The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-11-28
United States Marshal Per
kins and Party Return
From Perilous Trip.
FIFTH MAN LEFT
AT GAINESVILLE
Youths Sought Were Heav-
lily Armed and Ready to
Resist to the Last.

United States Marshal James b.
Perkins, with several deputies, and
bringing four young men who are
classed as deserters, reached Pensa-
cola, from Gainesville, last night. The
four prisoners were HI. Sistrunk. Ar
thur Rowe, George Wilder and Mack
Bennett. One man, Tom Powell, was
left at Gainesville, where he will be
tried for aiding and abetting and
shielding men to resist the draft. The
commissioner at Gainesville fixed
Powell's bond at $4,000. The four
men brought here were placed in the
Escambia county Jail for the night.
The trip of Marshal Perkins was
one of much excitement. Getting a
line on the fact that certain persons
had taken refuge on what was known
as Bumble Bee Island, at the head of
the Suwanee river, he selected trusted
men, leaving here last Thursday. 60
ing direct to Gainesville, thence to
Cedar Keys. Thence it was trip of
caution, for the federal officers did
not want to lose the men, nor did
they want to hurt them, unless occa-
sion SO demanded. Those who went
with Marshal Perkins were Deputy
Gaineseille; fnnt Mr. Chastang, Of tke Sc Sc.
cret service, who worked up the cases;
Deputy E. P. Allen of the Southern
district, but who knows Lafayette
county perfectly, formed the party
They had trouble in reaching the
scene of the resisters, and in making
the "trip had to go into the open bay
for some miles, and in doing so en-
countered stormy weather, which also
caused much trouble, but no sea sick
ness. They finally reached a spot
probable location of the men they
sought. Meeting a white man named
Powell they soon learned that he was
the man, it is alleged, who had assist
ed in great measure, in keeping the
men out of sight.
By devious ways, the searching
party came upon the vacated hut of
the men they sought, and very soon
the deputies began to scour the near
by woods. Suddenly they were heard
to call for hands up, and ordered that
guns be dropped and none picked up.
Then it was that the officials found
that instead Of two, they had cap
tured four, and the fifth in the person
Of Powell.
A generous supplied arsenal was
found. Hundreds of loads for num-
Der of weapons were discovered. This
lot of shooting irons consisted of two
rifles, two double barreled guns. two
army pistols, one Colts special and
one 3S-calibre S. & w. special, with
a large supply of ammunition. as
stated.
When the men were found they
were behind a log, and apparently !
lay in wait for their later captors. /
and 1t was only by good work that |
shooting was avoided and tDloodshed |
This feature of the trip |
was a source of considerable gratifi- |
cation to Marshal Perkins "They !
were ready to shoot, and would have |
opened up, without a doubt, had we
not got the drop on them" he said. ]
Upon quizzing the men, it devel- |
oped that two of them were ex-mem- |
bers of the national guard They !
had been stationed at Fort jackson !
and later were sent to Fort Wheeler.
When on furlough from the latter i
place they listened to counsel of old,
er, but not wiser heads, and resisted /
the draft It was later ascertained that /
this propaganda resulted directly from |
which had recently been |;
prohibited from enjoying the mail