The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1910-06-24
NEGRO CAUGHT
MONDAY NIGHT
George Fields was Captured Near
Rio After Exciting Chase
WILL BE HUNG TO-DAY
Sheriff Baker Took Fields to West Palm
Beach Last Night-Another Reprieve
Only Method Of Stopping Execution

George Fields, the negro under SEN
tence of death, whose execution at
West Palm Beach had been set by the
Governor Of Florida to take place last
Friday morning. but who made brave
effort to cheat the gallows by escaping
from the St. Lucie county Jail Thurs
day morning of last week, was captur-
ed by Sheriff Carlton and posse near
the railroad bridge over the st. Lucie
river at Wawa, Monday night at $40.
His escape unknown to Governor
Gilchrist, but upon request of Fields
attorney, Judge Worley, on representa-
ton that new evidence, if submitted,
would grant the negro another, trial,
and that the same was then being sub
mitted to the Governor by mail, re-
prieve was granted for one week. This
was transmitted by wire and reached
Miami last Thursday afternoon. This
reprieve changes the time for the hang
lug of Fields until this friday morn
ing between the hours of 10 and IL.
Immediately after the escape, Sheriff
Carlton with posse of citizens and
Sheriff Baker. of Dade county, and his
deputy, who had arrived to take the
prisoner to West Palm Beach, joined in
the hunt for Fields, who was traced to
a pond about a mile southwest of Fort
Pierce. Here the trace was lost, but
indications pointed that he had con.
tinued in southwest course, reports
being brought that he was seen
near White City at dark, the same day.
The hunt was continued throughout
Friday. Saturday and Sunday with
various reports being brought into the
Sheriff, some so conflicting that he was
seen at widely separated points at the
same hour of the same day, and had
been pursued by citizens for quite dis
lance. The public was beginning to be-
lieve that Fields had made good his
escape. His record of evading the
officers for three long years after COM
hitting the murder, for which he will
pay his life, strengthened the belief
that he would not be captured; and no
one believed he would be taken alive.
Amidst all this confusion, Sheriff
Carlton had laid plans to effect his
capture. At all different points he had
deputies at work, and the first cheer
ing news came over the telephone from
Deputy C. e. Christensen, at Rio, Sun
day evening, which stated that the
hunted man was in that vicinity;that he
had been seen by a trusted cOlored man,
and his plans for escape were known to
the Deputy. Sheriff Carlton immediate
ly went to Rio taking with him his
brother, L. l.. Carlton. and Granville
Beville. Arriving at Rio the posse was
strengthened by the addition of Deputy
Christensen and Urah and Jesse Lee,
and the hunt was continued through
Jensen, Tick Ridge and Rio.
Monday afternoon the posse came to
the conclusion that Fields must be in
hiding somewhere in the dense growth
of underbrush on the point at Wawa
where the Florida East Coast railroad
crosses the st. LUcie river. Sheriff
Carlton placed several of the citizens
of Rio in boats to guard the river, and a
perfect patrol was kept up by these
citizens. After dark came the word
from the bridge tender that suspicious
negro had attempted to cross the bridge.
but he had been refused permission and
had turned back into the scrub. The
Sheriff despatch Granville Beville to
take a position in hiding on the bridge,
and the posse closed in closer to the
point, and after making thorough
search, was assigned to advantageous
positions to await next move of Fields.
At $40, after the wait of few
minutes, Deputy Sheriff c.. E. Christen-
sen, from his position behind a post,
observed the bushes moving in the
moonlight; then the form of Fields ap.
peared and slowly advanced towards
him. When but a few feet away,
Christensen pointed an automatic Colt
at the negro and commanded him to
"halt." which he did, and the
Sheriff and his posse closed in and Sc
cured him, and he was brought to Fort
Pierce on the night train and placed in
the St. Lucie jail.
Sheriff Baker arrived again yesterday
morning and took Fields to West Palm
Beach last night, where he will be exc
cuted this morning, unless another re-
prieve is granted by the Governor Of
Florida.
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