The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-21
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

T told Frank Carpenter that I would make him open his eyes before he got out of the Birmingham district.
 But, believe me, I had no hand in pull ing off the sensational jail delivery. wouldn't have helped do it even to please veteran newspaper man like Carpenter.
 
 Yet, having an early appointment with him, I got downtown just as a bunch of prisoners had made sensational get away.
 I dare say he thinks I'm an early bird, for I rapped on his door at the Tutwiler. No answer. but I kept on knocking. Qm no knocker).
 I got him up and said, Hurry, man. " Whats the rush?' said he. Jail de- livery I answered. What's that?p he questioned. Three men under death sen tences have just broken out of the county jail''
 By this time Miss Frances, his daugh- ter, was a-quiver with excitement. Miss ing a date, we hurried around to the Big Rock to find a lot of worried off cials and crowd of interested and curi- ous spectators.
 Seeing two deputies inside the gate where the prisoners had just walked out, in we strolled and took a look at the lay of the land to see how the trick had been turned.
 Going on further we at last found Sheriff Batson. to whom I presented the Carpenters. He excused himself in a minute, saying he regretted he could not have the pleasure of talking at length with them.
 There was a hurrying to and fro in his office. Men were telling how the escape was made; others were volunteering ways to catch them. The air was tense with excitement
 Walking out into the alley at it's mouth we met Connie Austin, cool and collected, coming in. He spoke to me and intro- duced him to the Carpenters. He talked for few minutes and began to arrange for the pursuit
 Automobiles began to arrive with grim and determined looking men. Pistols, shotguns and rifles were in evidence. Miss Frances. with true newspaper in stinct, was busy with her kodak. HN
 The great correspondent had seen many strange sights in his thousands upon thousands of miles of travel in girding the globe but never before jail delivery and a man hunt, which was to end so tragically.
 The scene brought to mind the famous Hawes incident, which I witnessed a quarter of century ago. It was in the minds of others.
 I could shut my eyes and see the angry throng of men. Again I was hearing the voice of Joe Smith giving the warning and then the order to fire.
 Tn my minds eye all around me lay the dead and the wounded. All the ter rible scenes of that awful night came wildly before me-
 The old citizens well remember the Hawes riot, trial, conviction and execu- ton. It was truly cause celebre. I'll never forget it, as I made my maiden speech in defense of Dick.
 It was a great legal battle. On one side was Colonel Taliaferro, man of commanding presence and compelling oratorcal ability. On the other side was Jim Hawkins. not personally very pre- possessing, nor in any sense an orator but keen. cold and analytical
 On me fell a large share of the burden in gathering evidence and looking after details for the defense. T remember that ip the two weeks I lost 10 pounds. It was gruelling trial.
 Judge Samuel Greene, the greatest criminal judge have ever known, was at his best. Taliaferro and Hawkins had SPoto eAoA'o " iAieiAO e~AiSA hSSP oAiA Ao9C superbly to the occasion.
 The jury was a representative one A number of them are still living here. Just on the moment I recall few whom I meet daily on the streets.
 I can't help reminiscing. It may be a sign of growing age. but somehow the old days get hold of me and I will set down the happenings that once moved me, even if they make some of my readers weep.
 do not know if Frank Carpenter in- tends to use the jail delivery and the killing of Overton and Malino and the wounding and capture of Latham in any of his letters, but I do know that he thinks that Birmingham is big enough, beautiful enough, and pro- gressive enough to do great things, and is going to tell The Age-Herald readers some things about the district that will be a revelation to them.