The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-04-06
NEGRO FUGITIVE
SAVED FROM MOB
BY QUICK ACTION
OF AUTHORITIES
and Lakeland Po-
lice Rush Wilmer COL
Inns to Tampa After
His Arrest This Morn
ing by Chief Allen
Two Miles West of
Lakeland.

A fugitive alike from the law and
from an outraged public sentiment.
Wilmer Collins, wanted in Barlow for
attempted rape, was found this morn
ing by the Lakeland. police asleep in
thicket of scrub oak between Lake
land and the aviation field west of the
city.
w. E. Browning, of the Lakeland
police force Was hunting for stray
cattle in the vicinity of Lake Hunter
at an early hour, when his dog
aroused a negro apparently hiding in
cow pasture. Suspecting that THIS
might be the man wanted in Barlow,
Mr.. Browning came in to town and
reported the matter to Chief Allen OF
the Lakeland police department.
Chief Allen went at once to the local
ity. accompanied by Officers u. B.
Puryis, Guy Arendall and Frank H.
Williams. The negro had disappear
ed, but on meeting E. w. McCorey,
the officers inquired if he had seen
negro and he stated that he had
Seen one asleep in an oak thicket as
indicated. The negro, wearied by his
wanderings, was sound asleep and
was ldhCll lllO CuSLOuy dI dDOuI J.O OV
He adnIstted his identity, but denied
his guilt. He also admitted having
been drunk ION shine and buck
He was brought to the Lakeland
Jail and Sheriff Logan at Barlow was
notified. A few minutes later, the
Lakeland officers set out for Barlow
with their captive. Brief as had been
the time since the negros arrest,
line of cars formed behind the police
car and much talk was going around
about seeing that the right thing is
done.
Near Sparling station the process
sion was met by another from Bar
tow, consisting of Sheriff Logan and
a lineup of Barlow citizens of eve.
more ominous turn of mind than the
Lakeland contingent. The sheriff here
took the situation in hand and depu-
tized the entire assemblage consist
ing Of about 200 mel.
The two professions then united
headed by Sheriff Logan, followed i'm
nediately by the Lakeland officers
with the prisoner, and a new start
was made. heading toward Tampa by
way of Lakeland.
The long line of cars passed
through Lakeland and sped on to
Tampa at a speed that some of the
cars found 1t impossible to maintain
In Tampa the prisoner was turned
over to the police department who
will consign him to the sheriff of
Hillsborough county for sale keep
irg.
! The Lakeland officers returned to
Lakeland at about 1880, and upon his
arrival here, Chief Allen was called
to investigate a forcible entry mao
at the Lake Morton school last even
ing. He found that entrance had
some milk and other provisions taken
from the hot lunch department. 1t
is the theory of Chief Allen that Col
Inns was the culprit.
Collins is said to be about thirty
years of age. He was serving a SEN
tence in the Barlow jail for a minor
offense and was trusty. In spite of
the fact that his sentence would have
expired Tuesday, he got away from
custody Monday night and made Sc
ries of attempted assaults on white
women and girls, entering several
houses in succession, all his intend
ed victims succeeding in either
frightening him away of fighting him
off. He was apprehended, as related
in Tuesdays Telegram, but made his
escape from citizen guard by throw
ing himself from the rapidly moving
car and dashing to liberty through 6
barbed wire fence and into SWAMP
before the auto could be brought tc
stop. He was captured sixteen tC
eighteen miles from where he made
his daring break.