The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-21
ASKS GRAND JURY BE CALLED TOGETHER IN
 SPECIAL SESSION TO
 INVESTIGATE CHARGE
Continued From Page One)

sembled for the purpose of investigat- 1 ing the charge. The governor further requested that the solicitor of the coun- | ty subpoena before the grand jury any one in Alabama who has made any statement in support of Lacy's charge
 or who has made similar charges. Lacy S statement that he had given the gov
 ernor the s27, 7,500 which James G. Oak ley, former president of the convict board declared on the witness stand
 he had given to his chief clerk. is tine most sensational charge that has yet been made in connection with the con . vict department scandal. The statement is not believed by even those who are unfriendly to the governor.
 The governor declares that Lacys state- ment is the most "diabolical libel that was ever nstigated by cowardly eonspir- ators,' who used a practically self confessed thief as their tool" Vigorous Prosecution Responsible My conduct in the vigorous prosecu- tion of the criminals who were resopn- sible for the recent convIct scandal damns the statement" declares the governor. He declares that the libel was uttered for
 the purpose of diverting the minds of the people from the real criminals Regarding the publication of the state- | nent given out by Lacy, the governor | says that he will prosecute vigorously l every newspaper in Alabama or else where that indorses this libelous and damnable villification."
 l Lacy's statement was in effect that he | had given to the governor the s27. 300 V hich Oakley gave him in May or June, l 1911. Lacy further declared that he did not know whether the governor had ever returned this any other money" Immediately after the statement was published, it became the absorbing topic l lobbies and elsewhere in the city. Dozens 1 of the governor friends called at the capitol to see him and when they learned | that he was confined at home with la grippe, they immediately called up the executive mansion and had word sent to the governor that they did not be- | lieve the statement. Later, when the governor reached his office at the cap itol, a large number of his friends called | on him, assured him that they did not believe the charge and condemned in bit ter language not only Lacy but those who might have instigated the publca- tion of the libel.
 
 governor immediately summoned several of his close friends into consultation. The governors conferees included the state s attorneys in the Lacy and Oakley prose- cutions an dother close friends. Among those present with him were Mai R. F..
 Steiner, Ben P. Crum Judge John Pel- | ham, John H. Wallace, Jr.. and others. Wants Immediate Investigation The governor later conferred with Judge l Armstead Brown of the city court in re- gard to an immediate grand jury investi-
 gation of the libeous charge. The letter to | Judge Brown, requesting that the grand | jury be immediately assembled, is as fol- l lows:
 T respectfully call your attention to a 1 statement purporting to have been made today by one Theodore Lacy, published in | the Montgomery Journa.. a paper whose editor is the sheriff of Montgomery coun- ty. charging that he gave me in May or
 June, 1911, $21500. funds delivered to him by J. c. Oakley, late president of the convict board. The plain intent is to charge criminal offense, and if true should be followed by an indictment cov- erng the offense. If untrue. and no offense has been committed, the grand jury of this county should so say, and then do what brave and honest grand jury should do under the circumstances. understand that the grand jury of this county has only recessed and not ad- journed, and l earnestly request that you assemble them immediately for this pur- pose.
 q also request that the solicitor of this county shall subpoena before this body anyone in Alabama who has made any statement in support of or hinting at the support of this or similar charges"
 Judge Brown tonight declined to in timate what his action on tho letter will be.
 Unless the grand jury, an impartial body, makes full, exhaustive and com. plete investigation of the entire matter, will see that it is investigated by an impartial body, even if I have to call the legislature together to do it." said the governor