The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-09

orua OF Alabama. ID Ia the story
which Aihbnnn has looked forward
10 siuec the scandal In the convict
department. after the discovery of the
shortage In March, 1913, ana Lac.s
night Through the years Lacy hnA
been prisoner on the state In SER
vice for the heft OF tmc main amount
the convict has kept his secret 10
himself and to "a few OF his friends
Now IL has come before the gaze OF
the public.
ia his own dceInration, Lacy In
SISTED that he packed the states
money IN pine SON, tOok IL from
the bank in Montgomery, carried lt
10 his home, replaced n In a suit cnse
which he cnecAed az the Terminal
station Ia Montgomery and delivered
ihe chcck 10 an us~OcIate.
Lacy declared that ne never saw
the money from that day 10 this and
lhal the only FUNDS Nnfcn he re-
celNed other than from ms close rel
atlNes anu friends was I.6UV which
an associate gave to him III Harris
county, Georgia, about ~ fni4es from
Columbus, wnere ne was employed
as farm mann ana wuere ne was
going under The aasuinsu t,.ttnt ~
James Herrin.
10 "portmnty to Talk
Answering the Charge ...a, ne had
waited untiF the std.ate o. finltt,,
lions in civil ana cliin.Glal e..sys mai
expired before giving the pAslfe mis-
expose of the convict ae,,trtl,,xftt
scandal VI 1913, lneo Lacy suolnl,l4l
TO the executive department a 1st...N
IN which he declared lie was nve
paced on the stand By tne state ~
either MS own trials or in any o.Asr
cases and that he had no opportunl&y
oil legally giving a statement reea4..-
ing his connection with the aefate.-
ton.
During the time Lacy was at lib
eFty after his flight from .a.. aa..,-
toi, he was at Atlanta, Co4urnDus ana
ne harris county. Georgia. aecoruit..
- his own statement lie was visi.sI
several times by his forner ass,ei-
ate, according to his de- -
vino urged him TO keep h a
himself until matters We a8asAz
and Lacy could return 10 5f5as6ssl.4
cry a man vindioated.
submitted 10 Bau IL
Lacy's statement was 81 ea4i4fsa
the board OF pardons la a.ss
By the executive depart 81 q
Geographic settlement M
Thomas Il. Nilby. who REQ M
II be submitted FOR such ff
board of pardons saw fit aa4f-
bers Of the board, includi score
General Harwell G. Dsvis E55#s AH
ditor II. +. Ice and Secret sfats
William =. Cobb agreed arf ~
matter which shofIid u s.
the public without della,
At night meeting, 5sfae4 ~
newspaper correspondent ore Il
statement was read. III stater
contains about % typew tten ~
and purports to give a afl 5Hr
OF Lacys connection with the cor
Wet department steal
Lacy prefaced the material faces
about his connection with the short-
age by resume OF the evidences
given in his two trials.
Exonerates O'Nenl.
The noted convict went into minute
details in explaining his connection
with the various transactions which
were involved in the scandal in ths
convict department. He exonerated
completely Gov. Emmett O'Neal from
any connection with the case, admit
ted that he did not tell the truth
when he previously said he had given
$4,000 to Governor ONeal, said he
made the statement at a time when
he was angry because OF the belief
that the governor had refused to car
ry out an agreement with him regare-
ing the prosecution of the charges,
and that he was ashamed now that
he had ever let his anger rule his
conduct AS il did when he made the
accusation against the former gov
ernor.
In telling OF his connection with
the second case, for which he Is now
serving and has been since October
Il. Lacy said he went for one of his
associates TO Bernard Frank, Mont
gomery merchant, with the request
that he obtain cash for certain unaer-
wear which the convict department
had returned to Frank. the amount
totaling $4,000, according 10 his be-
lief. Frank refused TO pay cash and
Lacy called his associate to the store
The assistant asked Frank to pay
cash as the money was needed to pay
certain hired persons at the capitol.
Frank sent to the bank. obtained the
cash, paid IL To Lacy and received
Laoys receipt as chief clerk Lacy
said he delivered the total amount to
mis- associate at once and left him,
but later in the afternoon the assoc
ciate called him. told him he would
be forced 70 80 away Che believed TO
LAX Gland, Fla.), for few days. re-
turned to him $4,000 and requested
him to place the amount to the credit
of his associate at the Exchange Ma
Dank hooks Presented
Lacy said he made the deposit as
requested. that he received no part
OF the amount obtained from Bernard
Frank and that he merely acted In
the capacity OF hired man In the
transaction. His declaration was
corroborated by Mr.. Frank, who APP
peared before the board of pardons
in support of Lacy's application.
Official and certified copies of the
books of the Exchange National bank
were presented and they showed that
Lacy did deposit on that very day
$4,000 to the credit of his associate.
personally, "A certified Copy of the
original deposit slip showed that the
deposit was made by Lacy.
Lacy's attorney. John s. Tiliey,
contended that this was positive evil
dence that Lacy did not benefit by
the Bernard Frank transaction and
that, as he had already completed his
sentence in the original case. which
resulted from the theft of the main
amount. he should be given his lib
erty
After his explanation of the Frank
the main case, lie said II. Y Brooks.
state examiner OF public accounts.
was sent into the convict department
to begin general check of all books
tcontinued ON Page Two,