The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-23
THE TWO CONv|CTS
HAVE Been FOUND
Nine Days Above Ceiling in
Old Shoe Shop.
WARDEN FLEMING'S FIND
Rice and MedIn Bored Hole in Ceiling and
With Supply Of Provisions We're
Waiting a Chance to
Escape.

And after all the two latest escapes
from the States Prison were not escapes
at ALL
For Rice and Medlin have been found,
and they were found within the prison
walls. The only gain to them has been
rest from work, while the State is out
eight days of this.
The discovery of the men was made by
the warden, Captain j. M. Fleming. All
along he has felt that the men were Sc
creted somewhere inside the prison, and
he has been dihgent in searching for the
hiding place.
Yesterday his search was rewarded and
the two men were found about o'clock
III the afternoon. They were hidden
away above the ceiling in the old shoe
shop building, in a place beneath the roof
over the laundry.
1t was on Sunday, September 18th, that
Rice and Medlin disappeared during the
afternoon, and within a few hours after
this their absence was discovered. AT
once the authorities instituted search, but
the men had just faded away and no one
could tell where, or how, or by what
means this had been DONE
Warden Fleming and others have
thought that the men were secreted with
In the building somewhere, and almost
every nook and corner and Granny was
searched. Sharp watch was kept day and
night, but still the men could not be
found, or the mystery of their disappear
ance solved.
A. V. Rice, who says "Rice" is not his
name, one of the men, claims to have been
raised in Beaufort. He was sent up for
ten years from New Hanover for larceny
and is white man, thirty years old.
Drayton Medlin, the other convict, came
from CASTOR county and was in for life
for murder. He, too, is white and is about
forty years old.
HOW 1T WAS DONE.
Yesterday afternoon Warden Fleming,
having tried every other possible hiding
place, concluded to take look in the
space above. the. ceiling in the old shoe
shop, above the laundry. The place had
not been used for long time and it was
hardly thought the men were hidden there.
In boring through the ceiling Capt
Fleming found that new hole had been
cut and this skillfully covered with an old
plank, caught in from above, but having
the appearance of being screwed into
place. Just as soon as he found this he
felt he was on the right track. Soon he
had large enough place cut out to get
above the ceiling. Then it was that Rice
and Medlin were found
They were dirty, unkempt, hungry and
thirsty, for they had been secreted for
nine days and their supply of provisions
and water was about exhausted. They
had prepared for the attempt at escape
by securing food from time to time, and
up above the ceiling they had also secreted
a jug of water but when found their food
supply was exhausted.
The men say that their water supply
gave cut Monday and that on Monday
night one of them slipped out and got
more water taking the risk, as they were
sadly in need of it.
Medlin, it appears, had key to the old
shoe shop, and having access to the IN
used building made preparations for the
attempt at escape. 1t has not been learned
definitely how long they had been pre-
pairing for this. but the hole, just large
enough to admit small man, had been
fixed and cleverly disguised with an old
piece of ceiling. On Sunday, the 18th,
the men managed to escape observation,
slipped into the building, locked the door
and hid above the ceiling.
1t was their hope that it would be
thought that they were out of the walls,
and that after time the sharp night
watch would be dropped and that then
they might step out. But in this calcu-
lation they failed and are again doing SER
vice for the State.
Yesterday Chief Clerk Arlington was at
the depot awaiting the arrival of Super
intendent Mann from Greensboro There
was a happy light in his eyes, and look
about him that led to the idea that he had