The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-18

According to the grand jury there is system of nepotism in Bessemer whereby police officer was able to assault the chief of police on the pub lie streets and escape punishment. Also the grand jury finds that it was a common occurrence for the police of- ficers to be found irresponsible on the streets.
 The grand jury also called the pub | lies attention to the fact that in po- lice court, where a prisoner, accord ing to all usages, was entitled to pro- tection, was assaulted by Officer Mad dox. The grand jury also declares that third degree" methods were ire
 quently used by the Bessemer police in which helpless negroes were taken in cells in the middle of the night and beaten until they were covered with blood. The whole partial report presents, according to court officials, terrible indictment of the indiffer- ence of the Bessemer city officials to practices of the police.
 Following is the full transcript of the partial report of the grand jury: PARTIAL REPORT BY
 GRAND JURY YESTERDAY ITO the Honorable William E. Fort and | H. P. Heflin, Judges of the Crimina 1 Court of Jefferson County:
 | Tn view of the fact that this grand jury, for the September term. 1915, of the criminal court of Jefferson county will not make it's final report until the l latter part of December, and in further
 consideration of the fact that certain | conditions exist which humanitarian
 principles and the public good require
 init at this time partial report of oul | findings with certain recommendations We have made dilligent inquiry into crim- 1 inal conditions and find that in certain portions of the county the officials o1 1 the law, who are solemnly charged witt
 the duty of it's just execution. have trans 1 gressed the Fundamental rights and con
 stitutional privileges of its citizens | We desire to call particular attention to certain officers of the city of Besse-
 mer, and the imperative necessity oi
 dra stic and remedial measures in order ] that oppression shall cease. and common justice be restored in that community 1 Due to the fact the laws of Alabama do not give this grand jury the right l to recommend the impea chment of any l but state and county officials. we arc | helpless to do more than direct the at
 tention of the governing powers of that 1 city to the existence of evil practices l that are subversive of good government | and honest laws. To be more specific
 we will state that the following police
 men, in our opinion. should be removed l from position which now gives then the custody of helpless prisoners. and i'm 1 poses upon them the duty of the enforce
 ment of laws: A. D. Maddox, Ellis Hous
 ton and Cephas Ross.
 I've find that, according to their owr
 statements Officers Maddox and Houston
 have repeatedly been guilty of the prac l tice of the third degree In a manner | so cruel that it would bring discredit and | shame upon the most uncivilzed and bar barous community. We find that a uni | form practice has been made of taking | helpless prisoners. In the late hours ot
 night. into a secluded room in the pres l ence of these two officers, and others 1 whose names we have not been able tC l obtain, and there beat them until they were red with their own blood. in thu l effort to obtain confessions. We find tha
 this cowardly practice in which four bis
 officers with pistols safely strapped or l their bodies. would thus take advantage l of ignorance and helplessness, has beer l continuously in operation for long mum | Der of years. leather strap with z
 buckle on one end, and big flap or | the other was invented for the purpose of assisting the officers in this heinou. practice. contrary to the letter and spirit | of the constitution of the United States the constitution of Alabama. the univer- | sal sympathy of the human heart. an6
 the recognized rights of every citizen ol
 a free republic. In this room were none l present but the officers and the helples.
 prisoner often innocent of the crime ot which he was charged, arrested without
 a warrant. on the vague suspicion of tKest 1 instruments of law and order.
 STRUCK CITIZEN IN COURT
 AND GOT AWAY WITH IT
 | "We further find that while giving evi dence in the police court of Bessemer
 where the protection of the law should | hot u-h tf