Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-12
.BETRAys PRISON FRIEND
IN ORDER'TO GET REWARD
Harvey Melton Proves Trcncherous
to Charles Il. Sisk, and Both
Are i'm Custody.
ESCAPED FROM ALBEMARLE
One Wanted for Cattle Stealing and
Other for Murder - Caught in
Illinois and Brought Back to
Virginia.

CHARLOTTESVILLE VA. January
il.--linrvey Melton. accused OF cattle
stealing In Albcmarle County, and ut
large in Illinois by the assistance and
kindness OF Charles b. Sisk, wanted in
Madison County for murder, proved un-
grateful and PREACHERS In order TO Sc
cure hundred dollars
Inc TWO were prisoners in the county
Jail In this city. and by the use OF
SAWS made their escape on Sunday.
! night. November o. Sisk furnished the
money to go West. and when he was
employed on Il farm in Illinois. and
hopeful Of future freedom from the
claims OF justice on account of his
/ conduct in Virginia, the avarice and
! insratitudc Of the man he had be-
+ friended were his undoing.
This is the story OF the retaking OF
Sisk ana Melton as related by Sheriff
{ G. NJ Thomas, Of this county, and
| Deputy Sheriff John 7. Hall, OF Madi-
son County. who returned yesterday
with their prisoner
Sisk Is charged with killing w H.
| Dodson. OF Nethcrs. Madison County. on
October 10, 1913. He was convicted Of
the murder, and sentenced to seven
teen years In the penitentiary. His
attorneys appealed from the verdict OF
| the jury, and while Sisk was In Madi-
| son Jail waiting the result OF the
! appeal. ne effected his escape by saw
| ing two large steel bars In his cell
| Recapturcd some time durin: the sum-
| mer. Sisk was brought to the Abe
| marie jail for safekeeping only to
| escape again.
| In scaling the walls OF the local jail
! Sisk spralned his ankle but made his
| Nay with Melton to the home of Il
relative Of the latter. about three miles
| horth OF the city. There Melton OBJ
! Gained an overcoat and razor and the
| a or nm q
| miles west of Charlottesville. going
! from thence. along the crest OF the
| Glue Ridge Mountains. to point near
| i-uray. between the Counties Of Page
and Madison. Sisk, In the meantime
mad gotten into communication with
his wife, who negotiated a sale OF per-
| sonai property and sent her husband
| the proceeds. which proved sufficient
/ TO pay the car fare OF both Sisk and
Melton 10 Bloomington, H.. about
seventy-hve miles from Chicago. The
men LETT their mountain haun:s on De-
! cember %. making the trip by Pitts
burGh and Chicago
! Following his escape fror, the Madi-
son jail In March OF last year. Sisk
! made his way west and secured en-
| ploymcnt with a farmer near Blooming
| ton. To this same farmer he applied
for work in January and was accepted
| Melton was not so fortunate In secur-
! ing work, and during his idlencss in
! Bloomington conceived the idea OF be-
| traying Sisk. Having heard that re-
| ward of s40o had been offered for the
! capture of Sisk. he coniided his story
10 an eN-dcputy sheriff and constable
! whom he met up with while drinking
one night An agreement was reached
between the trio whereby Melton was
ia have 800 of the reward Sisk was
placed under arrest the next day while
in the act OF dressing down shoat on
the farm where he was employed
Sisk, suspicious Of Melton wanted to
know OF the officers where they got tho
Information which led to his arrest.
IheE told the story related by Melton.
| VINO had ASSUMED the name OF Knox
Sisk convinced his informants that
| Knox was no other than Melton. for
! whom reward OF $50 was offered The
arrest of Melton then cnsucd. "A wire
to this effect being sent to Sheriff c.
NJ Thomas. of this county.
Armed with requisition papers. Sher
III Thomas and Deputy Sheriff John T.
Hall, OF Madison, left Richmond on De-
cember 3lst for the West to get their
men over week was spent in Spring
hcld and Bloomington before additional
papers could be forwarded from Vir
ginia. Sisk and Melton were finally
turned over TO the officers on Friday
ana the start for Virginia was made.
the quartet reaching Charlottesville
yesterday, with but single stop of
five hours in Cincinnati
| Conflicting stories are told by Sisk
and Melton rs to how tho saws with
! which they made their escape were
snuGrled into the Alhemarle Jail. Mel
| ton declares that Ssk's wife had the
| saws concealed under tho handle Of an
/ old telescope which she sent him, while
| Sisk avows that Melton's friends, who
made frequent visits to the Jail. were
the guilty pt'tics. Meltons version is
! evidently false. in the opinion of the
JAN oih"ials, who say that the telescope
| In question came by parcel post from
Sisk's wife two months previous to the
escape of the prisoners. and that the
men would hardly have waited that
! lenHtl of Time q GA u oil.