The tribune independent of Michigan. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1933-1935, 1934-03-24
YOUTH SHOOTS
YOUNCBLOOD
IN GUN BATTLE
Blames Deputies For
Slowness On Draw
In Gun Fight
Police Try T o
Hinder His Glory

Port Huron Out of the smoke
of pistol battle which snufied
out the life of Herbert Young
blood, notorious Jail breaker,
loomed the heroic figure of Eu
gene Fields.
Fields, son OF Mrs. Pearl Abra-
hams. well known South Port lIur-
on resident and religious worker.
who together owned the store
where the shooting took place.
practically saved the lives of two
sheriffs when he picked up pis-
tol taken from Youngblood and
fired two shots into the despera-
dos body.
Blames Deputies
Fields blamed the slowness of
the deputies in getting to their
weapons for the death of Under
Sheriff Charles Cavanaugh and the
critical wounding of Deputy Sher-
in Howard Lohr. Fields and Sher-
III William l.. Van Antwerp were
slightly wounded in the pitched
battle.
The officers didn't have their
guns out when they entered the
store, and when Van Antwerp
reached for a gun in Youngblood's
poclset, the latter started shoot
| ing with an automatic.
| Fields, who had followed the
4 deputies into the store, seized thu
gun which fell from Youngbiood'i
pocket and began firing at the des
perado
Police arrested Fields after he
had been released from the hospital
Saturday, but could not find suf-
fcient evidence to hold him. 1t
was charged by many that they
wanted to take some OF the glory
away from Fields.
Finis was written to the crime
studded life OF Herbert Young
blood Tuesday when his body left
for his former home In Gary. Ind.
Youngblood. who gained nation
al notoriety when he escaped with
John Dillinger, notorius despera-
do, from the county Jail In Crown
Point. Ind, March 3. was killed In
pistol battle last Friday morn
ing with Sheriff William l.. Van
Antwerp and two deputies.
At the same time Youngblood's
body started back to Gary, Eugene
Fields, was released from Jail
where he had been confined since
his release from the Port Huron
Hospital Saturday. Fields received
shoulder wound In the battle
which snuffed out thd life OF
Youngblood.
Police learned that Youngblood
was in Port Huron last Thursday
when rabbit raiser telephoned
headquarters and told them that
a man was in South Port Huron
flashing large roll of money and
boasting that he had escaped from
jail.
Deputy sheriffs went to South
Port Huron Thursday night, but
were unable to find anyone de-
scribed in the tip. The search was
continued Friday morning.
When the officers. accompanied
by Fic IS, entered the store kept
by Mrs. Abrahams and her son at
1926 Moak street, the pistol battle
followed the taking of a pistol
from Youngblood by one OF the
deputies.
Under-sheriff Charles Cavanaugh
and Deputy Sheriff Howard Lohr
we're critically wounded by the fire
from Youngblood pistol. Cava-
naugh dying Saturday. Sheriff Van
Antwerp and Fields were also
wounded
Youngblood, after being identi-
fed as Dillingers companion In
1 the Crown Point escape, was re-
moved to the hospital where he
died Friday afternoon.
Mrs. Abrahams, in statement
to the press. declared that Young
blood came to her house Wednes-
day and took room. She said that
he seemed to be a very nice young
man. He said that his name was
Jacobs"
Youngblood's criminal record
started in 1923 when he received b
two-year prison sentence In Leav-
enworth for forging government
securities.
On his release he went to st.
Louis and then to Gary where,
three weeks after his arrival, he
fatally shot Tony Piazza. Italian
fruit peddler In a holdup.
He was awaiting trial for this
murder when he escaped with Dill
linger.