The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-22
LACY'S COOK TELLS
GOVERNOR ABOUT
LAST VISIT HOME
Arrived With 'Box" and
Left With the BOX
and Suitcase"
OPINIONS DIFFER
ON WHEREABOUTS
His Escape Has Been, so Complete
That Surprise Would Now Be
Felt if Capture Should Be
Announced
By HUGH w. ROBERTS

Montgomery, March I.-(Special) )-That
Theodore Lacy. former chief clerk of the
state convict department. has escaped is
now generally believed to be true.
Officials who have been personally in
terested in the capture of the missing
clerk and newspaper men who have been
on the oui vive for a week or more. have
about permitted their hopes to wither
and die. Lurid tales of detectives. at
first enthraling, have lost their charm to
entertain and their power to deceive. Re-
naming is the cold, clammy fact that
Lacy is gone and that in the knowledge
OF the state there is no man aware of the
location of that individual The state has
not yielded the ghost OF the hunt by any
means, and Lacy, when he stirs, will be
in grave danger of arrest. Detectives in
every city of the union are alert. But the
truth is that were Lacy to fall into the
talonsi OF the law tonight or tomorrow no
men would be more surprised than those
most interested in his capture.
Examination of Witness
In Montgomery state officials and de-
tectives are expending their energy in
gaining every vestige of information pos
SlDiS CoiitcilllilS tuc httpit VI Lacy Oii
his last night in Montgomery. Yesterday
the chief development was the testimony
OF Chauffeur Dickinson. AS has been
reported that individual declared that. ne
drove Lacy, with his "large hox of
money! to his home, and that there
Lacy remained only five minutes. return
ing to the automobile with .the box and
fiat suitcase.
This morning Governor O'Neal put Gre
ole Chestnut, the negro convict cook who
was employed at the home of Lacy,
through the mill, and her testimony indi-
Gates that Dickinson was mistaken as to
the length of time Lacy consumed in his
house from the moment he arrived with
1.-The box and emerged with "the box
and suitcase.
The negro testified that following the
arrival OF Lacy, Mrs. Lacy instructed her
to get an instrument eor the purpose of
drawing nails from the box.
The Money Exchanged
'I brought the nail drawer testified
the negro. ''and Mr.. and Mrs. Lacy re-
tired to their room, closing the door be-
hind them. | could hear a noise COM
ing from the room and whispered con-
versation, but nothing of what was
said'
From the cooks testimony, the COVER
nor has reached the conclusion that Lacy
remained longer dl nOiiie tiidh llNe ihiH-
utes. With that exception, however, the
testimony of the chauffeur and cook seem
to accord.
With the box and suitcase Lacy re-
turned to the automobile and was driven
to town. Arriving in the city, he in
structed the chauffeur to toss the box into
the street. With the suitcase he dsap-
peared
The general surnise is that after de-
posting the money drawn from the bank
in the large box, Lacy returned home
and there exchanged the $4,000 from the
box to his suitcase.
Where Is Lacy?
Along with that historic and intricate
problem. How old is Ann?' a new one
is now classed Where is Lacy?'
1t is needless to state that opinion diff
fers. There are very shrewd men in
Montgomery who believe that Lacy is
either in concealment in THIS city, or in
Birmingham or Dallas county.
Others contend that he is probably in
New York, or perhaps in Honduras or
Mexico. At any rate, the answer to the
momentous question cannot be intelligent
ly rendered by any individual and as
stated in the outset, were Lacy to be cap
would be shocking surprise on the part
of state officials.
Up to the present time, at least, the
absconding clerk has displayel marvel
Gus aptitude in showing his pursuers a
clear pair of heels and in outwitting the
hired agents of the law.