The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1949-07-22
Edgar ForienberrY, FBI Agent,
Leaves For New Assignment


years resident agent for the Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation in
Pascagoula, left Wednesday to
assume similar duties in Lake
Charles, La.
Mr.. Fortenberry, 38 years old,
large and jovial native of Column
bia, was the first FBI agent as
signed TO Pascagoula. He lived
at 803 Twelfth street. No an
nouncement has been made as to
whether or not he will be re-
placed.
Formerly the assistant chief of
police in Columbia, Mr.. Forten-
berry joined the FBI in January,
1912. After graduation from the
National Academy in Washing
ton. he was assigned to Charlotte,
N. c., and then to Kingston, N. c.
He came to Pascagoula in July,
1912, after a tour of duty in
Jackson.
His duties in Pascagoula in
cluded only routine Investigations
but he was sent on special as
signments to Maryland, Washing
ton, Tennessee, Virginia, South
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and
Louisiana.
Captures Wagner
He participated in the latest
capture of Kinnie Wagner, Mis-
sissippi's notorious public enc
my, killer of six, including four
police officers.
Wagner, a two-gun trick shot
artist with a circus, shot his first
man in Green county in 1924. He
fed to Tennessee and soon turned
Iup as the murderer of three more
men. He was tried and sentenced
to death.
An artist at escape as well as
with a revolver, Wagner slipped
out of Jail and went to Texark-
ana where he killed two more.
He surrendered and, instead of
being returned to Tennessee and
the electric chair, was brought
to Mississippi and tried for his
first killing.
Wagner was treated more kind
ly by the jury back home. He
was sentenced to life imprison-
ment. In 1910, after ID years in
Parehman, he again escaped He
had become a guard and while
out tracking down an escapee de-
cided to take to the woods him
self.
Traced 10 Virginia
At that time Mr.. Fortenberry
was working in the Jackson FBI
office. Word came back that Wag-
ner had been seen in Virginia,
near the mountain town of Gate
City. Mr.. Fortenberry was sent
to investigate. The FBI was in
terested because Wagner had
broken two federal laws in his
escape. He had kidnapped a guard
and had, of course, failed to no.
tify his draft board of his change
in address.
In April, 1943. Mr.. Fortenberry,
two other FBI agents and a Vir-
ginia state trooper yer seated in
a parked car in Gate City. One
of them spotted Wagner riding
through town as a passenger in
an old automobile. The officers
followed and forced the car to
stop about six miles from town.
Wagner leaped from the car,
was unframed by shots fired by
the officers, and hid in the tall
grass of a gully. After several
blasts from machine guns had
stabbed into the grass, Wagner
surrendered.
Arsenal in Car
He was handeuffed and stood
watching as the officers found in
the a four revolvers, two rifles
and a pile of ammunition. The
driver, a distant relative of Wag-
ner's, was absolved.
Wagner was returned to Parch-
man, again became a guard and
again escaped. He is still at large.
Mr.. Fortenberry has been mar
ried Is years. His wife is a native
of Seminary. They have a two
year-old boy, Tommy. Still liv-
ing in Columbia are MIR. Forten-
berry's mother, Mrs. J. +. Forten-