The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-31
THE WAR SITUATION

In a vigorous counter attack, launched
with huge electives, the Germans facing
the French south of the Somme river in
France have been able to recapture parts
of their former trenches north of La
Maisonnette and in the region of Biaches.
In addition 412 Frenchmen were made
prisoner by the Germans.
To the north of the river, however,
both the French and the British sue
ceeded in advancing their lines-the Brit
ish between Les Bouefs and Morval and
the French northwest of Sailly-Sailllsel.
In the latter engagement 60 Germans
were captured.
While in the Dobrudja region of Ru-
mania the Teutonic allies are keeping up
their advance, on the Pennsylvania front
the Rumanians are still fighting hard IN
the Prahova valley and the jul valley,
the witness stand and the iurymen and
the packed courtroom would listen
with painful ears to the amazing rev.
elation of affairs that the city of Biz
Impoverished tllOo6hI II 10
claimed to be. is maintaining corps
of these spies at salaries ranging from
$1,000 ITO SIS week.
WERE GIVEN MONEY
According to the testimony of the
Switches" they would be given money
and would be instructed to go and
round up "blind tigers" Their jobs
depended, according to their sworn
90 ho of rrnhi hi =
ton law violators that they located
and had arrested. Some were even
promised positions on the police force
if they became proficient Switches
The juries listened to this sort OF
"evidence" and We're quite properly
shocked. Here was condition of at
fairs that they had not been familiar
with. They had been informed that
their city was in dire financial straits
and they themselves had suffered many
inconveniences from the alleged empti-
ness of the civic treasury and yet here
were the deplorable facts brought out
in open court that city of the high
standing of Birmingham was maintain
ing a costly department of Switches"
to tempt men and women to violate
the law. To the jury it evidently ap-
pearcd that it was bad enough to have
men of such a low moral type that
within the borders of the city, but to
have the constituted authorities &C
knowledge that they hired the
"snitches"-that they paid men to de-
base themselves and to debase oth-
ers-was a revelation that was indeed
humiliating to jurymen that might be
said to have been totally ignorant OF
the state of affairs now existing In
Birmingham.
ONE TOLD OF FEES
The iurymen heard further that a
cost fee was attached to every fine.
This fee of SO went to the arresting
officer, as well as his attendance GER
tificates to the courts if a conviction
was secured. In fact. In every phase
of the dispensing of justice in Jefter-
son county the curse of money was
encountered, as a conviction meant
money for the police. the "snitch," and
the court officials, while an acquittal
meant the sheer that the jury was
composed of local optionistS and there
fore such a verdict was to be ex-
pected.
In the arguments of the attorneys
the jurymen were further enlightened
on the methods of their city govern
ment In fact. if the wise politicians
of the city hall could have foreseen
would have ordered mol pressed ev-
cry appeal case on the docket. They
relied on the immunity of the courts
from publicity and in truth they have
been rather shocked to read in black
and white of the activities of their
own paid Switches"
EXPLAINS THE ACQUITTALS
That explains in part the reasons OF
the numerous acquittals in the prohi-
bition trials last week. The jurymen
were presented at every turn with the
evidences of the palpable fact that 1t
was q money making proposition to
send people to Jail That was the sole
outstanding fact-that whenever a
poor unfortunate was convicted about
a half dozen officials were enriched
thereby.
1t is such revelations as the prohi-
bition trials last week that have such
an educational effect on the citizens
who are serving as Jurors. That is why
it is recommended that whoever cares
to be enlightened on the manner in
which disagreement is being handled
should not shirk his jury duty as
the week he will spend at the Jeffer-
son county courthouse will amply re-
pay him in experience. if nothing else,
to make the adventure worth while.
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