The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-11
Senator ELECT Brewer Singles
Out Baldwin in Excoriation
of Arrests and Detentions at
Armory - Compares Own
Military Record
SMALL TUMULT CAUSED
BY OCCUPANT OF BOX
Altman Says II Unlawful
Acts Are Not Stopped They
Will Soon Reach to South
Highlands - Arrested Men
and Wives Give Testimony

In resolutions adopted at spirited
meeting of striking shop craftsmen
and others that packed the first floor
and balconies of the Jefferson theatre
Sunday afternoon, Gov. Thomas +.
Kilby was petitioned to intervene in
what was characterized as unlawful
and wrongful arrests" of striking
shopmen and alleged dynamiters by~
Maj. William L. Baldwin, command
ing Birmingham unit Alabama ma
tional guard.
Major Baldwin and his actions
were bitterly denounced by State
Senator-elect Walter S. Brewer and
John w. Altman, counsel for the
striking shopmen.
Declaring that activities Of the
guardsmen constituted usurpation of
civil authority and oppression of per-
sonal rights, Mr.. Altman, amid deaf
ening cheers, threw out the warning,
III this thing keeps up it is not go-
ing to stop with the workingmen. but
it is going to reach the self-compla-
cent and selfish business people Of
Birmingham, and you people of
Mountain Terrace, Highland avenue
and Glen Iris, it is going to reach you
with greater force than it has
reached these working people"
Interruption IL Tumuituous
once in the course of Senator
elect Brewers speech against Major
Baldwin the meeting nearly turned
into tumult when the speaker
turned quickly to a man seated in
a box on his right pointed mis- finger
at him. and declared. Il don't know
who you are and l don't care who
you are, but / resent your sneer-
ing throughout this speech"
After a second OF tension, the
house broke into storm Of raul
lery and threats. Cries of vitupera-
tion from all quarters OF the theatre
brought the man. William s. Miller
Jr. to his feet. but his words were
drowned out in the din of hundreds
OF other voices. order was restored
by Chairman b. W King after a few
moments
Mai william l.. Baldwin tried his
case in the newspapers this morn-
ing" said Mr.. Altman, We are not
trying the national guard here this
afternoon. but we are trying Will
liam l.. Baldwin. major in the ma
tional guard.
Arrested Men Seated ON Stage
The stage was partially occupied
by men who had been arrested by the
military authorities. Nine OF them.
and some OF their wives. spoke to
the audience and tetd them that they
had been seized without warrants,
had been Imprisoned and had been
abused and intimidated BY Major
Baldwin and others at the post office
armory.
Mr.. Altman prefaced Introduction Of
the nine men who claimed TO nave
been III treated by the military au-
thorities by reading excerpts from
the CONSTITUTED OF the United States,
which asserted that mo man shall
be deprived OF life. liberty or prop
erty without due process OF law
that every man Is entitled to life.
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness -
that military law shall at all times,
except in case of declaration of mar
tial law be subordinated to civil au-
thority. and lastly. that when the
petple OF the tHtteu states cn0Se to
abondon those principles they would
set up new government.
Mr.. Altman then declared:
Il want to tell you of some Of the
things that have been going on re-
Gently. that probably many OF you
40 net know OF. Men and boyn ana
women have been stopped on the
highways. have been seized and
searched, and men arrested without
warrant and placed in the post office
guard house by the guardsmen.
Habeas Corpus Delayed
''At first TWO were arrested. when
habeas corpus papers were madn our
(Coutinued on Paae Txa.N4 "a