Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-05
SIX UNDER ARREST,
4 MORE SOUGHT IN
BIRMINGHAM PROBE

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, April al
With six men in custody, federal
and state authorities are contin-
uing their efforts to round up the re-
naming number of. the men charged
with participation in the kidnapping
and f1ogging of DR.. J. D. Bowling,
city and county health officer, on
May II, last year. AT least four
other men are under suspicion as a
result OF a statement authorities
said had been made to them by c..
w. Tyson, one of the six men under
arrest.
Tyson wa quoted by officers as
having made clean breast of the
whole affair, signing his declaration
in the presence of c. w. McPhail,
representative of the department of
justice; Solicitor Jim Davis, and
other officers.
On the strength of Tysons state
ment Sam Cargo, of Tarrant City,
and J. F. Ford, of Mount Pinson,
were arrested yesterday. Other men
named by Tyson as members of the
whipping party, according to author
tiles, were w. M. VERIFY, Porter
Newman and Ernest c. Jacks, all
under indictment by the Jefferson
county grand jury in connection
with the case.
Young Mans Story
Tyson, a young dairyman, was
said by authorities to have covered
every angle in connection with the
physical facts surrounding the
Bowling whipping. Sufficient evi.
dence had been gathered, they as
serted, to support every statement
made by Tyson, who is said to have
related all details III connection with
the plot to whip the health officer
and the :ctual flogging.
Besides Mr.. McPhail and Mr..
Davis, others present when Tyson
made his statement were. r. E.
Hunt, federal agent; Sam Arnett
and Paul Cole, city detectives; M.
E. McDugg, city bureau of identifi-
cation, and Assistant Solicitor John
2. Mccoy. The statement was re-
corded by the official reporter Of
the jefferson county grand jury.
Several times during Tyson's re-
cital, according to the statemtnt of
officers present, he broke down and
wept. Sobbing bitterly, he evinced
much emotion, his questioners de-
clared in describing DR.. Dowling's
cries Of agony as members of the
mob took turns applying the lash.
The instrument of torture, Tyson is
said to have told the officers, was
a heavy leather strap 2 IL feet long
by 2 IL inches wide. Each man
was made to take turns at the whip
ping, Tyson was quoted as saying.
Doctor Begged for Mercy
did you actually strike Bowling
yourself?" was one of the questions
officers said was asked Tyson.
He was quoted as replying between
sobs, Eyes, I struck him twice"
Tyson was quoted by officers as
declaring DR.. Bowling begged for
mercy, but none was shown him.
Indignities were heaped upon the
officer along with the flogging, the
statement Of Tyson declared, as
quoted by those present when it
was made and signed.
Authorities said they did not offer
immunity or hold any promises to
Tyson of any character to obtain his
statement. 1t was entirely volun-
tary, they asserted.
DR.. Dowling's zeal in enforcingl
laws that pertained to the public
health caused the plot to be formed
against him and executed, Tyson
was said to have declared to Off
GERS Certain dairymen, Tyson was
quoted as saying, had long objected
to the health officers campaign for
better milk.
On several occasions, it is d mat
ter of record that DR.. Bowling had
caused condemned milk to De pour
ed into the gutter.
DR.. Bowling told officers, in re
porting the whipping, that he was
told by his tormentors as the lash
was applied that he must stop his
cZarliKe methods" Of enforcing the
laws.
Backed by the state and county
boards of health and the federal pub
lie health service of which he is an
attache, DR.. Bowling is said to have
continued unawed his efforts to en-
force all laws governing the sale of
milk and that refer to sanitation.
Tyson was quoted by authorities
as having said that he heard a
member of the mob say to DR..
Bowling before the whipping:
Were going to give you thirty
days to get out of town and if you
do not, we are going to kill you"
One of the men under arrest, &C
cording to Tyson, struck DR.. Dow
ling first The other nine members
of the whipping party then took
turns applying the lash.
Cargo and Ford are docketed at
police headquarters on charges of
assault with intent to murder and
under the Dangerous and suspi-
cious' ordinance. Both are held in
communicate.
DR.. Bowling is an attache of the
public health service of the United
States, and it was said that charges
might be filed against the men
named in Tyson's statement in fed
eral court. Agents of the depart
ment of justice have been actively
engaged in the investigation.