The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-05
LOTT CASE IS NOLLE PROSSED
 AT INSTANCE OF DETECTIVES
No Evidence on Which to Hold Him-Was Charged With Assaulting Miss N0ma Stacy

At the instance of Solicitor Joseph R Tate. Detectives Harry GoIdstein and Tom Williams and Attorney Cleveland Stacy, c. +. Lott, charged with assauIt- ing Miss Noma Stacy at East Lake Au- gust 25. was internationally released from custody yesterday by Judge c. W Hickman, of the court of common pleas
 On the statement of the detectives that the case against Lott had fallen through inasmuch as Miss Stacy was positive thai her assailant was a negro. Solicitor Tate asked that the case against the young man be nolle pressed, as there was nc evidence against him that could pos. sibly lead to a conviction. On this state. ment tho young man was discharged iron custody and the charge against hin stricken from the docket.
 Lott was calm and self-contained dur. ing the brief examination and when dis. charged said that he had never doubted but that he would be relesssed if his cas, went to trial. He has at all times stoutl, maintained his innocence and nevei seemed to fear the outcome of the inves tigaton of the case by the authorities.
 Story of Assault It will be recalled that on the evenint of August 25 Miss Noma Stacy was way laid and assaulted near Seventy-fourtf street and Caldwell avenue, East Lake, $ few blocks from the home of her parents with whom she resided. She was employed at the telephone exchange at Woodlawn and on the night in question had worked a little longer than usual. Riding tn, Tidewater car, she disembarked at the above point and started to walk home when she was accosted by negro, shs declared, who snatched her purse and assaulted her.
 In the meantime, the young brother of Miss Stacy had come to meet his sister at the car line. His arrival frightened the assailant. and he secured help for his sister who was prostrated from the attacl, of the brute. A posse was quickly formed and although the woods were secured by the angry relatives and friends of the girl no trace of the assailant could be found.
 Later in the week young man--not a negro-was arrested and locked up in the city jail on an alleged charge of being wanted in a distant state for a serious offense. His name on the docket ap- peared as John Arlington. It leaked out during the day that a young man named C. E. Lott had been arrestedI charged with the assault on Miss Stacy. Investiga- tion by an Age-Herald reporter revealed the fact that Arlington and Lott were one and the same person. A warrant was sworn out by Detective. Goldsteir and the prisoner was transferred to the county jail.
 Victim Defends Prisoner It seems that Lott was suitor for the hand of Miss Stacy and the detec. tive began to weave thread about him by means of circumstantial evidence, thus connecting him with the crime: but the thread was snapped asunder when Miss Stacy not only denied that the accused was the man who assaulted her, but de clared that she would stand by him in his trouble.
 While in the city jail Lott asked thai he be taken to the Stacy residence al East Lake in order that Miss Stacy might say whether or not he was the man who assa ulted her Detective Goldstein and Driver Whitfield took the accused to the house and when brought face to face with the girl, she told the officers thai he was not the man and insisted thai her assailant was a negro.
 The father of the girl. w. H. Stacy
 
 the assault on his daughter. drew pis. tol and attempted to shoot Lott, but was disarmed by the detectives. Even wher his life was in danger Lott displayet much coolness and accused Stacy ol making grandstand play"
 Lott Has Courage
 The preliminary trial of Lott was sci for September but the officers realiz- ing the futility of proceeding further ir face of the positive and of repeated as. surance of Miss Stacy that the defendant was not her assailant, decided to droT the case so far as the prisoner was con- cerned.
 Lott is a clean-cut. sturdy limbed young fellow with frank, open countenance He has lots of courage and never seemed worried about his position. other than to regret the unpleasant notoriety of the case.
 w. H. Stacy. father of the girl has always held q conviction that Lott was guilty and as stated above. even went tc the extent of attempting to kill him. MT Stacy was mot in the city last night.
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