The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-04
JUDGE FORT SCORES MOB WH|PP|NGS IN GRAND JURY CHARGE
Strict Enforcement of Prohibi- ton Laws Urged by JuriStS. Auto SpeederS Should
 Be Indicted

Investigation of whippings by
 mobs and violations of the prohibi- tion law were among the chief charges made to the grand jury
 yesterday by Judge William E. Fort when it convened for the April term. , He also directed that if any such ev- idence is found that the jury should of corporations to the campaign fund
 investigate alleged contributions of corporations to the campaign funds of candidates.
 Judge Fort dwelt at length on pro- hibttion enforcement. Most persons take the subject too lightly" he said. But it Is one that is very important to the welfare of our homes and the future of our youths"
 In his charge he touched upon rob- bery and carrying concealed weapons. On the subject of speeding he urged | special vigilance on the part of the grand jury. Many of cur homicides. he explained. are due to reckless drivers and all wanton offenders should be indicted.
 Such things as taking man out from his home and flogging him or
 wrecking his home must not be per- mitted in this country" Judge Fort said In this connection he referred l to the recent trials and convictions of men accused of attacking the home of Lee Turner in the Turkey Creek sec- tion of Jefferson county.
 Rev. Alpheus c. Sw,ndall of East Lake was chosen foreman of the grand jury. The other members are: Gus Ellard, John R. McLendon, Frank s. Kinnard, Bert Roper, R. G. Rich ardson, H. P. Osment, John D. Dun
 can, Thomas E. O'Byrne, Wylan F.
 Jones. Sam Jones. Lewis Oldham,
 John A. Selman, John Allen, Felix | Sherrod, P. L. Cole, Thel Clotfelte.' and F. J. Allen.
 Judge Fort was nearly two hours in charging the jury, during which he defined the customary rules and prac- tices to be followed and outlined the scope of various offenses.
 House WrecIxinK
 In his charge regarding flogging and house wrecking Judge Fort said in part:
 | Now, in concluding, gentlemen, this general charge, let me say to you that there has arisen in this county,
 during the past months, or, we will say, during the past 12 months, a series of abnormal events that seem to indicate q state of lawlessness in the hearts of some of our people.
 For instance, you see in the paper where men are called out and whip | ped and beaten, or taken out upon a
 lonely mountain side and there pun ished, and now you realize the danger of anything of that kind.
 You realize what a menace that Is tto the public peace and safety. If
 man has been aggrieved by another, the courts are open at all times. ready to give him justice in accordance with the law, in accordance with the judg-
 ment of his fellow citizens. But, if he takes the law into his own hands and goes out in the night time, In order to punish some enemy, or to get a kind of rough handed justice of his own, that, gentlemen, is blow
 at organized society and injures the name of justice as well as affects the fair name of our government.
 Informed officers
 Recently we had to try some cases, in a certain vicinity of this county,
 where, on account of certain people, who were said to be operating a dis tiliery in a country vicinity, in the woods, those people thought that an- other man had informed the officers that the still was being run, the offi- cers went out there and destroyed the still; and it so happened that this par | ticular man against whom the Vio- Hence was committed, had been work l ing for one of these men who was running the still, and who had retus- ed, so he claimed, to assist in that kind of work and had been discharg- ed because he would not do what the man wanted him to do.
 "He went off to seardh for work elsewhere and to another county, and, while he was gone, these men banded together, some of them, went into the home in the night time, destroyed his 1 furniture, tore up his childrens' clothes, and committed depredations upon every article of furniture he had Fin his house. i Prompt Convictions
 1 "Now, such thing as that, gentle- men, must not go on Tn this county and 1t remains for the public senti- ment. as represented by courts ana | jurors and all good citizens. to repud- | fate conduct of that kind. These cases were promptly tried in this court, tonly a week before last and l am glad to say the juries acted promptly in the case, and the men were convicted and fined by the jury to which as trlal judge I imposed an additional sent euce of six months Imprisonment.
 "When midnight marauders get out and destroy property like that, Tor the purpose of malice or to vent their spleen upon somebody. we have led to a point where. we ought to turn around and face these common enc mics of society with united public