Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-29
GEORGIA SHERIFF
LANDS MAN FOR
KILLING IN 1881

QUITMAN, Ga, April 26.-Aftel
having been a fugitive from justice
for 43 years, Foster Green, a negro
now nearly 70 years old, wa.
brought back this week to the scene
of his crime Sheriff Colin E
Clanton, who has spent four years
in trailing his man.
Green is wanted for murder ii
Brooks county and has been posi-
lively identified. The trail lee
through Georgia and Florida anc
the arrest was made at Tampa
Green will be tried at the May term
Of the Brooks county superior court
under an indictment returned A
years ago by the grand jury.
Two eye-witnesses to- the crime
two members of the Coroner's jury
and three members of the granC
jury which indicted Green appear
to be the only survivors, to the drama
except the principal himself, who is
now bent with age and rheumatism
his hair as white as snow.
Curiosity Rewarded
Four years ago, when Sheriff
Clanton came into office, through
curiosity he began looking through
old records at the courthouse. One
paper attracted his attention in par
ticular, an Indictment for murder
turned in by the May term grand
jury in 1881, against Green Foster,
for the murder of r. w. c'Red')
Wilkins, on January of the same
year.
The records showed there had
been no arrest in the case and that
the Indictment was still in suspense.
Sheriff Clanton began Investigate
ing and found a few of the older
citizens of the county who recalled
the tragedy.
In The year 1880, r. w. wilkins
came to this country from Column
bia, S. c., and secured a job as box
inspector for a turpentine STILL He
was % years old at that time. 1t
was his duty to stay in the woods
with the box choppers and to see
that their duties were performed.
On January 4, Green Foster, who
was one of the box choppers. went
to Valdosta and got drunk, return
ing to his job in the woods on the
following morning.
The Staying
Wilkins came upon him during
the morning round on inspection at
the old Jim Patrick place near Blue
Springs, and found that Foster was
sighting his work. He called his
attention to this fact and Foster,
who was half drunk. cursed Wilkins
and started toward him with a
raised chopping ak with a blade
eleven inches long.
Wilkins threw up a guard with
a sharpened ak handle, which he
used to test boxes. Foster threw
down his ak and Wilkins turned to
leave. AS he did, Foster quickly
picked up his ak and struck Will
lIins in the back a terrific blow, the
keen edge cutting through the back
tOnC and passing through the body.
wilkins probably never knew what
struck him. He fell, dying almost
instantly from hemorrhage.
Fortune and Elai Sampson, two
other negro turpentine choppers,
were eye-witnesses. They say that
Foster deliberately ate his breakfast
and watched with interest the dying
contortions Of his victim, after
which he walked away and COM
pletely disappeared, although a man.
hunt for days was carried on in
the county.
The coroner's jury returned yer.
dict of murder and the grand jury
indicted Foster. lobe Mcneil was
sheriff at that time and l. l.. Fol
som and w. j. Parker were members
Of the coroner's jury.
Sheriff Clanton, although the
crime was committed five years be-
fore he was born, has finally trai!ed
his man to Tampa, secured requisi.
ton papers and left Monday in his
car, with Fortune Sampson, one OF
the ye-witnesses. SIMPSONS iden-
Utica ton was complete and Foster
is now in the Brooks county Jail,
broken with age and disease, his
mind wandering in its do age, await
ing trial for a crime committed here
when the Indians still roamed
through the sWamps.