The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-29
Officers Appear Mysteri-
ously at Orrville in Early
Hours and Go Through
the Home of Brother
SEARCH FUTILE so
FAR AS COULD BE
FOUND YESTERDAY
Eight Officers Went to House in an
Automobile Before eDaylight-Had
Been Seen in Selma-Be-
lieved to Be Still in
the County

orrville, April 8.-(special)-1n g
futile effort to effect the capture Of
Theodore Lacy. officers, acting under tho
instruction of Governor O'Neal, swooped
down upon the home OF f. p Lacy, three
miles north of this place, and searched
it Just as day was beginning to break.
Mr.. Lacy is brother of Theodore Lacy.
who some weeks ago absconded with se0.-
900 filched from the states strong box
is grandson of the late Senator Edmund
Winston Pettus, and one of the most
prominent planters of Dallas county.
As a result of the search this little city
is auiverlng under the pressure of exeite-
went Although the officers have dis
appeared. it is the current gossip that
they are still In this county, and it is gen.
orally believed that the beginning this
morning of the first open aggressive
movements to capture the former clers
of the convict department will be con-
tinued for an indefinite period
News Reaches Orrville
Shortly following the search of the home
of f. p. Lacy, the news reached Orrvile
by telephone. The facts were not gem
orally known. however, prior to the de-
parture of the officers. 1t seems that
Immediately following their Spectacular
and daring effort, they returned in their
high powered automobile, had breakfast
at the Dudley hotel, and disappeared.
1t has been definitely established that
they passed through Selma, though, IL
stated, it is believed that they are In
the county still.
Drove Away in Automobile
AS a result of the gossip following the
search, It has been learned that the Off
GERS. eight of them, aroused each other
at the Dudley house about o'clock, aud
that, aftel piling into seven passenger
touring car. drove rapidly ava Nks
gigantic engine OF their machine making
sufficient noise in the early morning hour
TO arouse several citizens other than
those who were residing in the hotel.
They drove northward for two miles
and there dismounted from their car,
and walked to the home of Lacy. They
threw themselves around the house, SO
as to make the escape of any inmate
impossible and Two Of them then ap-
preached the door Mr.. Lacy was fin
instructing any sheriff to arrest Theo
Lacy He contended for a moment that
a search warrant would be required by
him before opening his home for the
search, but a moment later, changed
his mind and permitted the officers to
center-ths, however. following a BRIEF
delay during which the inmates dressed
themselves. The search was made rap
idly and as stated the officers re-entered
their machine, returned to the Dudley
house, had breakfast and disappeared.
Came Sunday Morning
The officers reached Orryille Sunday
morning at an early hour. Four Of
them ate breakfast in the Dudley house
and made the statement that the re-
mainder of their party would soon ap-
pear. 1t was related that their auto had
been clogged in the mire ABOUT four
miles east of Orrville, and that they had
entered the city by means of hand
car. This part of their story was true,
for several citizens of Orrville, by the
early light of Sunday morning, tbeheld
the remarkable spectacle of four or five
neatly dressed men forcing a hand car
along the rails.
About the hour of noon the remain
ing members of the party arrived. They
stated that oxen had drawn their car
from the mud; that they had returned
to Selma. and followed another road
to Orrville.
The presence of the strangers in the
city created surprise and excited curt
osity. They explained. however. that
they were members of a surveying
party interested in a new railroad
which would pass through Orrville in
tile near future. So suavely they told
their stories that the people believed
and no suspicion of their real motive
was known prior to their search of the
home of Lacy and subsequent disap-
pearance.