Evening star., 1946-04-04
Returned Prisoner
Declares Pair Acted
On Spur Of Moment

On oPur or M0ment
Under nearly two hours of grillinl
by police officials, Joseph Medic,
told story of a spontaneous ant
unplanned jailbreak-a story in con
flict with that told by the two po
licemen assigned to guard "mur
derers' row" and viewed dubiousl,
by investigators.
According to investigators presen
at the interrogation, this is the stor,
Medley told:
He got his inspiration to make {
break for it while he and Earl Nc.
Earland, who escaped with him
we're playing cards with Pvts. Huber
G. Davis and Oscar c. Sanderlin.
Guard Complains of Illness.
Sanderlin complained that he fell
sick and Medley suggested that tht
policeman lie down for awhile or
Msdley's cell bunk Sanderlin left
the game and followed Medleys sug.
gestion.
Mcfarland. Medley and Davis
started playing three-handed rum
my. With one guard out of the
way, Medley began to lay his plans
He nudged Mcfarland under the
table to give him the idea.
When Mcfarland returned the
nudge, the two condemned mer
started watching Davis. The police
man drowsed off AS a double pre-
caution, Medley dealt another hand
but Davis didn't pick up his cards
Tied With Radio Wire.
At a wink from Medley, McFar.
land clutched Davis right arm and
twisted it back. Medley grabbed q
towel from the washstand ano
stuffed it into Davis mouth. Their
he jerked off the wire from the
radio to tie the gagged policeman
To prevent Sanderlins suspicious
from being aroused by the sudden
halt of the radio, Medley COM
mented loudly, Whats the matter
with that radio? 1t must be a bao
tube"
With Davis out of the way, the
two men turned their attention te
sanderlin. Medley tiptoed into hi,
cell where Sanderlin lay on the
bunk. In Medley's hand was one ol
the aspirin tablets left by Sanderlin
Il brought you an aspirin" Med
ley said softly. No answer came
from the bunk
Medley signaled to Mcfarland
who grabbed Sanderlin's feet while
Medley's hands pressed against the
policeman's throat.
Threatened to Choke Him.
Reused from sleep, Sanderlin start.
ed to grunt and struggle. Medley
warned him he would choke him il
he made any noise. Sanderlir
gasped that he was a married man
He argued that this was no way
for the prisoners to show theil
gratitude for being let out of theil
cells to play cards.
Medley gave him a ready-madt
story to tell after the escape wa.
discovered You tell them that
pulled 3S on you. They won't bt
able to prove anything else. HI
promised that if he was captured
he would back up the story. (The
suspended policeman apparently
tried to follow Medley's advice
Their first story-later retracted-
was that Medley had a gum
Sanderlin was tied and gagged
Then Medley sent Mcfarland out
to cut the ventilator shaft to the
roof with can opener.
Investigators Skeptical.
con this point, investigators
are inclined to be skeptical. The
two policemen say the shaft could
not have been cut with a can
opener in the time the two escap-
ing men had at their disposal
The can opener was found)
While Medley waited for McFar-
land to return, he gathered sheets
from the cells Mcfarland wanted
TO escape then but Medley insisted
that the two prisoners strip the
policemen and don their uniforms
After they had changed clothes
Medley responded to the half-houl
checkup call. Penthouse okay," he
said over the telephone as he hao
heard Davis say it.
Carrying the sheets, the two mer
hurried to the ventilator shaft
Older and less agile than McFar.
land, Medley had hard time jump.
ing from the top roof to the sids
roof.
The prisoners tied the strips ot
sheeting together and worked then
way down, keeping a sharp lookout
for passersby.
Headed for River.
In the early morning darkness, the
two men headed for the Anacostis
River, figuring that they could throw
bloodhounds off the scent. McFar.
land, however, wanted to take 9
chance on the railroad so the two
men separated.
AS the sky began to tighten, Med
ley sought a place to hide until
nightfall. First he tried hiding
under culvert. Later, he spotted
drainpipe and chose that as his
hiding place, figuring it was nearer
the Pennsylvania Railroad and he
might have a chance of catching q
slow freight.
Three hours later, searchers
spotted the same drainpipe.
Hunt for Mcfarland