The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-11
SHOT DOWN BY A POSSE.
LIVELY TIMES OVER AN ATTEMPT
TO ARREST A FUGITIVE.

When Ordered TO Throw Up BIS
Bands Hs Accident.y Discharges
the Pistol of His Captor-Auother
of the Posse Then Kills Him -A A
General Fusillade Follows.
PENSACOLA, FLA, May l0.-A terrible
tragedy was enacted at Milton, in Santa
Rosa county, last night, in which one man
was killed and five wounded. About three
years ago John Henton, then sheriff of Gov
ington county, Alabama, shot and killed
K. Z. Krumpler at Andalusia, Ala. For
this he was tried, and when the Jury
walked into the court room with verdict
of guilty, Henton deliberately walked ont
OF the court house, not hand having been
raised to stop him. Since that time he has
been residing near Milton, Fla, and, al -
though several attempts had bsen made t o
capture him, none were successful Re-
wards to the amount OF $1,000 were offered
for Henton by the Alabama authorities ami
private individuals
DETECTIVE TAKES 1T UP.
This induced w. d. Cheatham, dstec-
tive OF Montgomery, Ala, to take hold Of
the case, and yesterday, In company with
ID. I. jackson Of Montgomery, Robert
Charleson of Birmingham and II. Adams OF
Troy, Ala, he came to this city. Here they
missed the regular train, and chartered a
special train to take them to Milton, q
distance of about twenty miles
from here. There they were met by pre-
arrangement by r. Y. Watts of Chipley,
Fla. sheriff of Washington county, J. l..
Ball, marshal OF Chipley, Fla, and J. h.
Spomaker, prominent merchant of Chip
ley. Henton was found to be in town, and
plan of action was agreed upon. The
party went down to The place where
Henton was supposed to be, taking
circuitous routes. that they might not
be observed, each carrying a Winchester
rifle, shotgun or 44-caliber Colts revolver.
Almost directly in front of the johnson
house Henton was found. Adams walked
straight up to him, and, putting revolver
in the fugitive's face, ordered the latter to
throw up his hands. Henton did so, and,
whether by accident or design is not
known, struck Adams pistol with his
hand, and the weapon was discharged in
the air.
HENTON SHOT.
Immediately after, it is related by wit
nesses, Cheatham stepped behind Henton,
and, placing his revolverIalmost against the
unfortunate man pulled the trigger, the ball
passing through his body. Henton stag
ASi pA n 10 Nhi nb hllu lbll uedu upon Jnb
sidewalk. At this juncture the firing
became general. The streets were full
OF people, as is the case every Saturday
night,and they scattered in every direction.
A. b. Henton, Il brother of the deceased
man, took a hand in the shooting aud
emptied his revolver at the posse. When
the firing had ceased it was discovered that
John w. Henton was dead, Fl. Adams was
severely wounded in the back, neck and
ribs f,baa had nauh nd fv,b tc
lex, A. b. Henton had been shot through
the calf of the leg with a Winchester ball,
Oscar Pagan, negro spectator. was shot
in tho jaw, breast and leg, and J. s. Jack
son was shot in tho leg
LUGGED OFF THE BODY.
The posse put the corpse on a dray and
carried it down to the railroad depot, when
they sent word to the sheriff of the county
to come down at once or they would make
1t hot for him before morning.
They took charge OF the depot, put out
guards, and halted everybody passing by.
They made the occupants of stores and
houses on the route to the depot close their
doors, and, in fact, sook entire charge of
the little city. They telegraphed to PEN
sacola that a mob had them sur
rounded in the depot, that two of
their men had been killed and
number wounded, that the mob threatened
TO burn the depot over their heads and that
they wanted a special train sent after th ern
with the sheriff and five good deputies.
The telegraph operator was frightened
within an inch of his life and sent anything
the posse told him to send.
A TRAIN SENT FOR THEM.
A special train was sent up without the
special deputies, and on its arrival it was
found that the story OF their being sur
rounded by mob was imaginary. On the
other hand, the sheriff of Santa Rosa and
his deputies were in the depot with them
guaranteeing them every protection. The
citizens had no thought Of molesting them
at all. They boarded the special sent
for them, bringing the body of Hep
ton along, and came into Pensacola
Here the party was placed under surveil-
lance by the police authorities, and the body
Of the murdered man was sent to the under
takers. About o'clock this morning the
entire posse was arrested by the sheriff on a
telegram from the Santa Rosa authorities
charging them with murder. They sued
out a writ of hGbeas corpus, upon
which they were released by
Court Commissioner John EaRan,
and charteriDg another special left imme-
diately for Alabama. Henton's body was
sent to Milton this afternoon. The affair
has created no little sensation, ana Is the
talk of the hour in Milton and this city as
well.