The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-10-12
Sheriff, Detective Moore and
Deputies Find Ready and
Attentive Audiences.
FUSILADE ON BOTH
SIDES is PREVENTED
Taken by Surprise, Escaped
Men Surrender and Now
Safe in County Jail.

Detective Moors, Sheriff Van Pelt,
and Deputies Bayless and John Van
Pelt had plenty of talking to do yes
terday in detailing to friends how the
capture of the Blackwells was effect
ed, and they had interested audiences
whenever they consented 70 talk of the
rather thrilling trip and the final cap
ture of the two convicted men.
Will and Bob Blackwell. locked up
In the county Jail, are absolutely de-
MED the pleasure of visitors, and very
lew people had a chance to have a
word with them yesterday. Even
when newspaper men are admitted, a
deputy, and usually the sheriff him
self, stands conveniently near, to see
that there is nothing irregular in the
interviewer of the interviewed.
Both of the Blackwells, behind the
bars again, assume rather a defiant
attitude, one of them yesterday stat
Ing that it was "up to the sheriff to
see that they are kept safe in the Jail
again.
It was thrilling chase. all sides
acknowledged. When the sheriff and
party ran up on the covered wagon
in Clarke county, and near the Tom
bigbee river, probably the only thing
which saved shooting on both sides
was the fact that, tired and injured,
Bob Blackwell, had fallen to sleep.
The covered wagon was driven by an
old man named Pritchett, they stated,
and they are trying to shield the aged
driver whom they say is a relative,
b. saying they represented to him
they wers out on bond, and had not
made their escape from Jail. They
acknowledged their amazement when,
at point they least expected, an au-
tomobile slid up behind their wagon
and before they knew the auto was
near. Will said, he was looking down
the barrel of a loaded gun in the
hands of determined man, that man
being Jas. C. Van Pelt, the sheriff of
Escambia county. "I believe he would
have shot me-" acknowledged viii
Blackwell, and in this the sheriff
joins. 81 looked for trouble said the
sheriff, land told my men if they
started shooting. to let them have all
we had. If we had not covered them
as quickly as we did, there would cer-
tainly have been someone hurt. Bob
had been instructed by his brother to
look out for the rear, and his weari-
ness caused him to go to sleep. He
had a gun, and a loaded gun at that,
ana i D6Il6Ne WOulu nave Il1uc use VI
it. Wills pistol (which the sheriff
displayed) was loaded and ready for
business It is not loaded now. His
gun, too, carried heavy charges. They
were the most surprised bunch you
ever saw, when we ran up on them.
1t was in a lonely place on the road
and we were on them before even they
knew an auto was anywhere about.
They offered no resistance, but after
reaching Flomaton, Will renewed his
request to sit on the outside; that he
wanted to. spit. | told him he must
spit in the car if he had to. Then he
demonstrated, saying that he was not
going across the state line without
requisition. It was only a few miles
to the Florida line, and | had not been
served with papers, so | was going to
bring him to Pensacola if / did not
serve as sheriff two hours longer.
And | brought him.
Sheriff Van Pelt gave all the credit
possible to Detective Moore, saying
that he was an extraordinary man.
He also praised his deputies for be-
ing with him and remaining to the
last.
The Blackwells. evidently at ease,
reclined in their cells They are on
the same floor of the Jail, but two cells
are between them. They told the
sheriff that "Phelps opened the door
and let US out. We were three hours