The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-24
Says Members white
washed" Warden Evans at
Lucille as Expected
"WILFUL NEGLECT" is
LAID TO THE BOARD
Solicitor Feels That Board Has Not
Given Proper Encouragement
to Grand Jury of Bib
County

In an open letter to the state convict
board, ]. Fritz Thompson, the solicitor
of the Fourth judicial circuit, charges
that the hearing on the charges preferred
by the Bibb county grand jury against
Warden Evans at Lucille mines had re-
suited in ''whtewash.
He also charges that the convict board
wilfully neglected to look into the evil
dence. The letter follows:
"Centerville, October %.
IAN Open Letter to the Convict Board
The expected has happened. A very thick
coat of whitewash has been applied to
Warden Evans of Lucille as the people OF
Alabama, who have kept up with this
case, have expected ever since interviews
began to issue one close upon another
from the governors office prejudieng the
case
You say that you could find evil
dence. whatever, that Evans received
money from any convicts for his pretended
services in getting them paroles. l only
wonder if your board were able to see
the Bibb county courthouse or the hole
in the ground at Lucille that is called q
coal mine, because it would be hard to
get evidence of either fact any stronger
than was the evidence furnished you that
Evans did receive money You had the
names of witnesses and just what each
one would testify. Then the only reason
that any one can imagine why you did
not get the evidence must have been that
you did not ask the questions. or if
you did ask them, then II was not done
in way and manner and under circum-
stances calculated to get the truth.
TOOK MONEY
Or Powell testified before the grand
Jury that he paid Evans $50 but before
you examined him, Evans. in your pres
ence, talked to him quite awhile. 1t may
be that you did not hear this converse
ton, but it was out in the open and III
front of the commissary at Lucille, and
Powell left his conference with Evans
TO appear before you and testify.
you say that under the rules of the
convict department, the matter OF the
physical ability of a convict to work was
not under Evans control, but as mat
ter of fact at Lucille, it is under his con-
troll as you we'll know. He disregards the
physician located there as though he was
not in existence.
THE president of your board was in
formed by letter dated October IA, that
r. T. Boone, the superintendent of the
Red Feather Coal company, if placed on
oath, would be compelled to testify that
on the day VIII Wooten dropped dead,
under his direction, and the statement was
made in that letter that the writer would
venture the prediction that that whipping
did not appear on the whipping record
at Lucille.
Had your board when, on it's visit
to Centrevlle, summoned the witnesses
where they would have been out from
under Evans influence and where their
evidence could have been heard by the
public, considerably more faith and re-
spect would have been inspired for the
findings of your boa1 d
GOVERNOR KNEW DETAILS
'In my letter to the governor giving
him detail information to the names
of each witness in this .-.atter and what
each one would TESTIFY, 1 stated that
If desired and this examination was held
at any other place than Lucille, 1 would
be present and examine the witnesses.
AT the time your boa~u came to Centre
vile I was in town and idle, and did
not have the honor of even getting a
glimpse of either member of this august
body On another occasion a member
OF your board visited Centreville in con-
nection with this matter and l was at
home at the time and did not know
of his visit except from hearing it men
toned on the streets | do not know
why my presence was not wanted before
this board, unless it was because you
Knew l would pflnS out lHe evidence
just as it existed, regardless of who it
helped or hurt.
1T seems to me that your board in
order to be thoroughly consistent and to
give proper force to your findings, after
you had ascertained that there was alb
solutely no evidence against Evans ought
then to have proceeded to prosecute the
solicitor and each mes.iper of the grand
jury for SANDER 1t happens that this
grand jury was composed of represent
tative citizens of Bib county, the fore
man of which is the president of the
Cahaba Supply company, the largest
mercantile establishment in the county,
and also president of the Peoples Bank
of Centreville, and he is well and ia
vorably known throughout large part
Of Alabama.
WERE REPRESENTATIV MEN
'Of the charges pre.srred by the grand
fury an average of about 80 per cent
are sustained on trials before petit