Fort Pierce news., 1910-06-24
ESCAPED PRISONER RECApTURED
Was Caught at Wawa on St Lucie
River by Sheriff and Possee.

white man, in Dade county, five years
ago, jerked Deputy Sheriff Pierce inta
the steel inclosure in the Jail, last
Thursday morning, locked the doors
and escaped just twenty-six hours be-
fore the time set for him to be hung,
most everybody said he would uever
be caught, that he was too smart to be
captured again, he would never be
taken alive, etc. Sheriff Dan Carlton,
who arrived on the train in less than an
hour after the escape, said very littlel
but thought great deal, he being al
man of more action than words Col
ing to the place nearly opposite the jail
where Fields left the street and took t0
the scrub Mr. Carlton got good view
OF the negro's track in the sand indelill
bly, impressed IL on his mind, and made
quiet resolve to catch that negro i
he stayed on the ground regardless Of
expense, trouble or danger and uphold
ST. Lucie county's good reputation. Asl
soon as possible he had possess on the
trail had the bridges guarded and no.
;ited the owners of boats on both the
Indian and St. Lucie rivers to remove
their oars and lock their boats
Thursday afternoon, after all the pre-
liminaries had been arranged to his no.
ton, Sheriff Carlton mounted his fleet.
footed Buckskin and secured the woods
for thirty miles in southwesterly di
rection and spreading the news among
the white settlers as far as Tantie,
Night and day he was on the hunt and
satisfying himself as to the direction
Fields had taken he returned home
Saturday to make arrangements for the
capture.
No one living is any better acquainted
with the scrub, pig paths and trails for
many miles south of Fort Pierce than
Mr.. LII. Carlton, brother Of the
sheriff's, and knowing some VI his other
qualifications for maD-hunt, he was
easily persuaded to engage in the task
of capturing the culprit. Leaving here
Sunday night Messrs, Dan and L, ~
Carlton searched the scrub to Spruce
Bluff, on st. Lucle River, and there the
heart of the sheriff was made glad, on
Monday morning, by the discovery Of a
track identical with the one impressed
on his mind leading toward the rivet
bride at Wawa. Leaving his brother
to guard the rearthe sheriff went ahead
and hastily got together Messrs Jesse
and U. Lee, of Wawa, G. e. Christian.
sen of Rio, and d. Beville and rel.
turned to the place where the track
was last seen, Then the trail got hot
and the hunt began in earnest by the
men scattering out and covering the
ground thoroughly until dark came on
The track had been seen many times
and the sheriff felt sure OF his man
since he was in the bend of the river
and every avenue of escape guarded.
After night the possee kept well to
gether and searched close until scrub
near Wawa was reached when, after az
search, they left Mr. Christensen at a
point to watch, while the otuers went
TO another thicket. When all was
still and sound was readily detected
Mr.. Christensen herad noise in the
bushes some hundred or more yards of
and straining his eagle eye he detected
the figure of a man approaching. With
his automatic revolver leveled with the
bosom of the white shirt the man wore
he kept perfectly quiet until the hgure
got close enough to be recognized by
the moonlight as the man wanted when
he quickly stepped out and demanded Z
Halt, there Hands up J" The mani
obeyed orders without hesitancy and
Mr.. Christensen was overjoyed to ind
the man he had been seeking diligently
for the previous four days and nights
Even Sheriff Carlton, though hungry
and we'll tired out, had a smile for the
prisoner, as did the others of the posse.
The capture was made near the ap
proach OF the railroad bridge across the
ST. Lucie river at Wawa, about IS
miles south of Fort Pierce, at $3.50
Monday night and the party arrived
here on the night passenger train.
Sheriff Carlton has beeo ronndiy con
graduated on his successful four-days
man hunt hul his greatest pleasuee
in knowing THAT he has done his duty
and in redeeming the county trom the
stigma that follows such escapes.