The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-07
Innocent Man About to Be Sacrificed" Says the
 Former Clerk
BELIEVED TO HAVE
 REFERRED TOOAKLEY
Statement Susceptible to Several Interpretations - Not Generally Thought to Have Referred
 to Himself

Montgomery, March 6-Theodore Lacy. convicted convict department clerk this afternoon gave out the following state ment over his owr signature, through Sheriff Hood:
 March G. 1914. ''To the Public.
 q have remained silent until this time and it may be to my interest not to talk now. I have read several articles in dif- ferent newspapers about the convict de- partment shortage. Some of them pre- tended to come from friends of mine; others from unknown sources. None of these were authorized or inspired by me and I knew nothing afout them until l read them in print.
 Many of them reflee. upon an innocent man about to be sacrificed for something he did not do, to shield another.
 My sense of fair play compes me to make this statement; The man about to be sacrificed has been misled by a friend Ee trusted for the benefit of another who knows the facts. TTIEO LACY
 There was mach comment in Montgom- cry tonight in regard to the statement of Theodore Lacy, convicted of the embezzle- ment of $50, GOO of state convict department funds in jail here, awaiting his sentence tomorrow morning.
 Lacy declared in his statement that an innocent man was about to be sacri- ficed for the benefit of another, who knows the facts
 May Mean Oakley
 The consensus of opinion is that Lacy referred to James G. Oakley former pres iden5 of the state board of convict in spectors, under whom he served as chief clerk, as the innocent man about to be sacrificed"
 However, Lacy's statement is believed to be. susceptible of several interpreta- tions. He may, of course, have referred to Oakley in his interview. and this is the popular belief. On the other hand he may have referred to himself but the latter conclusion is not generally credited.
 Analyzing Lacys statement, it purporys to be in defense of a friend, who is in- nocent. Lacy was chief clerk under J. G. Oakley, who is under various indictments charging the embezzi ement of about $100, coo of state funds.
 Lacy was recently found guilty by a jury of embedding s50,o0o of convict de- partment funds, and he will be sentenced tomorrow.
 Oakley was to have been tried last Wednesday under indictments charging the embezzlement of $74,000, but on the day of his trial he sent an affidavit by his physician that he was too sick to at- tend court
 Examination Ordered
 Later the court ordered an examination of Oakley by several prominent physicians of Birmingham, who made an affidavit to the effect that Oakley was not too sick to attend his trial. Other physicians appointed by bondsmen of Oakley testi- fled to the same effect.
 Oakley's bond was at once declared for feited by the court and he was placed under arrest. Later he made another bond while under surveillance in hospital in Birmingham. The next development in the case is Lacy's statement that an inno- cent man was being made to suffer.
 1t is therefore believed that Lacy re- ferred to Oakley in making his statement, the first he has given out since he sur- rendered several weeks ago. This is the opinion of all who have followed the cele- brated case. It is also the opinion of some of his lawyers who did not know that he was going to issue a statement.