much the Frisco would be satisfied with and drop the case" in reference to a police officer of Bessemer being caught in the act of burglarizing the Frisco freight house. Mayor Lewis was called for by Mr Perry but could not be located in the audience. Some one from the crowd yelled, "Yeh, and he ought to be here, too"
 Negro Beaten in Tub
 Gene Hanks, a negro, testified Friday night that he had been placed in bath tub and beaten by officers of the Besse- mer police department, who wrung from him a confession that he had snatched a white lady's purse. Further questioning brought out the fact that Hanks had been tried by jury at the Jefferson county courthouse before which the off cers gave testimony, and had been re- | leased Hanks said one of the officers placed his foot on his head to hold him down while two others did the beating He could not say who were the officers i beating him, as he was face downward ir | the tub, which had small amount oi | water in it. He was beaten with heavy | strap, which had on one end stee | buckle.
 | Judge B. c. Jones of the firm of Estes Jones & Welch, testified that some ont had broken into his office and attempted to find paper which 1t was claimed I'm plicated Officer Maddox in embezzlemen from the Southern Bell Telephone ant