The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-08-04
Home For Imbeciles
Needed in Alabama


Home For Imbeciles
Needed in Alabama
lNR. w. D. PARTLOW, head of the
~ Alabama insane hospitals and
secretary of the Alabama Society for
Mental Hygiene, contributes to the
Tuscaloosa News an interesting and
instructive article on society's most
unfortunate and most neglected mem
bers, the feeble-minded
DR.. Partlow discusses the case of
"Doc" Bigham, murderer, escaped con-
Wet and "moonshiner," recently exc
cuted at Tuscaloosa. Bigham's ca
reer was one of lawlessness and blood
shed. For most of his life he was a
hunted animal, at war with society
and the officers of the law. Yet, is it
any wonder that this illiterate woods
man committed crimes which eventu-
ally caused him to be hanged, when
we consider that, according to the
alienist, he had the mentality of a IL
year-old child? Bigham was not so
much an enemy of society, as society
was an enemy to him-through ;ndif-
ference and neglect. In a better cnvi-
ronment he might have led a better
life.
The imbecile and the moron is not
only a menace to public safety him
self, but he marries and has chill
dren, with the result that sthe strain
is perpetuated. DR.. Partlow calls at
tention to two brothers temporarily
admitted to the Bryce hospital,in 1919,
from Tuscaloosa county, both feeble
minded. The older had mentality of
la 4-year-old child. They have three
sisters, two of whom are married and
have children, yet all are imbeciles.
People of this sort can never be
made good citizens, but they can be
protected and cared for and given the
opportunities their limited intelligence
can grasp. More important, still, they
can be prevented from marrying and
rearing children to become an addi-
tional burden to the state and DOS
lsible criminals. Such people should
not be confined in aims houses, iails
and insane asylums. 1t is a barbar-
GUS practice that only makes their
condition worse. Yet, Alabama has
never had a home for the feeble
minded.
The proposed Alabama Home for
Mental Interiors is crying need, and
if the state legislature will do its
duty, it will be established.
y X X
There is room and to spare in the cot.
ton fields, mines and factories of the
south for colored folk who have misrat.
ed to the north to compete with tn,
gangster
1 X X *
| Oscar Hammerstein used to say S;
lasted him SO long it made him fee
ashamed, but that was in the day,
when a dollar had some purchasin.
power
| The average man. says a contempo
rary, leads an uneventful life. That 1,
/ why the memoirs of the average maj
| would not be worth a postage stamp
= y y.
Birmingham Distinguished Hotel
| has at various times entertained :
prize bull, the Blue Devils of France
and game cocks of international fame
+ Y =
When thirsty American tourists in
wade wet" Europe, it's going to be {
ticklish matter to decide between a,
"old master" and a case of Scotch.
= = +
Postmasters are going to have theil
hands full when instead of Gimme two
twos and one."sa customer says. "A
can of pork and beans. please"
X = y
Pleadings that the stats<dsgislatur,
have heart" were not without some Of
feet. Nevertheless the hand Of the solor
| is heavy on Jefferson county.
4 = = =
| The food barons splutter, but wha,
can they do when Uncle Sam Is coins
to sell army supplies at greatly re.
duced prices?"
The reported drop in prices Of prsc.
icus stones means nothing in particu
lar to the man whose mind is on bacor
and eggs.
King Alfonso is one of the Few
monarchs in Europe who emerged from
trying times without great loss o
sleep.
The Franco American song 10 bsinl