The Birmingham age-herald. [volume], September 20, 1914, Page 7, Image 7

About The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950

Image provided by: University of Alabama Libraries, Tuscaloosa, AL

                
“USE GOOD JUDGMENT, NOT YOUR PISTOL/’
ADVICE OF THE MOST FEARED POLICEMAN
I
—Our Store—
Will Be Closed
TOMORROW
MONDAY
»
On Account of
Holiday
lyr_A. _ A
CLOTHES THE WHOUELFAhUty
CAPTAIN WHINS
' NAS NEVER FIRED
! CUNINBIRMINGHANI
But Once in Fort Payne,
-Single Handed, He .
Stopped a Mob and
Killed a Dozen
By RICHARD F. USSIER
GAPTAIN ROBERT H. HAW
KINS is the most feared man
r of the police department.
“Old Blue Steel,” as he is known
to the criminal world, is a terrible
bugaboo to the negro element as they
verily tremble at his approach. Negro
women to quiet their children just
whisper, “Old Blue Steel will get you
shore,” and the wildest pickaninny is
quickly reduced to extreme docility.
* And yet in the 15 years that he
4 has been a police officer in Birming
ham Captain Hawkins has never fired
his pistol at arry man. His record is
unique in that respect.
Birmingham even to its most op
timistic booster docs not appear to
be a “Sunday school” town and it is
a well known fact that the police of
this city have more danger to contend
with than any other city of similar
size in the United States. In the old
“free, rough and ready” western
days of Leadville and Cripple Creek
human life was not cheaper or more
wantonly taken than in the last 15
years in Birmingham. Approximately
, every member of the police department
has killed one, two or more men in
v Pistol battles during that period. Still
Captain Robert Hawkins, the most
feared of the numerous brave men, at
police headquarters proudly boasts
that he has never shot at anyone while
a police officer in the city. He is just
ly proud of his record.
His Grim Smile
And yet, why do bad men fear and
respect Captain Hawkins? There are
■ Dt-vsTeahv n,rml[’ahtlm easily- h|K match
C ,nlth0”Kh hp l« exactly six
feet tall he Is slightly built and is 55
\ears of age. But this tall, blue-eyed
whheTT' r" *raylsh temples and a
whimsical smile, easily drawls his orders
*o subordinates or to persons under ar
rest and somehow the impression of vast
leserve power Is conveyed and very few
have openly defied this elderly, good
natured officer. His smile alone disarms
the most recalcitrant of offenders, as it
'* the most terrible of smiles at times,
I0.r.T' aa a neero desperado stated:
Steel8' teT ,slt ,him. bl,t ‘Old Blue
Sled, he s qulokern’n a cat and he jes
laffs at me like an old debbil and hits
mi all over all at one time. Yas slrrec
man ” °'d ®1,,e steel' atn some white
kins" m!, knoW!,‘ n°t even Captain Haw
Of -nm n,h°'Lhe, acquired the nickname
used 1 ?aUPa eel- The flrs* time it was
used to the knowledge of Captain Haw
ab?ut 10 Years ago In "Buz
*ard s Boost —a notorious section for
, "e*r° “roughnecks’"-on First and Sec
;t„uei,U" between Twenty-sixth and
Twenty-seventh streets.
n was on a Sunday night. Captain
nawkliM. then a patrolman and a partner
of Officer James Mullin. was stationed
at Buzzards Roost." Hawkins had gone
to supper about 6:30 o’clock and while
be was absent a fight broke out in a
negro ’blind tiger" and in attempting to
make an arrest Officer Mullin was shot
and killed. A few minutes later Hawkins
was told that his "buddie” bad been
killed In a negro dive and hastened to
Mhe scene. On his way he heard a negro
"Wal dar sbo.dy be sumpln’ doin’ now
/. 111 Blue Steel am here and hits no
Jplact: for a Rood nipper.”
From that time Captain Hawkins states
he has been familiarly known as “Old
Blue Steel, but the origin of the name
is unknown, although another version o*
,vrT ,1 . ,,lckname fifst came Into use
was that a negro told an officer that -i
Vi Smke had been made ,n killing Officer
HcnrvVm *he m,frderer- the notorious
Henry King, was after “Old Blue Steel.”
In Fort Payne
tom,Hhe ,T8t excltin(f adventure of Cap
tain Haw kin s career happened while he
was a police officer at Fort Payne during
boom days in the northwestern part
of the state, about 20 years ago For
his conduct In that adventure In which
8®yer,a' nrsr,°ri were kllled Hawkins was
appointed chief of police of Fort Payne
Then there was In Ft. Payne a
tough negro settlement much on the
, 88 me OI'der as "Buzzard Roost” in this
city There were two furnaceB and a
rolling mill and a railroad was being
built at that time necessitating a large
number of laborers and the “Buzzard
Roost” of Fort Payne was inhabited
by degraded white people and negroes.
Two police officers were detailed to
maintain law and order in that locality i
hut were utter failures as they could
never be found when any shooting
Rtarted. Finally conditions got so bad !
that property owners remonstrated
with the mayor of Fort Payne and !
Robert Hawkins was ordered to mak|
Christians out the lawless of “Buzzard I
Roost.” He did!
“There were some bad old days, about
20 years ago, at Fort Payne," said
Captain Hawkins reminiscently, “and
looking back I realize just how fortu
nate I was to live through all that
trouble.
Notorious Ganer’s Hall
“In that bad locality of Fort Payne,
where only niggers and ‘low down’
whites lived there was a negro dance
hall known as ‘Ganer’s hall,’ and this
was a combination ‘honk-a-tonk,’ gam
bling hell and murderer’s hangout. It
was the tougnest place that I have ever
struck in all my police experience.
“Many officer had tried to enforce
law and order about ‘Ganer’s hall,’ but
all had signally failed as they could
never manage their feet when the
shooting began. Not that one can
blame them as most feet become un
manageable when bullets begin to fly!
Unless a man Is a fatalist he is very
likely to move and move quickly under
such circumstances. But I diverge
from my story.
“Well, the property owners had made
*uch a howl to the mayor about the
lawless conditions existing near ‘Ga
rner’s hall,’ that this harassed official
who had noticed my modest efforts in
another part of the town in police work
suggested that I should be detailed to
that particularly tough beat. I ac
! 1
■ _ J ■ I
0 C Gold Filled Spectacles A rfl ' H
n A r,tt*d to Voar ef*» (with Bnt stock U All n
111 |l Spherical Lfowa) by Our Optician, all W LU
, „ .nI!* MAKING you this extraordinary offer I
or $5 00 gold filled spectacles for '95c we have in mind the sole idea _ ■
or making a proposition so attractive that you must avail yourself 29f
or it. 1$ is our aim to list you among our satisfied customers. Once R
you have purchased our spectacles we feel confident you will'tell L
friends and we w'ill secure you as a permanent customer. TO , I
SELL YOU A PAIR OF THESE SPECTACLES WE MAKE THIS bJ(
ONLY APS STARTLINQ* YET SINCERE, OFFER FOR THIS WEEK jRj
With each pair of spectacles purchased we will give you a 25c I I
case without extra charge. 1J|
The frames we use in our 95c spectacles are gold filled and
guaranteed five years. Any frame that does not give satisfaction we iF^
will gladly replace with a new one. || jl
_We want to win you over to the Averyt way of doing business, J I I
THE BEST GOODS FOR THE LEAST MONEY, cutting out the un- i J
reasonable profits you have been paying for Optical goods.
We have in charge of our Optical Department one of the best WjJ
opticians you can find in the city. It does not obligate you to pur
chase spectacles when you have your eyes examined, as we do that N
free of charge. H
He member. Oar Guarantee Stands Back of Every Pair We Sell tmmfl
f fZf Bo «*ot Infer, however, that our optical business is confined Tl
[j to selling ORc Spectacles. We supply the highest grade of all the I
u complicated lenses and can furnish you with any kind of pat - - H
ented mountings you prefer. For this class of goods our prices JB (
range from 1-2 to 1-2 of what other houses ask. jj
Our Optician Is on duty dally 9 to 0; Saturday until 9s30 p. m.,
and Sundays 9 to 11. At Central Store, 109 20th St., Birmingham, t
formerly COLLIER’S. * Fl
0 i
CAPTAIN ROBERT H. HAWKINS
Man with unique police record in that he is feared by bad men and has never shot one in Birmingham.
The negroes call him “Old Blue Steel”
cepted the appointment with many
forebodings as my wife and all my
friends felt the gravest fears for my
safety and I hud a sort of panlcy feel
ing running up and down my spine
when first I patrolled that section of
Fort Payne.
The Trouble Begins
“The very first night trouble began.
A negro came along and started some
thing just to see what 1 would do and
he quickly found out as I nearly
brained him with my club. That ended
all my troubles for that night, al
though on the second night, I heard
murmurings that the negroes were not
going to stand for my presence there
and I was to be driven off—as all other
officers had been—or killed. I told
my partner that ‘Buzzard Roost' had
to be broken up sometime and that we
might as well be killed in trying. I
can’t say that my partner was too en
thusiastic over the proposition.
“On the third night there was a mas
querade ball at 'Ganer’s hall’ and about
200 ‘niggers’ were there. I guess about
the grandest collection of cutthroats
ever gathered together were there
mingling and drinking with the danc
ers. My partner and I were stationed
near the dance hall when a fight
started at the door. We immediately
went to arrest the fighters.
“As we advanced on the motley crowd
the negro whom I had clubbed the first
night came at me with a pistol in his
hand. He fired point blank. I drew my
pistol but a negro grabbed it and sought
to wrench it away. Then the shooting
became general and bullet whizzed all
about my head as I struggled with the
negro that held my pistol and the one
that was shooting at me. Finnally I
~ enched my left arm loose and reaching
In my rear left pocket, where I had
another pistol, I managed to get it out
and it was immediately goodnight for the
nigger who was ‘peppering’ at me. I shot
him right through the forehead and then
the negro who was holding my right arm
let go and I started shooting in the
crowd of negToes with both pistols.
Surrounded by Dead
“There was a whole lot of shooting
but finally the negroes were stampeded
and I was alone with several dead and
wounded about me. I suddenly looked up.
roelir®: a presentiment of danger, and
there waf the proprietor of the dance
ball, the worst of all the negroes, stand
ing in the doorway and leveling a shot
gun at my head. I felt that there was
rrne more bullet in my right hand gun
and I snapped it at him and he toppled
over with a .44-calibre bullet through
his mouth.
“During all the shooting my partner
had disappeared but he later turned up
In Fort Payne and reported that I had
been killed. My wife was also informed
that I was dead.
“A posse was quickly made up and
started for the scene of the shooting. T
met them about halfway and spoke rather
severely of my partner for his desertion.
He was later tried on charges resulting
from his desertion and dismissed.
Another Bad “Nigger”
“The next morning there was a coro
ner’s inquest and at the inquest there
was a negro sitting in a rear seat with a
shotgun in his lap muttering to himself.
A friend came along and told me that
the negro was muttering threats about
me. So without awaiting the verdict of
:he coroner’s Jury I Jumped up and go
ng to where this tough nigger was sit
ting I broke his own shotgun over his
lead and then the jury brought in a ver
iiot stating that I had been justified in
lefending my life against the attacks of
he wild negroes.
“Since that time I have never had any
jerious trouble and have never fired my
)istol at any person, white or black.
*‘Any police officer who uses Judgment
vlll never have to fire his pistol except
ru^very rare cases. All men about to
ihoot or stab betray themselves by some
novement and the careful police officer
an always prepare and frustrate the
ittack. Many men have drawn pistols
md knives on me but their actions had
varned me in time and a quick blow with
he butt end of jny pistol always suf
iced. Excitable officers would kill under
uch circumstances.’’
Born in Tennessee
Captain Hawkins was born at Plkevllle,
Penn., about GG years aso. Ha is mar*
ried and has several children. He has
a modest home on Avenue G and Is a
quiet, unassuming man.
He became a member of the Birmingham
police department in 1897 and was elected
sergeant in 1908. Ill April, 1913, he was
elected by the city commissioners to a
captaincy and has served the city in that
capacity ever since.
. He is a familiar figure about the down
town streets as for the past few months
he has been In charge of the day shift. His
tall, gaunt form rapidly striding up the
street in his trim uniform with a military
salute for every acquaintance impresses.
A few days ago he was given the morn
ing shift, which means that he now goes
on duty at 11 o’clock at night and works
until 7 o'clock in the morning. It also
means that "Old Blue Steel” Is up ail
night guarding the property of the citi
zens.
It means that no police officer can sleep
on his heat and get away with it as Cap
tain Hawkins has the reputation of ap
pearing when least expected, and as he
rides a bicycle he covers all parts of the
city, so that even the bicycle scouts have
to be “on the Job” as the wily captain
may run up on them at anytime.
Illustrating His Reputation
As for the negroes, they all know him,
arid especially know the sound of his
voice. An incident illustrating this hap
pened a few nights ago.
Captain Hawkins and Officer Crump
went to a negro house to look for a sus
pect. The negroes inside were awak
ened by tile loud thumping of the officers
on tlie door, and on their query Captain
Haw'kins, in his habitual drawl, said:
"Open up, nigger, this Is an officer.”
The captain had no more than spoken
before a shrill voice from a negro woman
was heard:
“G’wan open dat door, you fool nigger
dat's ’Old Blue Steel’ out dar-’’
And the negro children were then heard
crying.
ALBERT BUSH PAYS
TRIBUTE TO HEROIC
CONDUCT OF WOMEN
(Continued from Page Five)
derful heroism of William Jones. Many
women did I see who refused medical
attention, saying with Spartan courage:
’Go and render aid to those that suf
fer more than I.’
I want to add that help came witli
exoeeding promptness from Livingston
and other points. The officials of John
Cochran s railroad came quickly and
we were able to get the wounded away
to a Meridian hospital long before I
jvould have thought possible. Later on
the ladles of Livingston came to our
relief, and served ub breakfast, which
wish to say was exceedingly kind,
thoughtful and appreciated.
Deserve Commendation
“The horrors of the wreck are Inde
scribable. However, there is no good
purpose to serve by dwelling upon
t.iem, I wanted to make this state
ment about the women on that train be
cause it appealed to all the men pres
ent with wonderful force, and I think
in the rush of things the accounts
railed to give the ladles on the train
that degree of commendation and con
gratulations which they deserve by rea
son of their conduct."
Mr Bush was interviewed at the
Terminal station Friday afternoon when i
__ amt' in by un Age-Herald reporter, i
However, Mr. Bush did not care to talk
at length as his machine was waiting
and he was apparently very much ;
wrought up and nervous over the hor- 1
rlble scenes through which he had
just passed. At the time of his ar- i
rival came also Robert Jemlson, Sr \
whose graphlo story was printed by i
The Age-Herald yesterday morning. !
PUBLIC SALE. ON MONDAY, SEP
TEMBER 21, AT 10 O'CLOCK, AT 425 i
S. MOTH »T„ I WILL SELL..IN FARTS, :
WITHOUT RESERVE, TO tfllE HIGH- '
EST BIDDER, AND FOR CASH, THE 1
ENTIRE REMAINING FACTORY,
TRANSPORTATION AND OFFICE
EQUIPMENT OF THE ROYAL ICE '
CREAM CO. T. L. WHITTAKER, •
A1 SIGNER. ]
NESBITT PLANS FOR
Members of Democratic Ex
ecutive Committee Will
All See Service Here
If the plan of W. D. Nesbitt, chairman
[if the state democratic campaign fcommlt
tee, is agreed to by the remaining mem
bers of the committee, the duties of the
members for the first time in the recent
political history of the state will be more j
than those which consist In mere perfunc- |
tory service. The chairman has suggested I
to the members that two of them serve
?ach week of the campaign, remaining
luring that time of service at headquar
ters.
For the first week of the active period
>f campaign, beginning September IS. \Y.
II. Lindsay of Choctaw county ami A. O.
Patterson of Morgan have been called
ipon to assume charge of headquarters
mder the management of the chairmun.
Mr. Nesbitt has called the members to
gether for September 28 in Birmlngnam.
tie announced yesterday that immediately
'ollowlng that meeting, Wadquai ters j
would be prepared for business, and that
from that dute to the conclusion of the
campaign active work would be in Older.
Mr. Nesbitt is determined that the vote
of the republicans shall be smaller than
sver before recorded in Alabama. He is
certain that every nominee of the party
for state ofTlce will be elected. He 13
anxious, however, that republicans lose
their holds in the few’ counties in which
as a rule they have been successful In
pleeting officials.
The chairman made the announcement
yesterday that Col. R. A. Mitchell of
Gadsden, member of the campaign com
mittee from the state at large, had agreed
to serve as vice chairman, and that J. B.
Garber of Birmingham had agreed D a t
is committee secretary.
PROMINENT BIRMING
HAM MEN WRITE ON
OUTCOME OF WAR
(Continued from Page Six)
tion of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and
should demand and obtain the strip of
Dalmatian coast, giving them adequate
rrontage on the Adriatic.
Should This and That Happen
If Italy enters the war, I shall ex
pect her to demand payment by the
;oi.slon of the Italian speaking p rovince
df Trenttno, with the seaport of Trieste.
Russia has already announced the In
tention of granting autonomy to Ro
land. including the restoration of the
indent boundaries, language and re
ligion. This would Involve the cession
\v Germany and Austria of their re
spective shares of ancient Poland.
If Turkey enters the war, and possi
bly in any case whether or not, It is
reasonable to expect Russia to demand
the neutralization of the passage
through the Bosphorus and the Darde
n dies and tills neutralization could
:>nly be, as I see it, effective by the
Instruction of the fortifications which
nt present control navigation at these
points. It has never been reasonable
that Turkey, invading Europe in 1 453,
a nomadic horde from Asia, should
have settled down at Constantinople to
obstruct the commerce of the world
with the various nations served by the
Black sea and the rivers which empty
into it. Austria, Hungary, Servia, Rou
mania, Russia and Bulgaria are all di
rectly interested In exporting and im
porting products without any Turkish
veto on their commerce. If Turkey
should become an active factor In the
war, I look to see the remainder of Its
European territory distributed, the
mainland between Roumania | nd Bul
garia, the islands to Greece and the
probable neutralization of the city of
Constantinople, under control of the
great powers.
England will obtain compensation for
Its sacrifices by the acquisition of Ger
man East Africa, Togoland and the is
lands of the Pacific.
Japan will obtain satisfaction by the
removal of Germany’s sphere of action
and influence from China.
As to Belgium
I am perplexed as to the situation
with reference to Belgium. 1 cannot
see Just what satisfaction it can ob
tain for Its fearful sacrifices, other
than financial, and a very heavy in
demnity for this purpose will be neces
sary to be paid by the vanquished.
It would not be very surprising to
mo If, following the death soon to oc
cur of the aged Austrian monarch, the
antagonism between the Germans and
the Magyars should result In a split of
the Austrian empire. Hungary revert
ing to the ancient kingdom and the
German speaking part of Austria Join
ing the German confederation as an
Independent member thereof.
These are all speculations and only
the request of the esteemed editor jus
tifis my offering them for considera
tion, with some degree of reluctance,
for Germany is supreme at present in
the air, and may yet burn Paris and
London and disable the English fleet
with bombs dropped from Zeppelin
dirigibles, in which case the foregoing
elate may be wiped clean and a second
Lesson w’rltten in its place.
The Moral Lesson
Out of all this sorrow and turmoil
what good Is coming to humanity? May
It not bo possible that the teaching of
this war will be that the maintenance
of huge armies and growing navlea is
not a guarantee against war? The
burdens of militarism have become un
bearable in Europe.
In the IB fiscal years since the open
ing of the present century, the eight
great powers of the world have ex
pended on military and naval budgets
[25,678,437,582, of which $18,043,284,306
has been spent on armies and $7,685,
153,276 on the construction and main
tenance of fleets. It is five-eights the
lalue of all the farms In the United
Slates, about $40,000,000,000. It Is five
times all the gold and silver mined In
the United States since the declaration
jf Independence. It is more than twice
the total national banking resources of j
this country.
In Germany alone In 1913 the peace
'ootlng of the army was Increased from
138,000 to 806.000, which cost $250,000,- j
100, being raised by special tax on
arge fortunes. 1’ractlcally 4,000,000
nen are maintained In Idleness by the 1
jrosent warring nations, even on the
leace footing. If. by mutual consent.
10 per cent of these men can be turned
:ack to the avocations of peace, of up
julldlng. Instead of destroying, how
treat will be the blessing to the world
it large! How great the reduction of
axnllon would become! How money
night be «giured into the development
>f agriculture, science and education!
low greatly might the comfortB of life
>e multiplied. poverty rellev-d or
iverted, If these men could be turned
o production and distribution of
vealth and The Hague tribunal be sup
mrted by an International army and
iavy to enforce Its decrees, this being
aised by contributions from every na
lon, and to act as an International
icllce force.
Public sentiment Is growing stronger
ill the time, and no nation In coming
■ears can defy the sentiment of the
vorld as expressed by an International
rlbur.al.
JAMES WEATHERLY IS TRUE AND
HIED. he HAS BEEN FAITHFUL
ro THE PEOPLE AND THEY WILL |
IE TRUE TO HIM.
EXAMINATION SHOWS
ROGERS’ BOOKS TO BE
IN FINE CONDITION
<Continued from I'akc Five)
urer to see that all warrants are legally
drawn as to form and amount.
The payment of warrants, however, la
the smallest part of the county treas
urer’s work, lie must receive the re
ports of the several justices of the peace
as to number of cases tried and the dis
position of fines collected. He has to
pay the jurymen in attendance on the
several courts, and often as a matter of
courtesy keeps his office open until late
at night in order that they may reach
their homes on the night they are dis
charged.
The general public enjoys many cour
tesies at the hands of the treasurer that
would not be extended by a business in
stitution. The treasurer takes no legal
holidays and keeps his office open from
morn until night.
The treasurer must he versed in law re
lating to his office, have a knowledge of
banking and must be a bookkeeper. Tie
must be courteous and diplomatic as he
lias many things to explain to the peoplo
who have business with the office. The
office of treasurer is perhaps the most
Important office to the taxpayers of the
county.
.IUIEI WKATHERI.Y IS TRIE A Nil
THIRD. HR II\S BERN FAITHFtl,
TO THE PROIM.R \\l> THEY Wll.l,
BE TRUE TO HIM.
DR. H. B. MOHR DIES
IN LOCAL HOSPITAL
Chief Clerk of State Health Hoard
Succumbs to Operation—State
Officials Shocked
Montgomery. September 19.—(Special.)
Officials and capitol attaches were <ieep
ly grieved this morning to learn of tha
3eath at Birmingham of Dr. H. B. Mohr,
chief clerk of the state board of health.
Dr. Mohr died at a Birmingham hospital
early Saturday morning as the result of
m operation performed on him early in
the week. The funeral will be held at
Asheville, N. C.» where Dr. Mohr's par*
enta reside
Pr. Mohr had been connected with the
state health department since 1910, com
ing to Montgomery from Mobile, where
hla brother, Dr. C. A. Mohr, Is city health
officer. The deceased was W* years of
age, and was one of the most popular
employes at the capitol.
NOTICE !
nil. K. T. GLASS HAS
MOVED HIS OFFICES TO
1127 Jefferson County
Bank Building
“THANK YOU
For That Lovely Box of
McVay’s Beautiful Flowers”
A gift of McVay’s Flowers is T\yfr*\7'ct v>c
always met with sincere ap- lvJLV^ V <iy O
preciation. Girls adore them, FLOWERS AND SEEDS
wives, mothers and invalids
are happier for the remem- 2018 First Avenue
brance. Send them often. Phones 41, 7396 Main
I
*
.. .. .. - . % iM