The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-09
ETHEREDGE NOW FREE
IS RELEASED ON HABEAS CORPUS
 PROCEEDINGS.
His Case Has Become Famous in Law renee County-Ex-sheriR Who Was Accused of Burglarizing Law
 renee County Court House.

Courtland, Oct. S.-CspeciaL)-As a sequel to the now celebrated Lusk bill Green Etheredge, once a Republican sheriff of Alabama, was today released from the county jail of Lawrence County and breathes free air for the first time since about the last of July. Etheredge's case is a peculiar one.
 About twelve years ago, he was nom mated and elected Sheriff by the Re- publican Party of this county. For four years, he exercised the functions of his office and no man had aught Of complaint at the manner In which ne conducted the affairs of the county. During the four years of his official life, many were the violators of the law whom he ran down and many there were checked in their career of crime by the vigilence and watchfulness Of this ofacial. His term of office expired in 1896, and having lived a life of tn- duigence and almost luxury during his term of ofice, he found himself in the end almost without means and totally without a profession.
 Generous to a fault and a high liver. he had accumulated nothing and was thrown upon his own resources with no occupation or profession and large
 
 varied career. Very soon, 1t began to be whispered around that Etheredge was not confining himsef to the straight and narrow path and the grand jury of the county gave more than color to the rumors by returning various and sundfy indictments against him for violating the revenue law, by selling. whiskey without the. necessary sanction of the officers. These indict- oh dnunfQn the man, who had been honored by his party with the best paying office in the gift of the county and man who had been liked by all, irrespective of party creed
 Consternation reigned in the old and classic town of Moulton, when it was learned one morning that the court house had been burglarized during the previous night and all indictments con- tained in the clerks office had been stolen. Clerk Crosthwait had been mo- tified a few days before that 1t was the intention of Etheredge to do the job. He did not rely very strongly on this information. but as precautionary measure, he took all indictments against Etheredge from the files of the court, and these alone were saved. Etheredge was accused of the crime and arrested. Circumstantial evidence
 
 and they were many believed that he was innocent of the crime. but the of ncers of the law thought otherwise.
 The latter got busy and link by link was riveted together until a chain of circumstantiaI evidence was welded which almost completely weighted aown the defendant
 Etheredge was game. He asserted his innocence to the last His many haIteved that be was a victim of circumstances and that time would disclose the real criminal. but the State of Alabama was unrelenting in it's prosecution. A witness was found who swore that Etheredge told him of his contemplated crime and another came forward and testified that Etheredge had offered, for a consideration. to de- stroy lot of indictments against the witness for similar offenses. Finally . negro came into the Sheriff's office with two of the missing indictments and stated that a farmer of the neigh Aorhood had given them to him. This farmer was known to be a man of wild and reckless habits. but he was further known to be a truthful man, and then only the State believed that it saw the beginning of the end.
 This farmer was hunted up and the tale that he told the officers made things begin to look blue for Ether edge. An indictment was returned, but A conviction did not immediately fol- low. as was anticipated by the officers of the State. Etheredge was not at the end of his rope by any means peti- ton was filed in the United States Court alleging that Etheredge was employed in the services of the United States Government and that the prose cution against him was conspiracy