The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-21


Lacy had said in reference to not keep, ?,
ing pass books for the deposit mace N
out of town banks and Mr.. Broks saio
that he cared nothing about tine pahh
books, that all he needed was the deposie
slips showing the various deposits and .ne
statement from the various banks wnicI @
has already been received and that TINS
would furnish data enough to compie,ee
his investigation. then told him Would
write Mr.. Lacy a letter early WEDNESDAY
morning demanding that he deliver al
once all of these papers to Mr. bfoohe.
Immediately upon reaching my o1fiee or
Wednesday morning Ilwrote Mr.. Lacy tno
following letter.. xl,s
March p, 1913.
Hon. Theo. Lacy. City:
Dear Sir;-I1 saw MIR. Brooke and he
said that the papers which you have o.
the monthly statements, deposit slips ana
the correspondence with the banks would
answer his purpose without the BOOKS.
Please. therefore, turn over to him at
once correspondence, deposit slips anu
monthly statements of the banks WIN
whom you deposited for the convict de.
partment. Please, do this at once as D
am anxious for Mr. Brooke to compiets
his labors as early as possible. Respect
fully EMMETT .O'NEAI,
Governor.
Not at Office
An hour or two. after5 this letter was
written which | handed to Mr.. Brooke to
ihe delivered to. Mr.. Lacy, Mr.. Brooke
came into my office and informed me thar
neither Mr.. Oakley or Mr.. Lacy had
been in the office during the day.. am
medately wrote Mr.. Lacy the following
letter:
March L. 1913.
Mr.. Theo Lacy, City.
Dear Sir:-Mr. Brooke informs me that
you have the custody of all the bank
books of the convict department -
wrote you this morning requesting you
TO deliver to Mr.. Brooke at once without
any further delay all the bank state
ments. deposit slips and correspondence.
relating to the funds of the convict de-
partment. Mr.. Brooke tells me you have
not been in your office since. the letter
was written. Mr.. Brooke has been de-
iayed now for about a week he informs
me waiting for these books. 1rnow write
to request that you will at once deliver
all these papers to the examiner or turn
bver Your keys to Mr.. Greer. who Will
get the papers and deliver them to MT
Brooke. Your absence from the office
has delayed both examiners all day. Very
respectfully EMMETT o ONEAI.,
Governor
handed this letter to Mr.. Greer who
was the only official OF the convict de-
DdltilituC pItStfitI III tiit oitiSt oht -
quested him TO go down town, find MI
Lacy and deliver the letter in person and
II Mr.. Lacy declined to return to the capi-
tol to get his keys and take possession
of his desk and deliver all the papers
found therein to Examiners Brooke and
Evans. In the meanwhile during the
early part of the day Mr.. TrawiclS came
into the office and and informed me that
the $4,000 due the state by the convict
department had been turned into the
treasury When Mr. Trawiek came into
my office there was several gentlemen
present and had no opportunity to dis
cuss the matter with him. l felt relieved
by the assurance that all the money was
safely in the treasury, for even il my
suspicion as to. Mr., Lacy's conduct was
justified, ] then believed the state would
suffer no pecuniarX loss of any conse-
quence.
Mr.. Greer returned to my Office about
o'clock Wednesday afternoon and In
formed me that after a diligent search all
over the city he had been unable to find
Mr.. Lacy. | then ordered Mr.. Nuflnelee,
my recording secretary, to go TO town
and find Mr.. Lacy and inform him that
IL he did not return immediately TO the
capitol and deliver the required bank
books and papers to. the examiners 4
would have his desk forced open. Mr..
Nunnelee was gone for about an hour and
unable to find Mr.. Lacy, but that he vas
reliably informed that Mr.. Lacy had been
drinking heavily. had become intoxicated
and had been put TO bed in a downtown
hotel 10 sleep off his deba7-ei.
Complete Examinations
on "Wednesday morning Examiner
Evans informed me, that he had com
pbeted his examinations and that he had
found five items amounting to about S26--
600 shown on the books OF the superfn-
tendent of the cotton mill. at Speinger,
shipments iiiade to Goodin-Reid & Co. of
Cincinnati. which were not eptered upon
the books OF the convict department at
Montgomery. Those items were for goods
which had been sold at various periods
from the commencement of my adninls-
tration down to that date. asked Air.
Evans what evidence he had that these
goods which had been stripped to Goodin-
Reid & co. had been paid for and lie re-
nlied that Mr.. Stewart, who was in the
.odter Office. had. informed him that Good
in-Reid had always made prompt pay
ments on the first OF each month. / then
invited Mr.. Stewart into my office and
he confirmed the statement made BY Nj
Evans and said that in his opinion there
was absolutely no doubt of the fact that
the goods which had not been entered
upon the books of the convict depart
ment had been paid for in full by Goodin-
Reid & GO. l then stated TO Mr.. Evans
that in my judgment his report Justified
me in having a warrant sworn out for
the arrest OF Mr.. Lacy. t
MI. Evans replied that; ii was possible
Mr.. Lacy had another set Of books which
he had not seen and that before taking
such extreme measures s he thought III
was just tnat he should GAN AIr. Lacy's
attention. TO those discrefancics between
the books at Speigners and Montgon
cry and demand ain explanation. Il as-
sented to this view and about 10 O'Clock
Wednesday morning Mr. Evans went out
of my Office for the purpose of having =
personal interview with Mr.. Lacy. Mr..
Evans came to me again during the day
and informed me he was unable to se-
cure a personal interview with Mr.. Lacy
owing TO the fact of his absence from
his office and suggesting that before any
action was taken a telegram should be
sent to Goodin-Reid g. Co. to- ascertain
whether the money had been paid for
the goods shown by the boks at Spcigners
to have been shipped This telegram, ac-
cordingly was sent but no answer was re-
ceived until late Thursday evening"
had made an engagement on Tuesday
Of that week to accompany. the attorney
general to Birmingham at o'clock on
Wednesday evening to attend the prese
banquet. which was to be held that 4i9flt.
The attorney general called at my office
about o'clock Wednesday afteyno0n to
ascertain Whether expected to Keep the
engagement. ~ stated to him that ths
conditions Of the convict department were
such that 4 thought 1t would Be uuwtse
for me to be absent from the city.
then related to him the result of the eS-
aminations made. by Examiner. Evans.
Lacys absence from the office during the
dav and nv st,spfcioug. told the nt-