The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-02
FORMER MEMBER | BESSEMER POLICE
 FORCE TESTIFIES AS
 TO METHODS USED
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(Continued from Page One) the police committee were you not doing special work as license collector from people who were doing business in Bes- semer without license?"
 A. "Yes."
 Q. Do you know Frank Jones?' A. "Yes."
 Q. Did you not arrest him for soliciting labor in Bessemer without a license?" A. "Yes."
 0. Did not MT. Ross say something to you about arresting Frank Jones?" A. "Yes, he defended Mr. Jones in court at his trial. and In conversation I had with him, he told me I had no busi- ness to arrest MT. Jones. I told him that the arrest was made on complaint" Talk of Stolen Papers Q. "Do you know anything about MT Maddox and Ellis Houston breaking into a law office and taking some papers thereT'
 A. 'I heard something about it.' Q. You don't remember hearing Ellis saying anything about it?'
 A. No, I was not in on that" Q. Have you ever seen Maddox or any drunk negroes taking their money and dividing it?''
 A. "No, I never saw them divide it." Q. Did you see them take the money?'' A Yes"
 0. What became of the money?" A. T don't know, but, as a matter of fact have taken money from prisoners myself, but returned it'' Q. Were you not up at the A. G. S. warehouse when a man was talking pretty | loud and Maddox started to arrest him and the man gave him $1O and went on? | A. "I was not there." | O. Did Maddox say anything to you about it?' ] A. He said it was a casn oond.'"nr 1 o. What was the system you had or pistols, etc., down there?" A. First man to 'em, I think; I knew they beat me out of three or four"
 Q. "Who beat you out of them?' l A. "I don't know"
 l 0. What do you mean by first mar to 'em?''
 A. "Wel. it was the custom when 8
 prisoner got away that the man who ar. rested him got his stuff | Attorney Murray questioned the wit ness, bringing out that the citizens o1
 Bessemer had employed the police tc
 recover stolen property and that 1t some times was necessary to use force in find ing it. The witness said that some peo
 pie in Bessemer had kicked against prs
 oners being beaten, and said that tht police never had been requested to beat prisoner in an effort to discover stoer property.
 Controversy About Turner Solicitor Perry than informed the com- mittee that he had an affidavit signed by l Officer T. E. Street of Birmingham, which l he would read. Attorney Murray inn mediatey arose and objected, saying that | he himself had seen Inspector Perry Turner of the Birmingham police depart ment, and had been informed by that gentleman that MT. Street could not ap- pear in the Bessemer probe as he did not care to have any of the men in his department become involved in the mat | ter.
 | Solicitor Perry took issue with Mir Murray. saying that he had called on Inspector Turner, who informed him that | he would permit hir. Street to come out to the hearing. but that he had to go to Athens to bury a granddaughter who | had died. MT Murray then said that Mir Turner had told him one thing and had l told MT. Perry another 1 City Attorney Bumgardner of Bessemer then took hand in the melee. What | time did you see Inspector Turner?' he | asked MT. Murray.
 Last night" Murray answered. Well. we saw him this afternoon, said MT. Bumgardner, ''and he said he would let MT. Street come here, but that he had to go to Athens. where his grand child was dead" The crowd drowned Mir Murray's voice with cheers. When i, | had subsided Murray said MT. Turner had made two different statements.
 Solicitor Perry arose. MT. Maddo, telephoned MT. Turner that if he sent | Street down here that he would i'm
 peach his testimony he said. Inspector Turner told us that Mir. Street had to go
 to Athens. and that when Mr. Street re turned we could get him to come hert and testify. He did say, however, tha
 he would not care to have MT. wad, come out here for personal reasons, whicf
 we did not inquire into. Did he not tel you, MT. Murray, that it was Wade hs
 didn't want to come here?'
 Murray was positive in his assertion terrupted with, You may proceed, gen
 tlemen," and the affidavit was read 1 It related to the beating of a negro a :; the Bessemer city jail.
 Murray again objected when it wal read. and he and Perry again clashed
 Finally Perry asked Murray if he ane
 his clients would join the solicitor il
 writing letter to Inspector Turner ask
 ing permission for Mir. Wade of the Bir
 mingham police to attend the hearin,
 here and give evidence. Murray evadet
 the question, although it was put at hin
 directly and with emphasis. Finally, Dr
 Lacey quietly said. why don't vol
 answer his question, Mir. Murray?'
 Twill you and your clients join witt
 me In a written request to MT. Turne
 to send MT. Wade down herer' agaii came the question with renewed emphasis The crowd was growing impatient 1 Ask Turner for Wade
 Yes answered Murray.
 Attorney Bumeardner continued the ex animation of the witnesses. while Solicito lPerry wrote the letter, which was signe' by J. Reese Murray and A. D. Maddox The letter contained nothing more thai Ia request of Inspector Turner for tn presence of Wade
 J. s. Jenkins was the next witnes. Mir Jenkins Is at present a member 0
 the Bessemer police force. and was i
 uniform. Hs was questioned a to tn