While on his rounds Sunday night about 2:30 Officer Ben Sigmon detected two figures slipping furtively along N. High Street. Sensing a deep, dark mystery, with a setting in which the sinister figure of Crime walked with his boon companion, Intrigue, the intrepid arm of the law took a firm grip on his billy and began to stalk his prey in approved Sherlock Holmes style.
The plot thickens. Suddenly the two figures darted into the garden at the rear of the home of S.D Honeycutt. Officer Sigmon advanced on the scene and began a minute inspection of the ground in search of the prowlers. Failing at first in discovering the fugitives, he was about to give up the search when his eagle eye detected a movement in what appeared to be a pile of coats and overalls spread out on the ground.
Feeling sure that he was dealing with a couple of criminals of the type of “Desperate Dan” and his ruthless ally, “The San Diego Kid,” the officer leveled his firearm and snapped, “Come on out or I’ll burn a hole in you.”
“Mister, for Gawd’s sake don’t shoot,” came a plaintive cry, and two pathetic woe-begone old negro men shook off their camouflage and advanced meekly to their captor.
Questioning the old darkies, Officer Sigmon found that they were Ed Riley and Will Morrison, two inmates of the County Home, who had succeeded in making their escape from the home, hiding in the woods during the greater part of the night. They were lodged in the County Jail for the balance of the night, and the next day delivered over to G.A. Royster, keeper of the Home.
From the front page of the Lincoln County News, Lincolnton, Monday afternoon, Sept. 17, 1923
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