Medlin Out on Bond in Murder Case, Resumes Police Duties, April 2, 1926

Medlin Freed When His Bond Was Easily Raised. . . Concord Police Officer Given Freedom on Bail at Habeas Corpus Hearing in Albemarle

A.B. Medlin, Concord police officer and deputy sheriff, was freed on bail by Superior Court Judge Schenck in Albemarle Thursday, he having easily raised bond in the sum of $3,000.

The officer last week shot and killed Mark Simpson, Union county farmer, and had been held in the Union county jail. His lawyers arranged the habeas corpus hearing before Judge Shenck, who is presiding at court at Albemarle this week. The hearing did not last but a few minutes and friends of the officer who were present arranged for the bond.

The bondsmen are J.L. Hartsell, C.A. Cannon and I.I. Davis Jr., all of Concord.

Mr. Medlin left Albemarle immediately after the hearing, going to the home of relatives. He returned to Concord later, and has resumed his police duties at the Hartsell and Franklin mills. His case is scheduled to come up in Union County Superior Court in July.

No witnesses were called by Judge Schenck, who had been given a copy of testimony taken at a preliminary hearing in Monroe on Monday. Recorder Lemmond ruled at that time that the case was a bailable one but was not in the jurisdiction of his court. His decision led to the habeas corpus writ.

While Mr. Medlin did not take the stand at the preliminary hearing, he told officers when he surrendered that he shot Simpson after the latter had advanced on him with threats. State’s witnesses at the hearing testified that Mr. Medlin was not mad when the fight started and that apparently Simpson was not mad although he was quoted as saying he was going to beat the officer “half to death.” The shooting occurred on Mr. Medlin’s farm in Union county and the only eye-witnesses were Mr. and Mrs. Briton Helms, brother-in-law and sister of the dead man, and friends of Mr. Medlin argue that their testimony at the preliminary hearing was very favorable to the officer.

From page 2 of The Concord Daily Tribune, April 2, 1926

Judge’s last name was spelled Schenck and Shenck in newspaper article. Why don’t I just look it up and correct it for the paper? This is a reminder that newspapers may misspell names, even in the same article. If you’re searching for information on a relative, you might want to include more than one spelling. newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1926-04-02/ed-1/seq-2/