Evening star., 1948-08-29
Role in Florida KiIIinq
OF Couple Admitted
By Escaped Convict
BY the Associofsd Press

CAMILLA. Ga, Aug. 28.-An
escaped Florida convict has signed
statement admitting a part in the
beach murder Of young vacation
ing couple at Ormond, Fla, Deputy
Sheriff Grover Jones said today.
The statement, Mr.. Jones said,
was the first break in a Nation
wide search for clues in the shoot
ing two weeks ago of Gregory
B)ount, %, student at the University
OF Kentucky, and the murder and
rape of Miss Mary Hucks, 24-year-
old East Point. Ga, stenographer.
Mr.. Jones identified the man as
Clarence Alburty, 38. colored. He
said Alburty told large group of
officers, after two days and a night
Of questioning, that he stood guard
while another colored man shot Mr..
Blount. raped the girl, and then
shot her.
Search Is Pressed.
Alburty identified his accomplice
Mr.. Jones said, and an alarm went
out Immediately. Officers refused
to reveal the second mans name Or
the location of the search for him.
Alburty was taken to Jacksonville
by plane tonight. Charges will be
placed against him in Florida, Mr..
Jones said.
The bodies of Miss Hucks and
Mr.. Blount were found by boy
two weeks ago on an isolated por-
ton of the beach. Miss Hucks'
body, stripped of her bathing suit,
was found about 100 yards from
where Mr. Blount lay as if asleep
on a blanket.
The man was arrested early yes
terday, Mr. Jones said, after a
Negro woman reported two men
were "acting strange" near her
home Sheriff W. M. Harris picked
up the trail of the pair. followed
their tracks into some woods and
found them sleeping in car, Mr
Jones said. 1T the time Alburty's
companion was not implicated in the
murders.
Tells Story Of Killings.
Sheriff w. M Harris said Al
burty told how he and his COM
panion were first attracted to the
lonely stretch of beach by the lights
on parked civilian jeep.
The other man, Alburty told the
sheriff, was armed with a % cali
ber pistol when they found the
couple. apparently asleep, on
blanket stretched across the sand.
The sheriff said Alburty accused
his companion Of shooting the
sleeping man. When Miss Hucks
screamed and ran up the beach,
the other went in pursuit and
finally overlook her.
Alburty told the sheriff and other
officers that the girl managed to
struggle free several times in her
race for life, but was finally forced
into the palmetto grove.
Told to Stand Guard.
According to Alburty's statement,
the two disappeared into the grove
and he followed When he reached
them. he said, the other man Or
dered him to watch out from
nearby bank
His companion. Alburty declared,
then raped the girl. Soon, he said.
he heard shot and the other man
walked up the bank alone. Alburty
said he parted from the other man
then and hasn't seen him since.
Sheriff Harris said Alburty ad-
mitted joining in the chase across
the beach but denied taking part in
the shooting or aSsaulting the at
tractive young stenographer. He
quoted him as saying he was only
interested in money!
Miss Hucks and Blount. from
Lexington, KY. were vacationing at
the Ormond Beach resort.
Escaped In l943.
Officers at the State Prison at
Taiford, Fla, said A1burty escaped
from road gang in December,
1913.
He was later apprehended by
Georgia authorities on felony
charges and sent to the State
Prison at Reidsville, Ga. He escaped
from there.
State Prison officials said when
Alburty escaped from the Florida
prison he was serving a total of 49
years on breaking and entering and