The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-30
BATSON WILL DENY IT

Sheriff Thomas J. Batson will issue a statement refuting the charges made by the federal grand jury report at an early date according to Chief Deputy E.. B. Knight, who is the personal representative ve of MT. Batson.
 home last night and statement requested he said:
 The sheriff has not thoroughly digested the report as yet, and therefore no state ment can be given out tonight. However I am assured that within the next few days the gross congregations contained in the report will be answered in state ment by the sheriff.
 The report in full follows here: ''To the Hon. w. I. Grubb District Uni ted States Court, Birmingham, Ala.
 We, the grand jury, impaneled by you March 6, 1916. beg leave to report that we have finished the investigation of all matters brought to our attention, dur ing our labors at this session, and make the following report:
 Remembering the oath of our office, we have conscientiously tried, without fear or favor, to perform the service intru3ted to us. Permit us to state at the outset that we have been shown every courtesy and assistance by all departments of the federal government and hereby extend our thanks to the various officials with
 
 uniform courtesy and accommodations. re- gardless of the hour or time we have taken from their other duties.
 COMMENDS THE COURT
 Opportunity is here taken to congratu- late this district on having one of the most efficient courts it has ever been our experience to deal with, and it Is a model which our state and county courts would do well to initiate Especially do we want to praise the work of the United States attorneys office, performed by the Hon. Robert N. Bell; his assistant, MT. R. w. Quinn, and the clerk of the United States attorney, MT. Jim c. Smith.
 The grand jury wishes also to com mend Hon. E. c. Yellowley, revenue agent, because of his efficient and faith full services he renders the government in the enforcement and execution of the laws of the United States in this terri tory. We have examined and investigated POI cases finding 1OS true bills and S2 no bills. Right here we want to recommend that more care be taken by some of the United States commissioners in docketing three and four cases. when in fact there should only be one case The only req son we can see for this action is to get additional fees by making separate cases This practice should be stopped. We have examined something like 800 witnesses, anu nave COiIlpl6Iou edcH Qdy the eX- animation of all witnesses summoned for that day. In fact. have completed our docket before adjourning each and every day.
 The grand jury also wishes to call the attention of the court to the fact tina t many cases are docketed by the commits sioner's court where the evidence is in- sufficient, and where the charge cannot be made an offense against the United States For instance had ahn1f 16 cattle tick eases, where the cattle were driven from one county to another, and not from one state to another. These are state cases. and the time and ex- pense of the government should not be used unless an offense against the gov ernment has been committed. One of the most important matters com ing to the attention of this grand jury was the condition of the county jail. in which the United States prisoners are kept as well as the treatment of the prisoners therein.
 UNFIT FOR HUMANS
 On Thursday. March 23, the grand
 jury visited the Jefferson county
 jail, inspecting the interior, tho
 rAechs storerooms, bathrooms,
 etc. the white quarters and col
 ored. talking to many of the pris
 oners. and in the brief time we
 were tncTc, SdtucrIne HI tue ln-
 formation we could. Much has been
 said and written about the jail in
 this county but if we express our
 selves in a few words it would be
 that it is no place for human be-
 ings, no matter what they were
 guilty of As is well known. this
 jail was built years ago and m
 matter who manages it, the. plant
 and equipment is obsolete so far
 ht1vt bnSn ic
 (Csntinued on Page ssveal