Florida, H, 1897-1991, Undated

black,’ 1283 oleae ae (Bscatbia) 501241960

2 ifs

: Paulette  Sourks
_Rarbara Sora Filia Mae Lat
a, din, “Mary Brown, Janiier, Prees-:
Adey: J eametie . Aner poet Sammy; Pas
_ bhoernake?, Thomas Trarant!
Cleveland Merde. Reanald Lee, j
Payton. Anderyon, ‘Wait MeWilso :
end Lesie Johnsen. :
Gime could aol help but onsen ve |
"the absence of the Twist i , tes
During the last pour of thet a
; f > proen, the baboon hibed mat was”.
sd Pater : ere eee Wen aft ehnw dyna iby. meh: (fileated abt eit tonds reached
Rcoaabasaerd tage th ee ae orateaagyi tet ah Newer As ‘ Om la Ee eceaans palo. Mary fons i: thee
a oe ‘Hor the “pholagra-/ CMe

*¢

pher as the bout dr ew ‘neds aa:
DP wns FI cheno: aiag and ap!

pubpec.s
conimercisl, teokeag ant beking (*
Hlermcee’ the effet lat frad: as:

 apertant Ye talth, coukiry |
Rs developed inn a - scwcd ¢
Carn -nertasl. ceoking | tend baking |
ied scientfie ent By glenic tats | 3
Of the seertmn. perpecal ion, aret:
serving of feed with emphatic) Sry
ot the pteparalin of aig we CHS
become skillet: cooks and. pakers.: ee
5 Cogking’ and ’ “baking students AF
pork it Tieasant {

sand are exposed let

scientific “cooking

ft Bane ep ae
i This will be: their first hig)
‘enmett oni i their qyest for €x</ ply
erence:

‘ ih ino We BUEN outa athcasa feud ey were | a / av Official
Seen at "ster Sa Lhe Hinjireearame geod ema om / ° Due at FWB
‘On Thursday

A representative of the “federal

b ‘poe ; seek 1 etcimc yo geal ccireted Ad.

a Wha : aC ms iy bia ro gk BO Ga oat : y athe: rhinistration available for:

era ts lead: K ; Tee aieiea, Q 4 ge YC) paterviews oat the Playground |
Sthe vfirst-gdest you have réeceiyék. who will have to. hau “ RS ay: vo amber of Commerce at Fort!
ont stair! without, ate a: ‘baye said.” Digce fx the mew are . Bn a0) |S Waites, Beach Thorniay, '
5 Pages) grep Saag oe 2} Purpose. of the visit, according
to Fret 1. Foy, manager Megs

Rirraingtarn branck of the :

‘s so that ermal bosiness owners

parce, Rp eo 4

kee

Y, MARCH 14, 1914

TAMPA MORNING TRIBUNE, SATURDA

{

HENSON PAYS PENALTY

(
'
\

|

STILL DENYING GUILT,

——"

CONVICTED OF HAVING MURDER: |
; ED HIS WIFE® — | |
‘Prisoners in Jail Set Up Loud Outery:
as Trap is Sprung and Doomed |
Man Meets Death |

i Rennie Henson is dead.

The youthful wife murderer, deny -
ing his guilt to the last, expiated his
crime yesterday noon on the gallows

in the yard of the Hillsboro County
Jail. Henson made no statement to
the: large crowd which had gathered
to witness the execution, but eamiied
grimly for a few seconds when he
caught the eye of some one he recog-|)
nized.:. At no time did the young man
display any sien of fear and to the
outward Vision met death as ealmly
as a man ever did. He were a new
suit of blue serge and in the tapel of
his cdat were several sweet peas.

It was forty-three minues after ,11
when: Sheriff Ww. «t. Spencer pulfed
the lever which sent Henson into eter-
nity. At five’ and one-half “minutes
of twelve Dr. A. Cc. Hamblin, county
physician, pronounced him dead, As
the trap was sprung and Henson shot

downward, 2 wild cry went Up from

negress who was contined in the jail,

who had been: watching the grim
sspectacle from a window. Immediate
ly it was taken up by the other wome

and for five minutes they shriexed and
prayed. Prisoners in the jail, wha
werejable to set view ‘of the scaf4
fold, ‘sang “Nearer My God ‘to Thee,”
while the execution was taking place. ||

Page 5.


iff.

The gallows were reached and Hen-
son ran lightly up the long flight of
staits. | Half way up he tripped and
fell.|; He jumped up quickly and again
brought his leg up to where the strap
nel his hands and brukhed the dirt
away. > Reaching the platfurm he

pointed to a chair and told) Henson
that he might sit down. ;

ont mind if... do.” he sald aofts

Tells Officers Goed-bye

nal preparations were: then made
the young man. Was strapped and
the} rope adjusted. The black cap
wad placed over his. head. .
“Good-bye Bennie,” said the sher-

ang

"G od-bye,” said the doomed man,
faintly, and the next mement the sher-
iff

trap back as it felly
Seven minutes later the pulse had

t was registered by Dr. Hamblin

Halloway made the examination. The
nedk was ‘broken between ,the first
second vertebrae. It. was two
minutes after twelve when the body
cut down and turned over to the
Reed Undertaking Company.
big crowd witnessed the execution
an@l every house top and three around
the jail was filled with people. All:
around the wall which surrounds the
jail yard, people were packed tight on
the top. No member of Henson fam-
ily} was present.
Anderson Last Man Hanged —
‘The last man to. he hanged in oTampa
was Robert. Anderson, the negro wno
was convicted of having committed
seyeral murders in the city and who
is/supposed to have set numerous ijin-
cendiary fires prior to -his arrest in
»Vacksonville. Anderson was hanged
inj November 1912... The last white
man to be hanged was Mercer, charged

t elve. years ago. Since. that time

there have been several) negro hang-
Ings for murder and criminal, assault.

wal ced over onto the trap and looked |
out!on the crowd. Sheriff Spencer:

yulled the lever and Deputy Sheriff |
Sawrie pulled the rope which held the

stoppéd beating and the lust heart |

7

=i

with criminal assault, which was]

1


Just after the crowd left thes jail, |
Joe Osborne, whe lives oon Twenty?
Third Street tn Ybor Clty, had an atd
tack of heart failure just outside thd
jail. Qaborne, a youns Wehite man
had witnessed the execution from a
tcp vot the wall which surrounds the
jail yard. For several minutes he wag
In a dangerous condition. He was at
tended by Dr. Hanrblin and later taken
home. | |

‘Prayers For Henson . |

All morning the negroes in the jal
sung church songs and prayed for
Henson. Late Thursday night Hlen-
gon sent a trusty to awake Jailer Ant
hott and ask him- if some of th
negroes could come over by his cel
ard &ing and pray with him. The re
quest was wranted .and for geveri
hours the men sat Up. with him, At
o'clotk he dozed and slept for tw
| hourk. > Yesterday morning he wa
visited by a minister and two Sal; |
vation Army workers and they’ stayed
with) him for more, than an hour.
Then Father Wallnce and another |
hin called on him and stayed with

i

, am

hiny | until atter the execution. — The
Catholic Chureh will superintend the
burial of Hensen, ‘the funeral being
held] today. . |
Shortly before 11:30, Sheriff Spen-
cer, |Deputy Sheriff Woodward, Jailer
‘Abbott :and J. J. Stevens eniled for
Hengon, telling him’ they were ready.
He said not a word, but accompanied |
then. Lsefore Jeavinsy the - cell house
Henkon’s arms were strapped to his
Tlie death march wits then
star ed! Oa the. way to the gallows
the prisoner noticed that a little sand
burn had fastened , to his trousers and
he praised his lex to the strao which
held) his-armg,.and removed it. |


“a

HOWELL, Claude, black, 34, hanged Jacksonville, Florida, 6ct. 17, 1919.

| barede murder of Willlam

{val county. jail
. Howell mounted the
uf a

0 e’clook, . 7
and: evidenced “he's : "t

{

} ig{

enet’ death > ga e ~ mo i (
4 the scaffold at. U:)Ocand ia eet ts }!
i

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{

4g

288°

Ep fe
e ab :

<-sae
2
4

‘fare

and sal | : :
Ang, Paste al © thin? Ore Reet |

eee le oe

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or
thet


THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION (Jacksonville)
Saturday, 18 October 1919, page ll.

Claude Howell, convicted for the murder of Police Officer ~

Charles F. Turknett and Henry Bradley, convicted for the
murder of William P. Carroll, a storekeeper, were hanged
in the Duval county jail yesterday afternoon.

Howell mounted the scaffold shortly after 10 o'clock. de
walked steadily and evidenced no sign of fear, and meet death
gamely. Bradley mounted the scaffold at 11:10, and also met
his fate calmly. Both men made statements and said they had
prepared for death and advised all within the hearing of
their voices to lead good lives. In both instances Sheriff
Downing sprung the trap.

Fick 04

OLICEMAN SHOT
“DOWN BY NEGRO,
—PONOITION-GBAE

Mounted Officer Charles F. Turkne
Seriously Wounded By ‘Unknown

, Large Though Vigorous Search’ Is

SHOOTING. TOOK PLACE IN
WESTERN PART OF CITY

ARCO R oem EOSIN

Mounted Polleeman Charies FF, Turke
nett was shot: and: probably fatal!
wounded py an unknown negro at 1:30.
o'clock This morning at Kings road and
Johnson street,
the officer, three of the shots taking ef-
fect, one in his left hip, another in his
right shoulder and the third in his abdo-
men, The latter wound is the serious
one. ** :
From what could be learned of the af-
fair at this hour, Turknett was shot at
close range by a nogro, whom he had
commanded to get out of an automobile
which had passed three officers, who had
Just made an arrest of another negro
on, the-charge of prea xins into a store
in that section of tho city.
\ Other Officers Nearby.

Besides Turknett,.the' officers were P.
L. Burkhalter, another mounted officer,
who had deen riding that beat with
Turknett, and Sergt. J, W. Franklin, who
had joined the two mounted men in mak-
ing the arrest. '
According to Sergt. Franklin, they had
the negro at the call box, when an au-
tomodile, driven by a negro chauffeur
and -carrying another negro in the rear
scat as a passenger drove along the
atreet.. Just before this machine came
ralong ‘Sergt. Franklin had turned the
' negro accused of stealing over to Officer
| Burkhalter to talk with a negro wom;
an who appeared on the scene, and asked
if she ai Mek ape with him. He walked
a few feet ‘away from the group to find
‘out what she wanted, and it was at this
| Juneture that the automobile passed.
urknett, who was still on his horse,
‘called to. Burkhalter that the negro on
the rear seat of the car hada gun.
Turknett Pursued. Car.

' Officer Turknett turned and galloped
off down the street behind the car, and
commanded the driver to stop his ma-
-chine,...He dismounted from his horse
and commanded the negro passenger to
Rot out of the machine. It is then that
ithe duel took place, It ia dbelleved that
‘One of the negro’s first shots took ef-
fect, as Turknett is one of the. best
markamen in the department, and would
promis “navy succeeded In getting in a
it himself if he - had not been wounded
“early “in>the-duel,:. The ‘officer. returned
the. negro's: fire, althourgh~badly - wounds
ed, firing his gun sfx times,.one of the
‘cartridges: failing ‘to lode, Trt en
; Sergt.: Franklin and, rkhalter started
for the aceno,'as soon'as the first shot
‘was Tired, but, before they could arrive
, the :duel was jover: and the negro, who

°

R . ital,
Rushed to Hosp he
Iter pincess his

left antl ordered the
ne nhe. hospital with the

na assailant.
ted, and his
Wee i oetra KomeWNnt
Franklin's. cain the
one of whom
the chauffeur.
was the nexro

"Negro ' Early ' This. Morning While | of ye |
Attempting an Arrest—Aisallant, at o. “poranett cat
a abe Bis sald he

t First.

hen. the..ne-.}-
Crone machine,
ext atree *
ee Rke atreet, Turk-
and the negro \s
Burkhalter
officer fired the
bie that the ne-
ed n hiding In cnet
elty, which Is not thickly

Thinks Officer Bho
* According.
A heard ge

and atarted Up
nection, af after

o have fa

was wound
action of the

The negro evidently emptied his gun at]

ride, and he consensed to yive him a

ty. '
o ue city fflcera on Case.
cer has been laced

ry availadie off a inat-sect

~OR-LNO- CBSO, B

orities believe they

will soon have him in the tolls of the.

ieee Turknet
known officers
deen a member
alateen, _ yee

- He reaid
a waite and two

s one of t
' ithe force. He has
department about
always been a
a conaclentious

arless an
coldes as my dren
ot the shooting,
the hoapitas.
houwpital were

ritical condit!

Luke’s

mmeé-
ahooting

He atat-

then that

This negro,
him for a

et
eerjerrett a

he best

uydia street
; “Mrs.

man wes

foot ~leftthe , car,.made -his escape on

JOC i ae tilg ewe

TiMES - alien

fecbsonvdle Kea 9-26-1914 (I8.dD

-_—_— hoe

rf

«

“4 ‘

|POLICEMAN CHARLES F. TURK-
| NETT. PASSED AWAY THREE:
| HOURS—AFTER—RECEIV-—|
oe Sy EG WOUNDS, ss)

wear

MAN HUNT PROVED. SUCCESSFUL

Claude Howell, Shot Twice "By Turk-
nett, ‘Was Found in a House on

_TBaterprve Street,

>:

ce renee ene See ee

, set owe
4

~~

‘ beens f 4 serecee fe ee wees te BY i 7 ee rae g
pe Bar dr They found him-ettting |

chair...in the ‘thouse.on . Enterprise,

(J atreet, -weak {tdm joss of blood and,

suffering {rom hia wounds, He was
shot twite by ‘Officer Turknett, gne’
bullet. golng throvgh ‘the left: wrist,
and the other one passing through the:
flesh juat above the Hip. He mude Do

Langs, . - 1
Believing that the negro had been
wounded, the officers tried to pick up
a-trail-of- blood fromthe scene bf FA
shooting. However, they were uU abi¢é
to find such a trail, However, they pee)
cured information that Howell ran |
from the scene to a house on -dMyrtle
avenue, occupied by an aged negro
couple. He did not remain there, but
continued to the Enterprise  atreet

house,
Becured. Information.

Before the capture of the negro, and!
without, having .any-olue -upon-—which+
Htoworl,— the -oftes w knéw the name
of the negro they wanted, learned that

Police Officer “Charles F. Tuarknett,
jshot threo times with a pletol near the
corner of Kings road and Johnson
street, at 1:30 o'clock yeaterday morne
Ing, died at St, Luke's hospital about
‘three hours abet the shooting, Claude
!Howell, a mullato negro, identlf. ed as
j being the men who killed the officer,
In now held ‘in a cell in the city jal),
' Howell was |wounded twice by Officer
| Turknett, He was arreste at: 1%
o'clock ont bint f morning in a house
pat 3414 Enterprise atreet. ,...
Every available officer he the law
In Duval county maintained a contin-
uous search for the negro. from the
time of the shooting until he was cap-
tured. A number of chauffeurs and
owners of public service aultomobdiiles
hastened to the: police headquarters
when they learned of the affair, and
‘placed their automobiles at the Alse
posal of the pollae without cost. Thia
Valuablo asaistance. I» greatly appre-
ciated by the department.
Brought ‘in Negro.
4City Detective George Stone and
Officers L. BE. Dyal and. A., W. woo
Drought Howell to the. police Bead-

ail,

_
pa. limes

ache
1, ta 3é> years’ old.” ae a large
° t

he lived on Kings road, and had s0-

soured a picture of the man, which was

tideht fled by ithe newro chauffeur, Kd

| Purcell, of 1029 Van Ruren street, In

| whose car Howell had been riding just

, before the shooting, . \ .

| The poetics were, therefore, hot on
the tra } of the man, and were only a
short distance away, when other po-

iicemen were notified that Howell was

the house on ‘Enterprise street,

;whére he had gone for shelter, '
All vf the searchers had held the,

opinion that the nexro was not very, ;

{far from the place of the encounter. |

/But. as & Necennary precaution, ail,

Jroada leading from Jacksonville were!

‘guarded. Officers at the union depot,

bad been. furnished ‘with a complete!

description .of the man and rallroad

special] agents on traens and in rall-

;road yarda in this section were care-'

fully posted to bo on the alert and to

‘uearch all trains leaving this city.

‘The “dragnet" was complete,

Was Able to Walk. |

$ When brought.to the Betiae station,
Howell was able to walk to the ser-
‘geant’s desk and give his name. and
; answer the customa questions. Hows
ever, he appearedito be very woaki. -
--- Questioned ad att tet sF.—- Cy.

Roach, Howell:‘stated that Turknett
approached him. out of the darkness
and ‘asked ulm what he carried on his
, Derson. ‘Howell’ saya he drew hia re-
volver with tha’ Intention: of handing!
It to the oMeer when _the latter opened
* Are,” He .atated:; that: ho returned’ the
Gre instantly, but claims that: he ‘docs
‘nateknew,; aow! many; times peri ate: .
charged.‘ his weapon. : : Howell”

*darkeskinned* woman, came to. the:.
}Jall;tor see hint, and he gave het his

“peraonal’ effects.

a ar AR RS


THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION (Jacksonville)
Wednesday, 16 April 1941,
page 17.

New Step Is
Taken to Stay

Hysler Death
Couns-' for Condemned

onal stay to give time to permit
aN appeal to the United Sta "
preme States Su

stanted stay of execution late Mon-
day to allow a sanity hearing, took

|
Judge Bayard B. Shields, who
| yesterday's petition for an addi-

persons,
fendant’s sanity.
The Clyde Hysler’s

hearing on
sanity will be he
Id in the Duval


CAPITAL PUNISHMENT DATA SHEET

Floecda

STATE | INVENTORY #
OFFENDER: SOURCE OF DOCUMENTATION
naME: San Hurd (TITLE, DATE AND PAGE#)
Race: Tai pp Te Cure
apn? wn fm fO RAGE [19
OFFENSE: MUCIDEL (te ee

97 —-s9SY 2:
DATE EXECUTED: January BO 1714 (-3/-/779 Y

county: Alechus
AGE:

VICTIM:

waME: W. J. Ma bfafuey

AGE:

RELATIONSHIP
TO OFFENDER:

BACKGROUND y ,
INFORMATION: 77 d faen eR

DATE CRIME | |
COMMITTED: Ot 4,193

DATE OF
SENTENCING:

DAY OF THE ke 7
WEEK EXECUTED: / Hy
OFFENDER

RESIDENCY:

MEDIA ACCOUNT oe |
OF CRIME: Klled peae [es ten = GOP


noon. There are numerous other cir-
cumstances; it is said, that throw sus-
picion on Hurd. -
- Wilkes Hurd, a brother. of Sam
| Hurd,wae-taken In Custody Sunday
about 9:30 a. m. and is being held
pending the investigation.

Coroner's Jury At Work.

Justice Elmore empanelled a coron-
er’s Jury as follows: J. B. Richardson,
8. V. Duke, W. ©. Adamson, J. H.
Avera, H. M. Chitty and UG. W. Miller,
and they held the first session in
Sherif Ramsey's office Sunday at 11
o'clock. © ;

The character of the wounds in Ma-
bafney's body were described by Dr.
BE. Lartigue as follows: “I found the
Pants on the right leg torn and burned
about five or six inches above the an-
kle; @ther tears and burns found high.
er up. An abrasion about 1 1-2x) jn-
ches ranging alightly upward and
bapkward five inches below the knee
fdotat on outer side leg. Another
| Wound round or oval penetraulag right
jeg, alge 1 2-2x1 1-2 or 2 fuches, rang-
ing upward and forward, breaking bone!
three or four Inches above knee, sev-
ering large blood vessels. This wound
Just above knee slightly outside.
Wound ip right shoulder entering just
“pelow bead of bumurus. The wound
fi 2x1 1-2 inches, ranging backward,
shot gotng out through skin over an
area of six of seven incbea Another |
wound 1 1-2 inches long 3 or 3 12 in
‘Chen above right ear, one inch back.
ward. severing ski
‘ekull.”

Dr. Lartigue expressed the opinion
that the shot which eatered the lon | .

i]

D and tissues to

mae A -

Teg and shot was about a No *
pearance of burns on clothinz
size“of wounds ‘where shot «entered
indicated that the barrel of th: ma
, Was. within from—ti-to-36 inches
Mahafney when shots were fired

Several Witnesses Were exumind
after which the itiquest was adjour
until 2 p. m. Monday.

Adjourned To Wednesday
~The jury 8f inquest met Mois a
the appointed hour, bat wert 11 #0)
‘slon but a short while, it havine beet
ascertained tHat there are +: \enl
matters that geed probing before 6
verdict is rendered, Therefore at’

Journment wag takes until) Wednew

j

mare iy —SDATITIO’T T my cn ATT TUT WOUND TN THR
ANU fs NGBD UPWARD PRODUCED DEATH AND sAlID THE WOUND IN THE

sh “ mr ar ALT IT LIA Vt J IROUW Ti a FA A
SHOULDER AND CHEST MIGHT HAVE KKREXHEKS PROVED FATAL,

CULT OUT SHOT NEAR THE WOUND IN THE

THE DOCTOR

GY pelle. y yy iS FR


Re ep ee ee ee gC ee ee ee

MEDIA ACCOUNT
OF TRIAL:

MEDIA ACCOUNT
OF EXECUTION:

METHOD: = 1490-90 ny TIME:

STAYS OF
EXECUTION:

EXECUTIONER:
WITNESSES: QO Vi id v4 ( g

RITUALS:

LAST WORDS:

OTHER INFORMATION:

~

—— Male

FLORIDA / if a Tati |

Antiabortion Killer’s
Death Sentences Stay

The state Supreme Court upheld
the double-murder conviction and
death sentences of a man who used
a shotgun to kill a doctor and an
unarmed escort outside an abortion

justifiable homicide; was sentenced
two years ago to die in the electric

Pensacola. 3

Sj
NEW YORK

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i, Bye

Sak


THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION (Jacksonville)
: Sunday, 13 May 1962, page 18.

Two Raiford
Inmates Are
Electrocuted

RAIFORD, May 12 \W—Two
Negroes, protesting capita] pun-
ishment, died in the electric
chair at Florida State Prison to-
day—the first electrocutions car-
ried out im the new building.

Both admitted the murders for
which they were convicted and
said they were sorry. They added
they did not belleve in capital
punishment.

Robert Lee Jefferson went to
the chair at 8:40 a.m. and was
|pronounced dead eight minutes
later -by Dr. H. H.  Schweem,
chief medical officer.

Johanie Hill was pronounced
dead at 9:10 a.m., seven minutes
after the switch was thrown.

Jefferson and Hill were con-
victed of murder in Northwest
Plorida, Jefferson in Bay Coun-+
ty and Hill in Escambia County.

The wooden chair was moved

from the old death house to the
new building. The chair has been
in use since 1928 when electro
cutions replaced hanging in Fior-
ida. ;
{ The executions. were postponed
from Tuesday when a test
showed the electrical equipment
7 did not work.


goin

dense jungle; and many of them had
participated in another just such grim
search some few years before to find
the kidnaper of little “Skeegie’”” Cash—
who had been stolen from his crib.

That grim hunt had gone on until the
child’s body had been discovered in
the wilderness. For that crime a young
man named Franklin Pierce McCall
had been plucked from the dense
swamps to pay for the murder in Rai-
ford’s electric chair.

And now again these veterans were
on the prowl through the same track-
less jungle seeking another wanton
killer; and they were determined that
he would not escape. By morning, more
than a thousand armed men supple-
mented the vast force of police engaged
in the man-hunt throughout the man-
grove swamps.

N MIAMI, Chief Investigator I. R.
Mills had entered the case as had
Sheriff D. C. Coleman and District At-
torney G. A. Worley. Police officers,
working grimly and with speed, at last
located Don Lamb, and he was hustled
down to Headquarters.

But this proved of little value, as the
suspect had an unimpeachable alibi:
He was working, he contended, as a pin
boy, and didn’t go off duty in the bowl-
ing alley until 1 a. m. that morning.
His employer verified this claim, as did
several patrons of the alley; and so he
was released and the police were back
again where they had started. :

Possible suspects were rounded up,

questioned and discharged. Officer
Daniels’ record of arrests was searched
with the idea of ferreting out any sus-
picious characters who might, in re-
venge, resort to murder; for Highway
Patrol police came into more contact
with car thieves trying to make a get-
away than other officers. And it was
possible that one of them had. killed
the officer to settle an old grudge.

THE stolen Plymouth coupe was
brought to Miami, and Miss Grace
Hart, the girl who had reported it
stolen, identified it at once. Her story
was that it had been standing in front
of her home. When she went to use
it, it was gone.

Shown the driver’s license that had
been found on the highway, with the
name John Phillips on it, she declared
that she knew no one by that name,
from Ohio or anywhere else; and when
she looked at the small identification
photograph attached, she shook her
blond, pretty head.

“I don’t know him,” she said.

“Are you sure?” asked an officer.

“Positive.”

State Investigator Mills had been
watching the pretty blonde-intently.

“Have you ever been arrested?” he
asked suddenly.

“Me?” The girl’s eyes widened. “Of
course not! What makes you ask a
question like that?”

“Routine.” Mills studied the girl for
a moment. “Seems to me I’ve seen you
somewhere before.”

“I’ve been places,” replied the girl,
pertly.

“Some places are all right—and
some are not,” commented Mills dryly.
He turned to an officer. ‘Run across
the street and see if there’s anything
in the files, Joe.”

HE officer did as directed. He re-

turned with a grin on his face and a
photograph and several papers in his
hand. Behind him came Captain
Barker. Miss Grace Hart had not told
the truth, for she had many aliases
and had been arrested in several cities,
including New York and Boston, for
various offenses, among which was
grand larceny. Seeing the photograph,
and the files on her activities, she
smiled and shrugged.

“Okay, so you know about me. But
I don’t know anything about this
thing. Someone stole my car and I re-
ported it. That’s all I can tell you.”

Repeated questioning could not make
her change her story. Mills decided to
release her, since he could check up on
her later—in more detail. Many things
about her aroused his curiosity. Could
it be, he wondered, that she had some-
thing to do with the theft of her own
car? But what would be the reason
for that?

By now, the jungle bordering U. S.
No. 1 was alive with men pursuing the
phantom trail of an unknown killer,
but without success. All through that
day the number of hunters increased,
until literally thousands of men were
tramping the sloughs and swamps, in-
tent on their human quarry. And to
these were added the keen noses of
several bloodhounds, put on the job
by the police in the hope of ferreting
out the unknown killer if he was ‘still

* in the swamps.

In Miami, the .45 caliber bullet that
had killed Officer Daniels was ex-
tracted and sent to Captain Barker,
who examined it carefully and an-
nounced that identification of the
death-gun would be comparatively
simple—if the weapon was ever found.

Distinct markings a slug,

Captain James Barker: As Superintendent of the Identification Bureau,
he used all the latest scientific methods in an effort to find the killer

he said, would not be too difficult to
trace.

Wires from the police department of
Cincinnati and the Ohio Bureau of
Motor Vehicles confirmed the issuance
of a license to one John Phillips, at the
address given on the card, but Phillips
was not to be found. Inquiry divulged
that he was not in town, and the police
intensified their search for him.

Known car thieves were brought in
for questioning. But all had alibis and
all of them claimed they knew nothing
of the Daniels murder.

As the hours slipped by, more and
more men took to the jungles in the
man-hunt, until it seemec impossible
that anyone trying to hide in the man-
grove swamps could possibly escape.
But still the killer wasn’t located.
Even the bloodhounds were stymied by
the many watercourses and sloughs.

An intense and deadly determination
had settled over police from Miami and
nearby cities. If anything was calcu-
lated to spur them on to superhuman
efforts, it was the wanton killing of a
fellow officer. A deep-rooted desire
to trap the wily killer sent officers
scurrying to investigate every tip that
came into Headquarters, no matter how
slim or irrelevant it seemed.

APTAIN BARKER had processed the

fingerprint taken from the stolen
Plymouth coupe. Since it did not match
Daniels’ and it did not belong to Grace
Hart, Barker concluded that it might
belong to the killer. He sent it to the
FBI in Washington, on the chance that
it had a counterpart in the vast files
of the Bureau, and went back to the
hunt, awaiting word.

Grace Hart was questioned again,
but she still disclaimed any knowledge
of the thief and killer. She was not
arrested, but told to stay in town for
further questioning.

As the day waned, thousands of
hungry men and many officers came
out_of the Everglades for food and
dr@@®, and to compare notes. Their
search seemed to have proven fruit-

(Continued on Page 46)
17


It was through densely grown swampland like this that’ man-
hunters pressed their search for the killer of Patrolman Daniels

An hour later, several officers, work-
ing with flashlights, traced the marks

of a skidding car into the jungle and ~

found the missing cruiser, completely
wrecked. Whoever had been driving
it evidently had lost control, slammed
on the brakes, skidded on the dew-wet
concrete and plunged into the ham-
mock. The car had been hidden from
view by the heavy growths along the
roadside.

AGAIN Barker was called to see if
any fingerprints existed on the
wheel of the police car.

The wreck was over a half a mile
away from the obvious scene of the
shooting. And so the officers recon-
structed what they thought might
have happened: Daniels, seeing the
stolen car and comparing the license
number, must have parked behind it
and then gone up to the car to see if
anyone was in it. Apparently, some-
one had been in the auto. Whoever it
was had shot him; and the officer had
either staggered away into the jungle,
mortally wounded, or had been dragged
into it so his body would not be visible
from the road.

Then, the unknown killer evidently
had stolen the police cruiser, aban-
doning the Plymouth coupe,-and had
crashed a half mile away. Since the
road had been under police super-
vision almost immediately after Daniels
was killed, it followed that whoever had
shot the officer had taken to the ham-
mock. And it then became a matter
of conjecture to the officers if the
killer was a native—able to find his

way in the dense swamps—or some
city-bred car thief from Miami, who
would wander the mazes of the Ever-
glades only to perish in their un-
tracked midst, as so many other un-
initiated white men had done before.

One discovery caused the officers to
gather on the lonely road and con-
verge their flashlights on a small card.
It was a driver’s license, bearing the
name “John Phillips.” It had been is-
sued by the State of Ohio; and at-
tached to it was a small photograph—
supposedly that of the John Phillips to
whom it was issued.

Another discovery was an empty .45
caliber automatic shell, near the Ply-
mouth-coupe: This, as well as the
John Phillips driver’s license, was taken
back to Miami by Barker.

The license could have been dropped
by the killer, or it. might have been lost
by some wholly innocent person using
the much-traveled highway between
Miami and Key West. However, the
police intended to ask for an imme-
diate inquiry through the Ohio files for
information on John Phillips. And an
autopsy would determine quickly if
Daniels had been killed by a .45.

HILE the scene of the murder was

lonely and uninhabited, it was still
quite near Miami, and it was also pos-
sible that the killer or killers might
possibly have hitch-hiked into the
city before complete blockades could
be organized. A cordon was instantly
ordered on all railways, bus and air
line terminals for any suspicious-look-
ing character seeking to leave the city.

Byrdl Hudgins: By asking two
strangers for_a lift, he was be-
ing of great help to the officials

Chief Investigator |.. R.
Mills: He lent his keen,
“analytical mind toward solv-
ing the patrolman's murder

It was learned, too, that Daniels had
been instrumental in the apprehension
and subsequent imprisonment of a
vicious car thief two years before. This
man, Don Lamb, had served a short
Sentence and then had been released.

“Leopards,” observed the officer.
“don’t change their spots. Suppose this
bird was up to his old tricks—stealing
cars? And suppose he _ recognized
Daniels when he approached the coupe?
It’s possible that he might have shot
him without giving him a chance—
possibly out of a spirit of vengeance.”

With this tangent offering a clew,
another search began for the suspect
throughout all the Miami underworld;
but without much result. Don Lamb
seemed to have disappeared from his
usual haunts and the police intensified
their efforts to find him.

EANWHILE, the report of the
brutal murder had spread along
the small towns that border the
main highway, U. S. No. 1. Word
went out to “flush the Everglades for
that cop killer!’ And soon a vast
civilian army of determined men be-
gan to gather for a widespread man-
hunt throughout the great swamps.
Every unit of law enforcement offi-
cers, aS well as the members of the
American Legion and the Veterans of
Foreign Wars, took the trail, armed.
determined that the killer would not
escape them if he—or they—nhad fied
into the swamps. Most of these men
were woodsmen, able to navigate in the


lodge not in his back, but in his head.

The night of January 16, 1933, was
quiet and uneventful in the little town
of Oxford, Kansas. The streets and
the countryside were blanketed with
snow. Alice Farr was the only person
on the telephone exchange that night.
It was after midnight and no call had
come for fifteen minutes; and as the
hours stretched into morning, there
would be fewer and fewer calls.

A sound at the door of .the office
caused Alice to turn around. She saw
two men. Both wore masks. Fright-
ened as she was, the whole thing
seemed foolish to her.

No money was in the small telephone
exchange and it seemed a strange
place for masked men to enter.

Yet her mind was working fast. She
grabbed for a plug to connect the ser-
vice with the home of the Sheriff. The
plug never reached the board. One of
the bandits, swift as a panther, was
at her side. No words were spoken.
His heavy hand crashed against the
side of her face and she was knocked
from the stool to the floor uncon-
scious.

WHEN she regained consciousness,
she was tied and gagged and still
lying on the floor. It took her ten min-
utes to work her way to the stool and
pull her trussed body up so she could
manipulate the board with her chin.

Somehow she managed to: make a
connection. She could do no more
than groan weakly, but this was
enough to bring help.

But neither the Sheriff nor any of
his deputies was among those who
helped her. They were at the door of
the local bank. It was open and the
large safe had been taken bodily from
the place.

The safe contained around $50,000
in cash and negotiable bonds. It was
one of the most sensational bank rob-
beries in the State. From all indica-
tions, the robbers had backed a truck
with a winch up to the building and
hauled out the safe. Alice Farr had
been trussed up so that nobody could
use the telephone to give a general
alarm. The night marshal, George
Ranky. had been called out of town
that night.

In Topeka, Colonel Wint Smith,
head of the Kansas State Police, re-
ceived the news of the robbery with
amazement. Stealing a safe from a
bank was a new wrinkle in his experi-
ence with bank robbery. Several such
cases had been reported in Arkansas
the year before. On September 19, the
First National Bank of Gravette had
its safe taken bodily from ‘the bank,
with all the bank’s cash and $40,000
in bonds. On November 11, the bank
at Decatur had the same experience.

But this wave of safe stealings had
stopped suddenly and nothing indi-
cated then that it was the work of a
large or powerful band of bank rob-
bers. But now the robbers had come
into Kansas. The job at Oxford had
been done so neatly that nobody in the
town suspected that a truck with a
winch was taking away the bank’s safe.

Then at three o'clock in the morn-
ing of February 7, 1933, Albert Erdman,

night marshal at Longton, Kansas,
was walking down the street on his last
check-up of the stores. The main
street was deserted and not even a cat
or dog could be seen on it. The houses
of the small town were all dark.

It was cold and Erdman wanted to
get his last check-up over in a hurry
and get back to the fire in his small of-
fice. He walked in to try the door of
the Longton Hardware store, jiggled
the lock, found it secured, and walked
back on the wide walk.

A gun roared behind him. Albert
Erdman probably never heard that shot
because a bullet ploughed through his
back and hit his heart. He staggered
to the edge of the sidewalk and fell
dead on the main street.

The shot appeared not to have awak-
ened anybody. No lights flashed on in
the houses. Nobody appeared on Main
Street. Then a truck moved slowly and
silently down the street, and stopped
at the side door of the bank.

Within ten minutes the bank safe
had been hauled up on the truck with
the powerful winch and the truck sped
out of the town.

The slaying of Erdman, and the theft
of the second bank safe, brought
Colonel Wint Smith, Captain Edwards
and Joe Anderson to Longton. They
found only a blank wall when it came
to clews. No in the town had
heard the shot that killed Erdman.
Nobody had seen—or even heard—the
truck that took the bank safe away.

HE officers didn’t have time to
catch their breath until word was

flashed to them that the Benton, Kan-
sas, bank had been robbed of its safe.
The robberies now came with such
rapidity that Colonel Smith and _ his
men had difficulty keeping up with
them. The Farmers State Bank at
Hunnewell was robbed of its safe. Then
came reports from Aliceville and
Neosho Falls, Kansas. The Windom
bank safe was taken two nights later.
Then the gang jumped over in Mis-
souri to take the safe from the bank
at Sheldon. The Trousdale bank in
Kansas was the next victim.

In a little over a month this Phan-
tom Gang had looted banks of more
than $300,000 in cash and bonds.

And they had barely gotten a good
start!

One-thirty in the morning the little
town of Chetopa, Kansas, is silent and
dark. The short main street has been
deserted for hours and no signs of life
appears on it. At this time on the
morning of June 1, 1933, Otta Durkee,
night marshal, rounded a corner on his
way to his office. ;

A barrage of bullets from high-
powered rifles tore through his body.
One bullet alone had taken away part
of his head and two had pierced his
heart.

This time the roar of the rifles awoke
several people and they rushed out on
the street to see a truck back up at the
bank and the bank’s safe swinging in
the air as the winch drew it up. Same
pattern, same gang.

Three armed men stood near the
truck and kept back the people. It was
all over in a few minutes, getting the
safe on the truck, and then the truck

.

and the. robbers disappeared into the
night, taking the safe with over $50,-
000 dollars in cash and bonds.

The death of Durkee roused the
State of Kansas to fever pitch. By now
the Phantom Gang was a shadow over
every small town. Nobody knew
whence these. robbers came or where
they disappeared with the safes.

No connection was made at that date
with the master mind that held such
eri sway down in the Cookson
Hills!

CITIZENS formed posses to protect
their towns at night. At Weir a
posse of fifeen citizens volunteered
for duty. The robbers changed their
tactics to meet their new threat.

On the night of August 5, 1933, they
rode boldly into the town of Weir,
grabbed the night marshal before he
knew what was happening and rounded
up the fifteen citizens and locked them
up in the city jail.

Then they proceeded to lift the safe
from the bank and load it on their
truck. But word flashed to other
towns and posses formed quickly to
throw a dragnet around the country of
the vicinity of Weir and Coffeyville.
Governor Alf Landon was awakened in
Topeka and he ordered the National
Guard at Coffeyville to mobilize and as-
sist in the search.

The company of National Guard,
aided by 300 citizens and peace of-
ficers, swung in a huge circle, beating
the bush for the robbers. They didn’t
find the bank bandits, but in the wood-
ed section near Coffeyville they discov-
ered a truck equipped with a winch
and skids. And on this truck was the
safe taken from the Weir National
Bank.

Colonel Wint Smith and Captain
Edwards flew to Coffeyville to examine
the truck. It carried an Oklahoma li-
cense, which the Colonel knew was a
stolen one, but the wheels of the truck
had the thick red mud only found in
the deep recesses of the Cookson Hills.

And within 24 hours Colonel Wint
Smith knew that the Phantom Gang
of bank robbers, who had left such a
swath of death and plunder in Kansas
within a few months, was connected in
some manner with the mystery master
mind who had taken over the Cookson
Hills.

There came others: Weir, Coffey-
ville. Colonel Wint Smith and Cap-
tain Edwards weren’t ‘thinking about
looted safes and murdered night mar-
shals. The two officers sat in the of-
fice of Governor Alf Landon, who was
then serving his first term as Gover-
nor and was already talked of as a
presidential nominee. ~

“It can’t be possible,” Captain Ed-
wards protested to the Governor.

Governor Landon handed him a
piece of paper. “But it is possible, Cap-
tain,” he said. “I got this note of
warning and I also got information
from the penitentiary at Lansing that
this plan will be carried out.”

Captain Edwards read the note. It
was printed across a white sheet of
typewriting paper. It read:

Governor:
We have looted Kansas of over a

half a million in a few months and
have left two of your night mar-
shals dead. We don’t intend to
stop there. We have two men in
the penitentiary that you have re-
fused to pardon. If you persist in
this refusal, it will be our painful
duty to kidnap your daughter, who
is a student at the University. It
will be her life—if you still refuse
to pardon the men we want free.

The note wasn’t signed. Captain Ed-
wards read it and handed it to Wint
Smith.

“No moron wrote that,” Edwards
said to the Governor. “Who are the
men they want pardoned from the
penitentiary?”

“The Enos. brothers,” Governor
Landon replied. “They are serving life
sentences for robbery in this State.”

Captain Edwards whistled softly to
himself. The Enos brothers were two
of the most ruthless desperados ever
to come out of the Cookson Hills. They
had been arrested in Tulsa and brought
to Kansas in connection with the
robbery of a Wichita bank.

“Whoever wrote this note, and I
judge it came from that mystery man
in the Cookson Hills, he means busi-
ness,” Colonel Smith said. “We will
give your daughter a bodyguard.”

44NMJATURALLY,” the Governor re-

plied, “but that won’t solve our
problem. Peggy is a student at the Uni-
versity and no bodyguard can be sure
she is watched at all hours. Besides,
this is something greater than my
daughter or my family. This Phantom
Gang is threatening to take over the
whole State of Kansas. We have to
find out who is behind it and crush
these outlaws.”

Colonel Wint Smith looked at the
ceiling for a moment. “There is only
one man living that can do that,” he
said. “I’ll have him here in five min-
utes.”

And within that time a short, heavy-
set man, with twinkling eyes and rosy
cheeks, walked into the Governor’s
office. He was Joe Anderson—perhaps
the greatest sleuth ever to come out
of the West. Born on the edge of the
Cookson Hills, and starting life as a
cowboy, Anderson knew that section of
Oklahoma like a book.

Governor Landon told him briefly of
the threat to Peggy Landon and what
Anderson was supposed to do.

-“It might be done,” Anderson said
quietly. “Usually no officer lives in
those Hills very long when he’s after
somebody. But I'll take a try, and if
you don’t hear from me within a couple
of months, you’ll know I am dead. In
that case—”

Who is the master mind behind the
Phantom Gang? Can Anderson do
what no officer has done before him—
learn the secret of the Cookson Hills?
For these answers, for more thrills
and startling revelations, be sure to
read the next issue of OFFICIAL DE-
TECTIVE STORIES. Dated June, it
will go on-sale at your newsstand on
Friday, April 20. To be sure that you
get your copy, place your order now!

"Flush the Everglades for That Cop Killer!" (Continued from Page 17)

less, and they had nothing to work on.

Two of these men, Frank Walker and
Gary Fowler, of Perrine—a small set-
tlement south of Miami—had business
to transact in the city.

They left the hunt for the time being
and drove north toward Miami at about
nine o’clock. Suddenly, a form broke
from the thick jungle and waved both
hands frantically for them to stop.
The headlights picked up a tall man
who, as the brakes were applied, ap-
proached with a noticeable limp.

“Probably a tourist, in trouble,”
Walker told Fowler. “Out of gas—or
wrecked, somewhere.”

Fowler pulled up and the stranger

46

stared at the two men in the car.

“Going to Miami?” he asked.

“Yes,” answered Fowler. “What's
wrong—want a lift?”

“Yeah. Got to get to Miami. Hurt
my knee. Got to get a doctor.”

“Hop in the back,” invited Fowler.

The man moved toward the car.
Because of the headlights’ glare, it was
impossible for him to see within the
car.

ALKER whispered to. Fowler:
“Think this might be the guy?”
Fowler didn’t think so. ¢
“No one,” he replied softly, “would
be that dumb as to flag down a car he

couldn’t see into—and he couldn’t tell
if police were driving it.”

But when the stranger entered the
car, his coat lifted, both men saw a
pistol half protruding from his hip
pocket. The stranger settled himself
in the back of the car. Fowler and
Walker exchanged swift glances. Was
this the murderer? And if so, would
he hesitate to kill again?

Fowler’s gun lay on the seat, be-
tween himself and Walker, but the
stranger sat in back and was armed;
and with him—if he started to shoot—
lay all the advantages of strategic
position. Before Fowler could get the
car stopped and swing into action, he

and Walker would be shot down. Im-
mediately, both men, by an unspoken
and tacit agreement, decided to em-
ploy diplomacy instead of force—and,
of course, they had no proof that the
stranger in back was the killer.

OWLER started a casual conversa-

tion, but the stranger was silent.
After a few minutes driving, however,
he opened up a bit and acknowledged
that he had come from Key West,
where he had been looking for work.
He had hitch-hiked back, he said, be-
cause he had hurt his knee and want-
ed to see his own doctor in Miami.

“Too bad,” Fowler told him. “Where


does your doctor live?
there.”

“Just take me to Miami,” answered
the passenger, gruffly, “and I'll take
care of that. Step on it, will you?
This knee is killing me.”

Fowler nodded, kept up his random
conversation until they entered the
outskirts of Kendall—a small town
south of Miami. As they neared the
grouped houses, Fowler saw that a bar-
ricade had been thrown across the road,
illuminated by several spotlights.

I'll drive you

Wf HEY!” exclaimed the passenger.
“What are you slowing up for?”
Then he saw the barricade.

“Might be a wreck or something,”
answered Fowler, who saw two officers
making for the car. “I'll see what it
is.”

Quickly he stepped out of the car to
the pavement. The two officers, U. S.
Border Patrolmen Stephen Hawkins
and James H. McDonald, approached
cautiously.

“TI think the guy you want is in back
of that car. He’s got a gun and he looks
tough—so go easy!” .

Hawkins nodded, grasping the situa-
tion at once and sauntered toward the
machine. He opened the back door
of the car and demanded:

“What's your name, Bud? And let’s
see your credentials.”

Swiftly the stranger whipped out the
heavy pistol and swung it up for action,
but Hawkins was prepared—thanks to
Fowler’s warning. He swung with the
speed of a cobra making a kill. In an
instant the pistol sailed out of the
stranger’s hand and the officer brought
up a haymaker from the knees. The
suspect gasped with the pain of the
stunning blow; and a moment later the
officer had snapped handcuffs on him.

But the suspect was surly and resent-
ful and denied any knowledge of the
Daniels murder. He was young and
tall and powerful, but he had been no
match for the alert and determined
officer. His name, he maintained, was
John Phillips, and he came from Ohio.

“Okay!” exclaimed Hawkins, remem-

bering the driver's license found in the
vicinity of the killing. “Let’s go on to
Miami—and you can tell it to the
chief.”

He was brought, however, before
State Attorney Worley and Investigator
I. R. Mills. He answered all their ques-
tions with disarming frankness.

As to the license, he suggested that
he might have dropped it on his way
to Key West, or on his way back. He
had been in the island city for only a
short time, looking for work, and had
hitch-hiked back to see his doctor. As
for the killing of Daniels, he said it was
news to him.-

Captain Barker took his fingerprints
for comparison and went back to his
laboratory, while the suspect informed
Mills that he had recently been dis-
charged from the Army, in Honolulu,
where he had been hurt when a gun
backfired and hurled him more than 25
feet. That experience, he claimed, had
made him subject to fits of epilepsy and
ee and it had also injured his

ead. ;

MES and Worley exchanged sig-
nificant glances; it looked like lay-
ing the framework for an insanity bid.
Instead of gaining their sympathy, it
strengthened their suspicions—suspi-
cions that became even stronger when
Captain Barker returned to Worley’s
office.

“This bird,” he reported, “has the

samme-fingerprints as that found on the
stoler’Plymouth.” .
Again the officers turned to the sus-
pect. To all their questions he re-
turned the same answers. He knew
nothing about any stolen coupe or
about Daniels.

“Then how did your fingerprints get
on that car?” asked Mills.

Phillips didn't know and couldn’t ex-
Plain it unless: “Maybe the guy who
stole it gave me a hitch,” he suggested.

“No,” said Barker, who had been
studying the driver's license, “he didn't,
because you stole it. This physical de-
scription on the license doesn’t match
very well with yours, Phillips—or what-

ever your name is. Where did you get
that driver’s license?”

Phillips sneered. “What
trying to do, railroad me?’

“Were you ever arrested before?”
asked Mills.

“No. Never.”

But he changed his tune when a wire
came from the FBI in Washington, ad-
dressed to Captain Barker. They had a
record of the fingerprint found on the
stolen Plymouth coupe — the same as
that taken from Phillips—but it did not
belong to anyone named Phillips. It
belonged to a man named Byrdl L.
Hudgins, who had a criminal record.

a“ HAT about that?” Worley asked
the suspect. “So your name is
Hudgins, not Phillips!”

“I can’t remember,” he replied
solemnly. ‘I can’t remember lots of
things.”

But under the clever and determined
questioning of the officers, the young
suspect’s history was pieced together.
His right name was Byrdl L. Hudgins,
and he had been born in Stonewall,
Georgia. As for the driver's license,
with the name Phillips on it, he ex-
plained that as belonging to a fellow
he knew up north. He had merely bor-
rowed it for awhile, and had pasted
his own picture on the license in place
of Phillips’. ;

“Why did you take Grace Hart’s
car?” he was asked.

“Well, I didn’t exactly take it,” he
answered. “I was just going to sit in it

are you guys

for awhile. I got in it and a guy come’

up behind me and asks can he give me
a push. I said ‘go ahead,’ and he does;
and before you know it, I was going
along. So I decided I’d go to Key West
to look for a job.”

Evidently, the suspect did not realize
that in his rambling story he had ad-
mitted stealing the car which, directly,
was the cause of Daniels’ death.

Hudgins claimed that he knew Grace
Hart, but this was easily proven to be a
lie. And later, when his .45—tested
with trial shots—was identified as the

murder-gun, Hudgins admitted steal-
ing the weapon from a friend.
Anticipating a defense based upon
temporary insanity, the Miami officials
had Hudgins examined by alienists.
These experts pronounced him sane
but explained that Hudgins had a
strongly developed persecution com-
plex; and that he hated all policemen
District Attorney Worley, Investiga-
tor Mills and Captain Barker continued
their careful questioning of the sus-
pect, until they were able to lead him
into a confession. His version of the
shooting of Daniels was craftily de-
signed to make it appear like self-
defense; but the officers read between
the lines and his confession, regard-
less of the imputations Hudgins put
upon his actions, nailed the case down

definitely.
sd | WAS just sitting in the car,” ex-
plained Hudgins, “and I wasn't
harming anybody. I had trouble with
my head hurting. Then this cop comes
up and wants to see my credentials and
license. I showed him my license, and
he tells me I'm arrested, because it’s a
stolen car.

“Well, I started to give him my gun.
but I guess he didn’t understand, and
he raises both his hands up in the air.
like I’m trying to hold him up. Then.
he makes a pass for his gun, and I got
frightened—thinking he was going to
kill me without giving me a chance. I
got awful nervous and my head began
to hurt something fierce. I don't re-
member what happened after that... .”

On February 10, 1942, in Circuit
Court, before Judge Paul Barnes. a jury
found Hudgins guilty of murder in the
first degree. Hudgins did not seem
disturbed. But when he was sentenced,
a few days later, to be electrocuted at
Raiford, he seemed dazed. He was
executed on July 20, 1942. Cop killers
don’t live long in Miami.

The names John Phillips and Don
Lamb as used in this story are fictitious
to protect persons innocently involved
in a murder inquiry.

So the Bride Moved in—With Murder (Continued from Page 13)

she had saved. After awhile, I got to
worrying also. So I said to her, ‘Come
over and sleep at my place. Today’s the
last day you'll be alone, for tomorrow
we'll be married and be together al-
ways.’”’ He stopped as if the memory
was too much for him, but went on in
a few minutes.

“So she came over. It—it was just as
if she’d moved right in with murder.
We put the six hundred dollars we had
in the buffet and I left her at ten
o’clock, feeling quite relieved she was
taken care of; that she would get a
good sleep and that everything would
be okay.

“1\A/ HEN I opened the door this
morning I saw her there. I
called to her, ‘Mary, Mary,’ but she
didn’t answer. I thought things looked
funny but I never dreamed that such
things could happen twice in a man’s
life. Then I got close to her and saw
the blood. Her head was awful. I
touched her. I knew she was dead. I
walked to the back and saw the broken
shutter. Then I found that the buffet
drawer was open and our money was
gone. I went outside and called a
policeman.”

“How mach time was there between
your finding her dead and your telling
the officer?” asked Captain Koch.

“It couldn’t have been but a few min-
utes. Maybe five. Certainly not more
than ten.”

“Yet I got the news at once. The
station is only three blocks away.”

Rommell nodded.

“I got the news at nine,” the Captain
continued. “What time did you reach
home?”

“About twenty of nine.
quarter of. I—”

“You left her at ten last night,” in-

Maybe a

terrupted Lieutenant Feehley, “to get
to work at half-past ten. You left at
half-past seven and should have been
home by eight. Isn’t that right?”

“It only takes half an hour,” Rom-

mell agreed. “But I wasn’t in a hurry.
I wanted Mary to get all the sleep she
could so she'd be feeling good. So I
stopped at a couple of places. to get a
bite and a drink.”

“Where?” asked Feehley, ready with
a@ pencil to take down the names of
the places. Rommell gave him the
names.

“Seems like awful tough luck for her.
She ran away from danger in her own
home to run smack into it in yours.”

“That thought has been beating
against my brain ever since I found
her,” replied Rommell wearily. “If only

.Mary had stayed at her own place one
night longer, she’d be alive and -with
me right now.”

“Don’t forget this unknown we're
talking about seems to have had an un-
canny knowledge of you and Mrs.
Finn,” Feehley said.

“But how could he? No one knew
Mary was coming over here last night
except the two of us.”

THE Lieutenant shrugged his shoul-
ders. “That's just it. How could he?
That's for you to tell us.” He paused,
thoughtfully. “If robbery was the real
.-motive, Rommell, then the person who
killed your Mary is someone you know.
Any other idea seems impossible. Burg-
lars don’t go around taking big chances
where it’s evident people haven’t much
money.”

Rommell nodded his understanding.

“You said you touched Mrs. Finn
when you came in,” said the Captain.
“Was she warm?”

“T think so. I was so shocked I don’t

remember anything clearly.”

“If she was still warm it looks like
she was killed but a short time before
you came. That might mean that if
you had come straight home you might
have seen the killer.”

“Maybe. I don’t know. Oh, I'm all
confused.”

REALIZING that Rommell was too up-
set to be questioned further, the
Lieutenant put his hand on the man’s
shoulder. “You’d better take it easy,
Rommell. You’re dog tired. Get a little
sleep. When you’re rested, drop around
to Headquarters and we’ll go into this
more deeply.”

The officers returned to the house
and to the other officers who were dis-
cussing the crime. It was evident that
the killer had entered the house from
the rear, breaking through the kitchen
shutter. The noise must have awakened
Mrs. Finn. Pulling on her stockings,
she had left the bedroom to investi-
gate. The intruder had knocked her
down. Satisfied that she could no long-
er interfere with him, he had looked
for the loot. The stunned woman re-
covered and made for the front door
to get help. The killer dragged her
back, beating her head savagely with
whatever instrument he held in his
hand. The struggle had ended at the
davenport. There the woman had sunk
to her knees, praying probably for the
help that never came.

Search for the death-weapon proved
fruitless. Although the house was cov-
ered with fingerprints the officers took
them all.

The point that bothered every of-
ficer was why a robber would select this
house from the other modest brick
homes which lined quiet North Castle
Street—homes with white window

frames and white stoops, and so much
alike that a resident of any one of them
could not have been blamed if he had
entered the wrong house. The case had
many peculiar aspects and no one was
free of suspicion.

Captain Henry Kriss, head of the
Central Detective Bureau. after con-
ferring with Feehley, turned over the
supervision of the investigation to the
Lieutenant. Under his expert guidance
and in cooperation with Captain Koch
the work of uncovering what lay be-
hind the strange murder of Mrs. Finn
was soon in full swing.

OFFICERS were assigned to check
with neighbors on Nofth Castle
Street. Others speeded to the defense
plant where Rommell worked. They
were to examine Rommell’s time-card
and check on his arrival and departure
Still other investigators followed the
route Rommell said he had taken on
his way home, checking at the two
taverns where he had stopped. And
at the same time, Doctor Howard Mal-
deis was busy making an autopsy to
=o just how long Mrs. Finn had been
ead.

Several hours passed before these
reports were all in; but when they were
analyzed, they established definitely
that Rommell was in the clear. The
Doctor fixed the time of the woman's
death at about five that morning. The
defense plant record showed Rommel!
was at work at that hour. Some of the
neighbors thought they had heard a
scream or two sometime before’ six.
Others had seen Rommell come home
and commented he was later than
usual. And—an important confirma-
tion—the tavern keepers substantiated
Rommell’s alibi.

A half hour later Rommell called

47

he thought was a Navy plane cir-
cling overhead. He aaid he made
his way through the swamp back
(to the highway by a clircutious
route Jate in the evening, finally
flagging Fowler and Walker,

The manhunt shifted temporarily
to Miam!' about 8 o'clock Saturday
evening when two youths, C. B.
Estill and James Murphy, who have
been In Miami for two weeks peek-
Ing work, tipped off police they
had eapotted the killer in the Grey-

hound bua station at 9. E. Firat st.
and First ave. Police rushed to
the scene, and arrested a man who
later was released when the boys
bald the officers had “nabbed the
wrong man."

Estill said they had seen Hudgins
at the Seariion's Institute, where
he Js sald to have spent Wednes-
day and Thursday nights.

Reward To Widow

Patrolmen McDonald and Haw-
kins sald they could not accept the
$225 reward offered for the dap-
ture of Hudgins and said they
would turn it over to Daniel's
widow,

Hudgins later told reporters he
had been mustered out of the army
In 1936. He said he had suffered a
head Injury while | nservice, and
for that reason, was committed to |
the insane hospital. at Milledgeville.
later after belng arrested in econ. .
nection with the theft of &n auto-
mobile.

He rélated that while hiding Frl-
day night in the awamp, some
bloodhounds circled within 18 feet
of where he was hiding, but kept
on golng. Ho aaid he had been
living at the Hometown hote] at
719 N. EB. First ave. in Miami, for
the past few days and had bought
the gun with which he killed Danie!
in Cincinnatl,

Two Women Released

Two women, Nancy Coe, 25, and
Harriet Salyer, 24, both of 2187
Fifth at., who were booked at coun-
ty jail for investigation, were re-
leased early Baturday night. It
was thelr car which Hudgins stole |
and In which he was speeding when
chased by Daniel.

Hudgins is aix feet, two Inches
in height, slender and welghs about
196 pounds. He talks jn a low
voice and conducted himself cooly
when being queationed.


Slain Patrolman’s Widow

Is Kept Abed With Grief

Crushed with grief,
Daniel,
Daniel,

Mrs, lh

widow of State Patrolman
shot to death Friday night
as he was investigating a stolen

automobile, was under the min-
{atration of frienda and relatives
Saturday at the Daniel modest
home at 817 N. Third st., South
Mianal.

Meanwhile, Httle Billy) Dantel,

J-vear-old son of the slain Patrol-
man, made serious by the news
that he would never agaln see hia
father jin life, but too young to
realize the full depth of his loss,
played about the houge.
Many Offer Ald
Mrs. Daniel, too grief-stricken
‘to leave Ner bed, wan attended by

itwo siaters of Patrolman Daniel,
|Mra. Walter Lee of 1111 8S W.
(23th ‘ave, Miami, and Mra. G. J.
Day of Punta Gorda, and Mra
Daniels slater-tn-law, Mrs. Stan-
ton Ro Cooper, also of Miamt
Hichard Day, Mrs. Day's son, is
also at the home.

A constant atream of friends of

the Daniels’ called at the home
to offer assistance during the day,
Saturday, and state rond patral-
men, fellow-officers of the slain
man, were also frequent callers
at the home to proffer ald,
Besides his widow, Mra. Flor- |
ence Daniel, and his two aisters,
the patrolman leaves his father,
B. KF. Dantel of Miami, and a
brother, R. C. Daniel of Savannah
Native Of Georgina

A native of Dawson, Ga, Pa-
trolman Daniel lived most of his
life in Florida, residing for many
years at Key West, Where he
served as motorcycle officer for an
time before he joined the atnte
highway patrol He moved to
South Miami about four months
ago, after he became ao member |
of the patrol on Aug. tT. Hle was)
aomember ofgthe Trinity Metho-
diat church dn Miami.
Funeral services will
Monday at 8:30 ® om in the
brick Funeral
body will be
for burial.

held
Phil

The
West

he

Home
taken

chapel,
to Key


Miami Daily Herald. Mon, Feb 9, 1942, page 1

HUDGINS FACES.
HRARING TODAY

| Alleged Slayer of Officer
Expected To Enter In-
sanity Plea

ad
Eight or 10 prosecution withesses

| WH be called {n Circuit court today

| when Byrd L. Hudgins goes on trial

on firstdlegree murder charges
growing out of the slaying of State
Road Patrolman L. P. Daniel, State’
Attorney G. A. Worley, jr., sald Sun.
day.

Worley predicted the trial would
not be a lengthy one, adding that |
selection of a jury should be com. |

i

pleted quickly and that he probably |

would be able to present his entire
case the first day.

The state’s attorney also sald he |
ri ei Defense Counsel George |
O'Kell to enter a plea of insanity.

Hudgins, allas 1. F, Humber, jet
was a fugitive from the Milledge-
ville, Ga., sanitariuim, to which he
was committed after being adjudged
Insane, when he was captured Dec,
6 and charged with the Dantel kill-
ing.

Stopped On Highway

Hudgins Wan stopped on the high.
wav to Key Weat by Dantel and he
khot the patrolman, ‘The car the
defendant Was driving reportedly
was stolen in Miami.

After the shooting he wrecked
the patrolman’s car in the swamp.
He was captured the next day when
he tried to hitch hike out of the
Goulds area which was being close-
ly guarded.

The 45-caliber army automatic,
which Hudgins admitted firing the
night of Dec. 6, 1# linked also with
the killing of H. G. Beatty, Ash-
land, Ky., furniture man, whose
bullet-riddled body was found In
the outskirts of Batavia near Cin-
cinnat!, Ohio, March 24, 1941.

Hudgins sald he took the gun
from a sult case belonging to Carum
Scott, a Harlan, Ky., coal miner,
Scott was cleared of all implication
after he said the gun had been
stolen. He said ho had the gun for
2% years and that it could not have
been used In the Beatty killing.


|

i?

Youth Draws Gun, Seized
. After Strugele In Kendall

The alertness and courage of two border patrolmen of
the U. S. immigration service and of two quiet Perrine
farmers brought to an abrupt and dramatic close Dade
county's prim 24-hour man-hunt shortly before 9 o'clock
Saturday night with the capture of Byrde Hudgins, 22, of
Jonesboro, Ga., who confessed the cold-bloode killing of
State Patrolman Luther P. Daniel,

Daniel was shot about 11 o'clock Friday night at the

lintersection of Allapattah drive and U. S. highway No. 1.

Since that time, the preatest mah-hunt in South Florida
Since the sensational search for the kidnaper-killer of little
Skeegie Cash four years Ago had been in progress. Every
available law enforcement officer in the area, their number
supplemented by 30 heavily-armed American Legion vet-

ferans, had scoured the area and placed a close check on
North-bound cars, buses and trains as far north as Jack-

Bonville,

The two Perrine farmers, Gary Fowler and Frank
Walker, set the atage for Hudgins’ capture. Driving north
from Perrine, they were flagged down by a man who asked
for a lift. Fowler, driving the ¢efir, said he recognized the
man as the hunted killer, but stopped his car-and told him

ect into the rear seat. Then he proceeded along the high-

hy to a barbecue stand near Kendall, where the immigra-
‘lon patrol had a flood-lighted barricade thrown across the
_ | road.

Fowler said he knew their pas-
senger had them covered frem the
rear , neat, ang. admitted being
frightened when stopped at the
barri¢ade. He sald — Hudgina
growled, “What the hell you stop
pin’ for an mecident or some
thin’?

Stephen Hawking and James H,
MeDonald, the border patroimen,
approkched the car and asked for
identification from the pansengera,
Fowler left the car and MeDeonald
noticed eludgins ‘was seated on a
Kun. Hie shouted a» warning, and
as he did, Hudgins grabbed the
Kun, @ .45 caliber automatic and
jammed {t Into Hawkina’ stomach,
The Iatter wrested the gun from
the killer, brulaing hie hand, and
McDonaid pulled his gun and ef
fected, the capture,

Hudgins was rushed to county
jail and taken before State At-
torney, G. A. Worley, his asaistant,
Joseph Otto, State Investigator L
RK, Mills and- Capt. Eddle Melchin,
of thé Miami police department.
After denying his guilt and giving
a fictitlous name, Hudging broke
down and admitted killlag Daniel,

a get nervous when police, stop

eye

Dally News photo by BUL Kdwarda me,” he sald,
Then he told hia questioners he
had heen discharged from the

state Inaane hospital at Milledg
ville, Ga. last Jolw. Pallesa reeneds

BYRDE HUDGINS
Confessed slayer of patrolman

3, Sun. Dec. 7, 194]. page |

~ ome fy ts
*

Murder

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE ON

show he served a term in Kibly
prison near Montgomery, Ala., and

had been arrested in Griffin, Ga.,
Atlanta and in Miami, His arrest
in Griffin was by Georgia state
patrolmen. He was turned over to
a U. S&S. marshal after his arreat
In Miami in 1932,

Hudging sald he had hidden all
day Saturday in a swamp near
Perrine.
Man Ia Injured

Fowler is a special deputy sheriff
and had a .38 calibre revolver on|
the seat between himself and
Walker when they were flagged
down by Hudgins, While they were
riding along, prior to reaching the}
barrier, Fowler said Hudgins sald!
he had been down to Key Went and,
had been hitch-hiking back, follow-
ling the old tracks of tha F. EB. C.
most of the way. He aaid he had
tripped and Injured his leg during
the afternoon and Fowley said he
noticed he held his leg he @ne-
tered the car.

When searched, Hudgins was
found to be carrying o boghs United
Mine Worker's card, with the right.
ful owner's name erased and an |
alias aubatituted. |

Hudgina told a different story of
the killing of DanieI’thad the one!
pleced together by investigators.
He sald Daniel chased hid several
miles before finally ‘fording him to
the roadalde at the Allapattah In-
tergection. He said he ha@ his gun

beside him, and started to hand jt
‘over to the patrolman, but “sorme-
thing mad@ me release the safety |
catch and start shooting.”
Kieeps In Awamp

After he was struck, ‘Hudgins
said Danlel screamed and atag-
gered about 8&8 feet before he fell,
Hudging denied having driven the
officer's patrol car. He sald he

to sleep, being awakened| about 9

crawled Into the swamp ic went

a. m. Baturday morning

A

y what


ic

vi

m

@

no fear tht ] will mks Crouble for

asked for hetter {reitment than J
have been Riven while in the County
Jail, and especially in’ the last four
Weeks. » Sherigz: Spencer—he fg x
‘white’’ man—and Jailer Atbott have
hoth treated me like I was ¢ king and
not like a man Who, is sentenced to
be hung. .

the Governor would
but with the time ge
tion. only eighteen hours a ay I see}.
Httle chance of. escaping Ideath. |
have a chance—a mighty slim chance,”
and he smiled Brimly. |

. Keeping Up Well

seemed to have lit Oncern itn “the }
fact the. morrow woe he his jaat |
day on earth. The/Zappearance. prob.

abl
haggard, ‘looked as thourh he was on
the verge of a break down. He ‘hans
been eating and sleeping Well and ate
an enormous supper last night. The
order. for supper which he sent to

Chicken soup, lamb chops, scrambled
CZs, sliced tomatoes, buttered toast,

Package of Cigarettesg,-

ed on Henson yesterday afternoon ana
Henson prayed with them and ex-
Pressed a desire to the sister to be
burled by the side of his wife. A few

callef upon him, |

Spencer told Henson’ that he had |

Uld not have

not let me die,

“Up until today 1 had hopes that
| for the-execy-

Henson appeared y ry brave and

Y was assumed for he looked Very

cream, raisin cake, a cigar and
i
Two Salvation Army workers ca}r.

sited with him for several miny es,

inutes later: Father J. J, Wallace

| Wants Auto Ride :
When the priest had left Sheri


brought out a new suit for him ana
asked. him if he wanted to put {t on.
Henson told him to “bring it up any
old time.” Yesterday -morning the
Sheriff asked Henson if there was
anything that ,he could do for Nntm,
within reason. :

“Yes, let's just you and me g09 out
for a little automobile ride,” and the
condenmed man winked at the Sheriff,
Jinsinuating that he’ would do every-
thing In his power to escape.

The rope was tested yesterday aft-
ernoon and the tra ed, and every-
thing gotten in re fss for the .exe- |
| cutlon today. Hensgf will be strapped |
Jin a chair this. morning and shaved,
the Sheriff taking no chances on his |
grabbing the razor and either attempt-
ing to end his own life, or the life ot
some of the deputies. The trap will
be sprung by-the Sheriff about noon.

A big crowd is expected to attend
as the number of permits has exceed-
ed the number thi®t the jail yard. will
hold; No women will ‘be present at
thé execution. ; |

Murdered His

Henson was convicted © of. having
murdered his wife in August, of last}
vear. He gave himself;up to the po-
lice a short time after the shooting,
although he has always denied. his
guilt. He was to have heen hanged
two weeks ago but. Governor Tram-
mell granted him a reprieve.

Wife


MEDIA ACCOUNT
OF TRIAL:

MEDIA ACCOUNT
OF EXECUTION:

METHOD: #4 6ING TIME:
MY 23 PM
ProwourteD DEAQ pr PP eainules
STAYS OF
EXECUTION:

EXECUTIONER: Theerff Ww, Cc, Speac eR -
WITNESSES:

: l
Rituate! Ve wipe 2 Blue Seeow Sait wim Powers

Sweet Perr te bes Apel.

LAST WORDS: MS fo of by aie

OTHER INFORMATION:


THE TAMPA TRIBUNE, Friday, March 13, 1914, page 5.

ENTERTAINS FRIENDS
0 EVE OF EXECUTION

———

HENSON WILL BE HANGED TO:
DAY AT NOON HOU

Convicted of Murdering Wife, But
Says He Is Not Guilty and Will
Not Confess

-
ee

Like Petronius, who after beins
sentenced to die by Iemperor Nero, ! “
entertained the elite of old Rome with
n magnificent banquet just before his
death, Bennle Henson, sentenced to
die on the gallows at néon today, en-
tertaincd his friends inh the (County
Jalil on the eve of his dxecution.

Around the condemned man’s celi.
in the corrider in which many white
men are allowed th, herty, A SCOre |
of the friends: that nson has made
since being contineVin the death cell, |
gathered and laughed and chatied
with the convicted wife murderer un-
til the lights went out and the, men

were ordered to their cells. | A ruara
was then statloned in “fas Hen-

son’s cell, although it was not be-
lieved that the man would make an
attempt on his Hfe.
Says He Is Not Guilty

am, nat guilty,” Henson told aj
reporter yesterday afternoon.. “I am
being hung for a crime that I never
committed. But IT am prepared to
die and [ will meet death like woman.
1 am not going to make a confesston
n the gallows, contrary to reports
hat have been made, for [ have no
¢onfession to make.

ee


OFFICER DEAD
AND. NEGRO IS
o UNDER : AnD | eee tea et

street, weak {fdm Joss of: blood and.
suffering from his wounds, He was

pees )

[POLICEMAN CHARLES F. TURK- Oita "euing “inrough, the. tote “wiist

NETT PASSED AWAY THREE | [fist un above ule tpt Hl tate no
OURS —AFTER—RECEIV-——}"*2lstanos

Believing that the negro had been
wounded, the officers tried to pick up
@-trail-of- dbicod from the scene Gf thé
shooting. However, they were unabi¢
to find such a trail. However, they se-
cured information that Howell ran
fray the scene to a house on: Myrtle

"___ING WOUNDS.
avenue, poripies by an aged ss
couple. He did not remain there, but

MAN HUNT PROVED SUCCESSFUL

Claude Howell, Shot Twice “By Turk- | Foss

nett, Was Found in a Howse op | _ Secured. Information.
aoe . "| Before the capture of the negro, and
ae __ Enterprise Street... _...f Without, having any clue upon which:

oon nner F#O WOPK, the officers knéw the name
ft " eg they oan _ oS eee
’ leer “Charles F. Turknett,jhe lived on nge road, and had so-
ake chee tines with a pletol near the; cured & picture of the man, which wae
‘corner of Kings road and Johnaon |! ent ie by the negro chauffeur, Kd
[atreet, at 1:30 o'clock yeaterday morne} Farce Lar tine elf Wied Near tidite hat
Ing, died at St, Luke's hospital slaude : before the shooting. : : : :
! Howell, a mullato negro, identified as 6 police were, therefore, hot on
ibeing the men who Killed the aed oe | the tral} of the man, and were only a
{ia now held In a@ cell in the city jail, short distance away, when other po-
' Howell was wounded twice by Officer! Hicemén were notified that Howell was
;Turknett, He was arreste at 1% !n_ tho house on Enterprise street,
| s'sloek yesterday morning in a house! Where he had gone for ehelter. |
jat 3414 Enterprise atreet. | All df the searchers had held the
1 Every avajlable officer be the t1aw/opinion that the nexro was not very
in Duval county maintained a contin- | far from the place of the encounter.
uous search for the negro from the: But, wa @ necessary precaution, ail
time of the shooting until he was cap-/roada leading from Jacksonville were
| tured. A number of chauffeurs and SUarded. OfMicera at the union depot
owners of public service altomobtien bad been furnished with a complete
hastened to the police headquarters pepe ies of the man and railroad
when they learned of the affair, and ,epesial agents on treens and in rail-
placed their automobiles at the dis- road yarda in this section were care.
posal of the police without cost. Thiq. fully posted to be on the alert and to
valuable assistance i» greatly appre-' search all trains leaving this city.
elated by the department. ,The “dragnet” was complete.

Brought ‘in Negro. i ‘Was Able to Walk.

’

iCity Detective George gtone and: When brought to the Mee station,
Officers L. E. Dyal and A. W. Moore, Howell waa able to walk. to the ser-
brought Howell to the police Gead-| weant’s desk and give his name. and |
' : ;answer the customary questions. How-
aver, he appeared He e@ very weak,

Questioned by | Police Chiet F.C,
Roach, Howell: stated that Turknett
approached him out of the darkness
and asked lim what he carried on his
, Derson. Howell says he drew hia re-
volver with tha Intention of Sanding
it to the officer when the latter opened
) Gre.” He atated that he returned the |
fire instantly, but claims that he does
‘nat knew aow' mans. times she “dias
charged his’ weapon. Howell aye @
{9 36 years old. His wite,: a large,
dark-skinned woman, came to thei city
‘Jail to: see him and he gave her his
personal’ effects. : ., e |


——~wo* we

Nearest Witness. |

‘ Officer , Buykhattor '
and Beret, J: W. |Franklin were the
closest witnesses th the encounter. Aa\t
stated, Sergeant AG the }

Hur
a

‘near tho come of Kings roa and,
Johnson atreets All three were to"
ether end weralabout to ring the éal}||
ox for the patrol to be sent from)!
pol ¢o headquarters (hes
| 6 At thia juncture a negro .woman.
called '.to, WF te-- Franniin~ asking to
speak | with, im. Borst...
cwalked back -¢0° this woman. OMcer
Burkhalter WAS dismounted: and was
holding the: riaoner., | Just-at this time:
‘an automobile approreiee the corner
and slowed up.
wroea.. in...the.-. machines: Burkhalter

,]
charged wan du Into a, store,

hs \ Ph ash ‘ ‘
urkhalter saya he told surknett
old» the prisoner, for: him
or: to overtake the car himaelf aa ne
thought one of the negroes Was armet.
with a revolver, urkhalter Aaya,
nett rede away without gaying
vanything In reply. | \ |
( urklialter says Turmbett panned tha,
automobile -an Aen: Pade -siowly “aftur
1, ene aegre w a, continued | walking
‘down Kings road. Burkhalter aye he
i‘) Chimaelf) walked uP to the automo ile
\atter Turkmett followed tne negro. te
) gays that he searched the driver. Thre

‘jana thea returned to the car. Turks
i‘ }yalter saya he hed tima‘to search both
1 theag, men before tha shooting, and
that ™hefore the shooting started Pure

the negro who had gone off down: the
yratreet” Wak unknown to him. he having

then eold Burkhalter that hé told tho
negro that ha cquid Yide as far an
\ he...Was.. goins.-W th... his:—paasengers
Purell said, he did ot knuw'the nee
On) jencn neg ee overseer com senem seat ines
, {wan after thia that the shots were
r| fired, Turknett, after riding bY the
rj eutomondile, avidantally | took hia time
bp} in overtaking the other, negro, who
b| continued walking weat von Kn
b) road, Burkhalter. heard (firing : nd
rLaaw.: the fiaahee, ar flame. He, -and
Vl gergeant Franklin ran {to the apot,
‘} which was probably. about two--blocks
1] distant. {Tha nenre had fled--

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9

Patrolman Luther Daniels: "I'm
off duty in about ten minutes and
anxious to get home," were the
words he spoke before his death

By Monte Gurwit

Special Investigator for
OFFICIAL DETECTIVE STORIES

known thief.

A swift search along the road’s
ditches soon confirmed their worst
fears. In the thick hammock, not more
than 30 paces from the stolen coupe,
they found the still warm body of Pa-
trolman Luther Daniels. He had been
shot to death.

Perhaps nothing else in the world
will so infuriate a pdlice department
as the wanton murder of one of its
members while performing his duty.
With the discovery of the body, an
ominous and deadly silence fell among
the shocked officers searching that
lonely wilderness. The radio flashed
the word of the killing; and not many
minutes later, Captain James O. Bark-
er, Superintendent of the Miami Po-
lice Identification Bureau, arrived at
the spot.

WIFTLY, efficiently, the officers went
to work. Daniels’ uniform was
smeared with blood. Barker noted that
the officer’s gun was still in his holster.
It was fully loaded and it had not been
fired. Why not?

Had Daniels been ambushed? Shot
without a chance to defend himself?

“He wasn’t shot here,” Barker said,
pointing out a series of blood drops

| that ran to the edge of the concrete.

| “Either he was dragged in here after

| he was shot—or he stumbled away into

| this place not knowing where he was
going.”

“He couldn’t have walked far,” re-
plied one'of the officers. “The man
was fatally wounded.”

Barker nodded. “I know that—but
he might have had enough life left

in him to stagger away, blindly, and
then drop here to die.”

Captain Seneff cleared his throat,
gruffly. “Where,” he demanded, “‘is the
cruiser he was driving?”

“Ten to one,’”’ answered Barker, “the
killer used that for a getaway.”

Word was flashed immediately to the
small towns along U. S. No. 1 that all
cars were to be stopped for examina-
tion. All the way from Miami to Key
West, road blocks were thrown hasti-
ly across the ribbon of concrete that
connected the two cities; a highway
that had no side roads, except a few
trails that ended at resorts, fishing
camps or tiny settlements that backed
up on the trackless jungle. The killer
had no escape route except by going
north or south—unless he attempted
to flee on foot through the Everglades.
But that was hazardous, to say the
least. Few white men could penetrate
far or live very long in the vast swamps.

HILE Barker worked over the stol-

en Plymouth trying to isolate a
fingerprint, cruisers sped north and
south to help spread the net for the
killer.

The heavy dew of the tropics in
Winter had settled on the Plymouth
coupe, handicapping Barker’s efforts,
but he managed to establish ‘several
prints that seemed promising. If they
did not match with Daniels’, or the
owner of the stolen coupe, then they
must be those of the thief and killer.

Meanwhile, the two-way radio was
going between police officers through-
out the area, and they were warned to
watch for the missing police cruiser.

Grace Hart: At the time that
she reported a stolen car, she
could not realize that it would
lead directly to a man’s murder

tr

HUDGINS, Byrdl, wh, elec. FL@ (Dade) July 20, 1942

“Flush the Everglades
For That Cop Killer!”

HEN the call came in to the

desk sergeant at about 11

Pp. m. on that night of Decem-
ber 5, no one suspected at the time
that it was to set in motion a man-
hunt almost unprecedented in the
State of Florida.

The woman on the other end of the
wire merely informed the Miami
police that her Plymouth coupe had
been stolen from in front of her home.
The caller identified herself as Miss
Grace Hart. She gave her address and
the license number of her car. In
routine fashion the report went to the
radio department. R. M. Bullock, who
was on duty at the time, duly relayed
the message to all squad cars and
motorcycles. Just another stolen car
report. .

Then, 50 minutes later, an alert
State Road Patrolman, Luther P. Dan-
iels, called in to report that he had
located the stolen coupe.

“Tt’s standing on the highway,” he
said, “near Goulds. Seems to be
abandoned. I’ll investigate.”

“Go ahead,” replied Bullock, “and
let me know if you get the thief.”

“Shouldn’t take long,” said Daniels,
easily. “I’m off duty in about ten min-
utes and anxious to get home. I'll call
you again in a few minutes.”

But at the end of that time, no call
came through from the patrolman.
Bullock thought this strange. Daniels
was due to go off duty at midnight, and
Bullock knew the young officer usually
headed straight for his home in South
Miami, where he had a wife and a
young son. :

14

Florida Patrolmen Knew It Would Be
Almost Impossible to Find the Mur-
derer of Their Buddy Hiding in the
Everglades. For Also Lurking There—

When no report came after mid-
night, and his efforts to contact Dan-
iels brought no response, Bullock kept
sending out a constant call for the
strangely silent patrolman; and still
he received no answer.

Bur Officer Ralph Spence, also of
the State Highway Patrol, heard the
call in his cruiser and called in.

“What’s up?” he demanded. “Can’t
you contact Daniels?” :

“No. He was supposed to call back in
a few minutes.”

“Maybe I’d better have a look down
Goulds way and see what’s up.”

“Might be an idea. I don’t believe
Daniels would go off duty with a stolen
car on his hands. Let me know what
you find out.”

Spence immediately headed his
cruiser down U. S. No. 1—the highway
that leads to Key West across the
Everglades jungles and goes island-
hopping across the Florida Keys. It

once was a roadbed for a railroad, but
had been converted into an automobile
highway.

Approaching the vicinity where
Daniels last had been heard from,
Spence played his splotlight around
the area; but he saw no sign of the
coupe or of Daniels. Both sides of the
road were flanked by the trackless
Everglades, a maze of waterways and
sloughs, mangrove thickets hardly ever
penetrated by foot. Only the hardy
Seminoles and hardier local hunters
ventured into this American jungle.

|= WAS now after midnight, and the

coughing of bull alligators came from
the deeper swamps, the many weird
noises of the teeming night life of the
primordial wilderness. Ahead stretched
the road, empty and lonely. Spence
c slowly, puzzled—then, sud-
denly, his lights picked up the outline
of a car—the stolen Plymouth. In-

Stantly the officer doused his lights,
picked up a flashlight and unlimbered
his revolver.

He shouted: “Hey, there!
over there!”

But only silence answered his calls,
and he snapped on the flashlight, re-
volver poised for instant action, and
slid out of his car. But the stolen
Plymouth was empty. The whole set-
ting was strange, eerie. Spence’s calls
had silenced the swamp denizens and
a chilling silence hung over the jungle.
A swift examination of the stolen
coupe revealed nothing suspicious.
Spence returned to his cruiser and re-
ported to Headquarters over his two-
way radio.

Hey you,

DON’T get this at all,” he told Bul-
lock. “This is the stolen Plymouth
coupe, all right—according to the
license number. But there’s no sign of
anyone here—not even of Daniels’
cruiser, or Daniels, or whoever stole
the coupe. Better call Captain Seneff.”
“Okay,” agreed the radio operator.
“Stand by—I’m sending some others
your way at once. Daniels may be
bringing in the thief in his cruiser.”
“In that case, he should have re-
ported long ago, shouldn’t he?”
Within’ a few minutes, Captain
Stuart Seneff had heard the story and
had detailed Patrolmen Porch and
Faucett to speed to the scene and to
aid in the investigation. No trace of
Daniels had been found as yet. Other
officers, nearby, converged upon the
spot also, wondering what had hap-
pened to Luther Daniels and the un-

i


Miami Daily News. Wed. Feb. 10. 1942

HUDGINS MAKES
INSANITY CLAIM

Counsel Reveals
Sole Defense Of
Accused Slayer

By 8. W. MATTHEWS |

Circuit Judge Paul D,. Barna,
Tuesaday overruled defense objec-
tlons and admitted a confession

made by Byrd! Hudgins that he |!
ahot and killed State Highway Pa- |)
trolman L. P, Daniel, the nightsahl)

Dee. 5.

The defense then cross-examined
Dr. I. H. Agos in minute detail re-
garding the alienista’ testimony
that Hudgins is sane, and made a
point of one statement Hudgins gave
to arresting officers, that he had
no Intention of shooting Dantel
and that "I don’t know why I did.”

A tinding made by a superior
court jury In Clayton county, Geor-
gia, in 1940, that Hudgins was jn-
sane was introduced in an effort
to save him from the electric chair.
The Georgia verdict waa rendered
when’ Hudgins used an inaanity de-
fente to charges of stealing an au-—
tomobile.

Confined In Georgia

Hudgins was committed to the
Georgia State hospital at Milledge-
ville, but records show he “eloped”
from that inatitution a few months |
after his commitment and there
has been no evidence he has since
been declared sane.

Hudgins, 22, athletically built
and sporting the beginnings of a
mustache, went on trial for his
life in circult court Monday.

George Oeil, defense attorney |
appointed by the court, relled
solely upon an insanity plea for

feased shooting Daniel when. the
Vpatroiman stopped him In a atolen
automobile 18 miles south of Mi-
am! on the road to Homestead.

the Georgia-born killer who con-}

Hudgins shot Daniel, drove away

_ Trial
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE oWn)

In the ‘patrol car and wrecked {t}
within half a mile when the ma-/|
chine plunged off South Allapattah
drive and overturned in a ditch.
He hig im nearby woods until
the following night when he waz
of after he had hitch-hiked

Ls @ with two Redland district
| farmers, Gary Fowler and Willlam
| ¥. Walker, who drove him into a

jroad blockade at Kendall estab-
| shed by police who had thrown a
cordon of armed men around the
area, ?
Weapon Introduced
The bullet which killed Daniel
and the 45-caliber platol from
which It was fired were introduced
at the trial late Monday while Mrs.
Biorence Daniel, widow of the
slain patrolman, occupled a front-
row seat among the spectators,
_The court, after hearing testi-
mony of-two allenists, Drs. I, H.

Agoa and James L. Anderson, held

Hudgins “sane for the purposes
of this trial” Monday morning, but
it waa later thet Okell Introduced
the Georgia Insanity finding with
the argument that any confession
made by a person so declared in-
sane to be Invalid.

meee


DOCTORS FIND
HUDGINS SANE

Alienists Report
To Court As Trial
For Slaying Opens

(Picture on Page 1-B)

Two allenists, Des. I. H. Agos |

and James lL. Anderson, testified
in cireult court Monday they be-
lleved Byrdl Hudgins was sane

; when he shot and killed State Road

Patrolman I. P. Daniel Dec. & and
they belleve Hudgins to be sane
now,

The Inquiry into Hudgins’ men-
tal condition waa launched as he

‘came Into court to face first-de-

greo murder charges for slaying
Daniel when the patrolman stopped
an automobile he was driving on
U. 8. bighway No. 1 near Goulds,
20 miles south of Miami.

Hudgins, black halred and ath-

‘Tetically built, sat quietly In the

court, intently watching the pro-
ceedings and once or twice turned
to confer with hia attorney while
the two doctors told of examining
him last month In county fail.

Both physicians sald Hudgins
gave them a detailed and lucid ac-
count of his actions just before,
during and after the shooting, and
both said they belleved Hudgins
understanda fully the jeopardy in
which he {is now placed.

There waa conaiderable discussion
of epileptic fits which Hudgins re-
portedly suffers, but both doctors
said they had tried to throw him
into auch a fit and had failed, al-
though they admitted he might be
subject to auch a#elzures. Both
claimed, however, he could not have
been in one at the time of the kill-
ing.

Hudgins, a native of Georgia,
shot Daniel, got In the patrolman’'s
atate automobile and wrecked {it
half a mile away immediately after
the shooting. He hid In woods sur-
rounding the scene for perhaps 18
hours and was caught the night of
Dec. 6 when he attempted to hitch-
nike a fi ili to Miami.

Dr. Andefson quoted Hudgins as
saying he handed his gun toward
Daniel and that when the patrol-
man did not take it, but backed

(Turn te Page 3-A—THIAL)

(OONTINUERD PROM PAGS ONE)

away in alarm, “I ahot hien. .

ot der paid Hiucdgtne added
on ol ner ’

Maes ieee Vous Ia hard for

The way for the Inquiry b
court was opened when Gries
Okell, defense attorney, sald, “J!
wish to show the court and the
state attorney that this defendant
hag been adjudicated inpane, and
[that adjudication atill atands.”

He referred to an adjudication
by the judge of tho Clayton county,
Ga., aupreme court, which resulted
In Hudgins being committed to the
Georgia state hospital for the In-
sane from which he escaped a few
months prior to the Daniel killing.

Okell told the court that his
client wished to anawer to the {n-
dictment under an alias, Burdel, ag
well as the name Birld Hudgina, |
thereby opening the way for Hud-
gins to plead not gullty on the
grounds of insanity at the time
of the crime. He had Previously

Staten area

| pleaded guilty to murder.


HUDGINS. AWAITS
COURT'S ORDER
TO DIE IN CHAIR

Widow And Son
OF Slain Policeman
See Man Doomed

Byrdl Htudgina 32, walled in
county jal) Wednemay facing a
mandatory aentence to the e@lectric
Chalr aa the result of hls convictlon
Of firat-degree murder Tuesaday
night in the slaying of Btate High-
way Patrolman I. 9. Dantel the
night of Dec. a,

Hudging wae one of the fow who
had ‘aitended the two-day trial to
Oxpreaa surprine at the jury's ver-
dict. He told Htate Investigator J.
RR. Mille on hie way back to his cell
he had experted recommendation
of mercy

The ju y conaldered serlounly the

mercy recommendation, After de-
Nberating an hour and a half, the
Jurore returned ty the courtroom to
ask Judge Maul ©. Barne if they
could vote for m life term with the
Stipulation Hudgins never be pa-
rolled or pardoned. Informed Buch
a 8tipulation would not be binding,
the jurora filed out and found their
verdict without recommendation tn
l@ma than five minutes.
The alain patraman's widow and
her nine-year-old aon, Billy, who
did not realize the purport of the
| Proceedings a» he playéd in the
eorridora outside the courtronm
(and wandered jnaide to alt with hie
‘mother, were present when the ver-
dict was returned. Mra. Daniel
would not comment. ‘

George Okeall, attorney appointed
by the court to defend Hudgins,
ataked his case completely upon an
Inwanity plea, hacked by the find-
Ing of a Georgian court im 1949
which adjudicated Hudgins Insane
and committed him to the Georgia
Btate hospital at Milledgeville.
Hudgins eacaped from Milledgeville
after spending aeven montha in the
Inatitution.

A second atrong point In the pris-
oner’s defense was his honorable
discharge from the army because
of his physical condition.

Hudgina aaid he had been struck
by the recoil mechanism of A
fleld gun while serving In Hawaii
and ariny medical reports declared
him to have auffered from epllep-
tie aelzures,

aoe

Two Miami epecialista in nerve |
ous and mental dine es, Dra.
Jamee L. Anderaon and Li H. Agoa,
declared, however, that Hudgins in
thelr opinion {x san.

State highway patroimen and
deputy sheriffs, kept a close watch
on Hudgina throughout the trial
and Sheritt p. c Coleman sat be-
side the prisoner for a while Tues-
day as reports Kot out Hudginn
had boasted of making a “break.”
The prisoner sat quietly through
the trial without an attempt to

escape, although he sobbed brief-

ily while the jury waa out. When

the verdict was returned he
showed no emotion.

Hudgins admitted shooting Dan-
lel after the Patrolman had
stopped the stolen automobile he
was driving on the Homestead
highway about 10:39 Pp. m. Dee, 8
a mile north of Goulds, He claimed |
he handed the 45-caliber automatic
he wasn carrying toward the pa-
trolman and didn't “Know why [|
shot" When Daniel backed away
from the gun.

The young Georgian then got In
the patrol car and wrecked it)
within half a mile in & wild dash|
along South Allapattah drive, He
hid in the woods and brush for
nearly 24 hours and was captured
as he attempted to hitch-hike a
ride back te Miami the following
night. :

Judge Barns js expécted to pnas
sentence on Hudgins after the}
usual four-day period of filing an-
@ppeal has passed.


ne

HUDGINS EXECUTED
RAIFORD, Fila., July 20.—(A')

Byrd! Hudgins, who shot Btate

| Highway Patrolman L. Pp. Daniels

to death near Miami a few

‘months ago, was put to death in

Florida's electric chair here Mon-
day.

STATE OFFICER
IND STABBED

mi D

d, Sat

6,194]

‘Stabbed by auto thieves whim
he had’ stopped for a routine
investigation, State Road Patrol ian
L. PP Daniels was found slain eatly
today deside his own patrol car|at

6B. Ailapattah *, and Federal a

way.

Law entoreément officers sear th.
ing Irantically for the patrolman
after ‘he had fallad to answer re
peated radio calls, came across the

body within a short distance from
where he apparently had been at
tacked while questioning the arias
of a stolen machine.

‘Fhe wrecked patrol car was found

about one mile north of Goulds, |

| and Daniels body was discovered by |

Bergt. Robert Spence of the high-
way patrol about 100 yards In. the
woods. The car had turned over
several times.

Stirred by their brother officers
death, patrolmen immediately of-
ganized posses t6 scour the coun
tryside. Louis Thorpe, Everglades
(City, was cajled to bring in blood.
| wounds to ald in the search. Capt.

eensily Hirected the hunt. .
| Officers found at the scene of the
e beside the Coe car an Ohio
chauffeurs license Issued to a 22
yearold white man. The license
re the man’s picture and listed
ihim aa a member, of the United
| Ming Workers.
{ _» Checha Car Plates |
| Dantels of 317 N. Third at, South |
‘Miami, was last heard from when
he radioed the Miami! police depart.
‘ment to check ag automobile Ii:
cense number. When officers at |
_ ted to answer with the infor-
on they were unable to get a
reply from the patrol car. |
number Dantels prosdcent
‘was picked up by Deteclive Bari
lp while he was returning to
lee headquarters after investigat-
ng a stolen car report by Nancy
Coe, 2157 8. W. Fift

Because the owner was unable
to recall her license number, she
was accompanying Taunton to po-
Lice headquarters. Making a note
of Daniele’ request, Taunton first
ehecked that number and dlscov-
ered it was for the plates issued
to the Coe car.
|. Attempts to locate Daniels were
of no avail, and city, county and
state officers, immediately fearing
he had encountered difficulty, start-
eda search. A short time later they’
found the Coe machine ahandoned
one mile north of Gould’, with
Daniels’ papers scattered wbout and
the ground trampled to indicate 4
Btrugrie.

Within a matter of minutes the
pearchers found the patrol car and
pificer’s body at the nearby inter
bection,

Gtugrt A. Benneff of the patrol per

\|


pand quicx!y pulled out his revolver. . tract ion of a second and an

al slaying of State “et
irolman ‘Luther P, Daniel.

Eluding the dragnet spread if w enforcement offi
| Hudgins, 22, an escaped insane asy}um inmate from Geor iad
| trapped by two quick-thinking motorists who picked up the ty
' gled figure near Kendall.

Hudgins, weary and worn from his efforts to escape |
; that slowly was closing in on him, gave upto U.S. immtigres qn
|der patrolmen with one final gestune of defiance }
j that nearly added another poten to! his smoking
‘ revolver.

One quick blow from an officer 6 hand ended
his attempt to escape when he realized his motor-
ist benefactors had led him into the] outstretched
arms of a law which had béen icated to his
cape ure since a bullet from his gus bad killed the

state patrolman less than 24 hours before.
“Nervous” When He Sers Officer
With that one gesture, Hudgins collapsed in-
i'y, and from then on dully and methodical ly
Le e the story of how he had shot down Danie]
t iday s wey: t nervous ,
ae Li ] ed actiess or aware get DAXtF f: if

Hudgins, alias Louis Elmer Humber. jr.. stumbled into thea
of the two arresting officers aftera tense ride with Gary M.-F
end W. Brank Watker of Perrine, who answered his wavi ing haekh |
fora vj ide.

Exhausted, Hupe! ns collapse@ into the seat, but not > beled
two motorists noticed the handle of p pistol showing above nlp bite

ANOTHER PICTURE OM PAGE :3-A rh

werd

| Believing the man was the hunted sigyver, Fow ‘erand Wal Iker ta
rapid:y as they spet toward Miarh{ and a police barricade. » i
Drawing up to the officers, Border Patro!men James MeDopal
end S. E. Hawking Fowler leaped Lp ar in cried. “Here's your nag.
Hudgins crawled from the mdctfine, the: 1 Saivanized Inte acthéal

other officer m} ight have died, bug Patrolman Hawkins: kneel
down his arm and wrenched the! 'reyojver away.


Roce “ irvit| fd 8

es ddan aulhaste owned i
et, and started the trig
ae f [petro Just Sour —

te Hah fat to dte int
, referred to him as thy

Friday night!
Nancy Coe, A,

ended Daniefs sj aa in t
be had Joined t
As Danial

2187 8. Wi FIR

chen apok@’ ft
bile wheel for ft 4
| _ Patrolling . ti

Kendall.” Potic ‘were provided’ with tbat tip sa ,
fore, a Pow and Walker picked him up in tha. clay. a ae
him first and then, backed up because’!

. ited,” Fowler said.) “He talkee Of; pve nat
peng he had fallen ‘on somls-s we Nes Hed iets |
to use the gun I was going td wreck the cat” ah ott ae oe
cers ltt nothing undone ‘In determin
f. killer. They ‘even held for, q ph hae se ly pea ys

or ing forward with voluntary if OH of Tiny

c Hutnber in Miam! Thursday, 917 bo Bat worms
‘Police Sard. ot Vals he Ge

, Jamed Murphy, 20, who: ityed as Cid” & ,

alled talking to the man there and.showed :officdty the Sugitiy

id, which yielded United Mine Workers Nteratire, Police w

Ore of ‘their man with this’ discovery, for similar Iterdture, al

"anion card and the Ohio driver's license iseued ie Louis, Bing
a jr., were found at the scene.

Harry Castro, 27, of 660 N. W, Eighth st., and Capt. H. E, Mes
Kay of the yacht Mystery docked at the P. & 0. doeks said’ they
saw the man Thursday night in ae Biscayne bivd, filling station)
Castro sald he exhibited, a AD revolver pod boasted of

eecret dervice agent. The gun In his possession Wes it U. 8, Ara) |
revolver, police said,

yk
It was this revolver, ee sald, with whieh Hudgins |
what started as a mere routine itivestige tion after tha hi ey |
“patrolman had requested information by radio from Hotes head |
Quarters. Tanne
Miam{ police received the radio call trom Danis! at 11120 i
At 11:30 p. m. Clarence Lawson, who lives in Petrine and - lan
operator of &@ gasoline filling statlon at Goulds; ‘wae Ariving worth,
on Federal highway from Homestead when he saw Daniel's ca
and the other at the side of the road. He started to slow Up, a
necing it was a patrol car, continued on, he said Baturday . Allies
‘Beyond he sald he heard a nolse, which he thought wag @ peo iC

slowed down and looked but could see noth! ne, 90 = cont
cndrth on Federal highway.

‘“ ". " Slain Man's Panera! Monday” rt '

The 32-year: old Daniel had joined the state patrol only, bois
months ago, leaving the Key Went police force: for the''gtate unl.
form, He and his family moved from Key West to ay N. ‘Third
at., South Miami, at that time, -

 Bealdes the widow, Florence, he leaves & sony Billy; father, B BF.
| Daniel, Miami; two sisters, Mra, Walter Loe; Miami, and Ma’, J,
| Day, Punta Gorda, Fla., and a brother, R. C, Danlél: Bavahpah, de.
He was @ member of the Key West Trinity Me oat a
Funeral services will be at 030 a. m. Mo In Yhe Dh

Funeral cee chapel. ‘The body will be taken to, Key Wer
“burial,

ent for

Ar ha entiation

emai

s coetiemetitaetiatin “coenntinianeammenl

‘Something Must Have
Come Over Me,’ He |
Informs Officers =

By .TEPHEN TRUMBULL
Herald Stall Writer

“Somethin’ musta come over me.
I hadn't Intended to—but | handed
it to him.”

A lanky, 6&foOl-2 roustabout, hitch. ;
Kiker and petty thief sat in the:

unty jali early today and used
hose words as he described the
cold-blooded murder of State Road
Patrolman L. P. Daniel little more
than 24 hours before.

The killer. Byrdle Hudgins, 22.
allas L. E. Humber. jr. betraved
only slight emotion ar he rambied
4through the story of a needless
crime while Sheriff D.C. Colernan, .
State Attorney G. A. Worley, and’
fellow officers of the siain patrol. ©
man crowded about. The recital.
came just after he had dictated a!
more formal and comnlete confes-:
sion. ‘

May Plead Gullty

“Sure, I guess J7l plead guilty,
i there ain't much ¢ise a fellow can
doin a fix like this | guess Td be
rbetter off if thes ¢ hilled me out
j there onthe road. or if Lo. put it
ywhen I wrecked the policciman’s
car,
| As a former patient in the
jedgevilie, Ga. state sanitarium,.
| Hudgins may raise an insenity:
‘plea, when his case comes to trial,
i but the story he told as he sat in!

the barred room was coherent and
complete to Une last detail,

“I stole the car ‘in Miami late
i Friday and I was heading for Kev
; West. I guess I was doing better
i than &) (‘his with a trace of pride)
rwhen [ wem through that Littie

town down there (Perrinci,
Q knew the officer was chasin
“ee, and whén I aaw he was ge:ning

] took my foot off the accelerator
and pulled off the road. He pulle:
up and started asking me whe: !
was in a rush about No, he wasn:
tOugh about ft. HeAust asked for
my driver's license.

“He looked at fu lanked at the

ae

jami Daily Herald, Sun, Dec. 7, 1941. page |

“He looked at. itz lockea at ine
Hcense plates on the car, and then
reached for that ‘radio to make hia
report, j

,“T Reached Vor My Gna"

“It waa then that I reached for
calf gun {tn the car and came up
with it ike this (he demonstrated
graphically the movement that waa
to apell death for thé unsuspecting
officer). i

“jie waa just taking hla foot off
the running board when he saw the |
gun and starter to pe his. hands. |

That's when [ handed it tn him. !
Homethin’ musta con over ine |

“He yelled and aturted running, |
and Tjumpedin hle car and ataried
Aariving. ft was coming over ime’
now what | head dae When -!
Heard Wile @econd@yell | didnt care.
what happened (6 me, Lrataed my |
‘hande, and let the rear go.” i

Olficersa who visited the scene so
the crime are oontident Hudgins:
gid mot heer @ aecond perearns fran |
the dying officer, ‘The spat where.
he drove from Allapattah road ja)
neariy a halfnile from tha scene
of the shooting

Waen'i Hart Mach

“tT waeent hurt much whem the
tar turned aver (hrre tynoee | laid
in fhe trush awhile, then [wa w
heafilignta end heard a abet, (This
wea the aignal eft fired try the pe,
tee whe fuund Daniela bogs)
[There wae a bot of cfra after that
| ao I got back farther in the hraah
jend wert to sleep for a while.
| “Lowoke taps later end heard the

hiloothounda | guess thay got with.
lin }% feet af me, but 2 just pulled
‘deeper lity the true 1 doen't
‘think Tf wae more then 1 yarde
from the wrerke tien

OM ery ft got iigiter [| went @wer
ty where @ neprs, waa putting VF
some tomatoes and he gaye ire ®
‘Arink of water [ woelwed einriy
that canal for @ wile wrt taid
tinw ounth aundown in aome patme!
tem then b headed for the highwes
Cpemein @f of8ngpe grove beck ul
that littie fawn (ierrines,

j Ley Was Injured

(8 atarted for town on the eats
troad but P fell enee, and with the
jwey MA hurt myaelf in the wreck
jt paw | eauldn't rimee ft My iby
jweapretty bed, ao f just went oot
sin the main niptwey andl atepued
ithe firet car iomet,

Loe ¥en, PF etith had the yun hut |
he (ant intend $o tme Tt Gh an tane
lelar Id have throan Vtooat the
Iwindew but 2 could eee Uiet tin
fellow driving (6, SE bawler of
Perrine; had a gun, aod 7 figured
hy now hed be pretty soenlebon
and would detome nave Jt if he aa
nv bandon a pun 1 juet aetoan dt
maybe [Jt weerled baw fren teettet
{f they fad ethat me

"When the police Conmiey out upeler |

that big iignt i knew tt vee all over,
Thesl) tel! you the safety cnten
: “ oa} ef

dad ay ¥ an ee

Se a ere * |

BP siren Fae Over ble”

: Ure don't know what made |
kiN that policeman, | pees peti
— pod ges ine." : i

e er told deputies he served |
for a time in the army but was aie. |
(charged after en injury from m
trench mortar, He explained his
commitment to the Georgia atate)
pip lgedome by patying. “i got in a.

rouble about a car, and
an — a) =. ’ cea

of Daniel's fellow officers

wrote the postscript for the inter.
view with the words" Something
just come over him, so now there's

emote

Seeeenes

a widew and two ida without ¢

* ;


mi Daily Herald, Sun, De
sc A hag beeR ong
|Hawkinn t,. “Hl wrenched
‘thé barrel ‘aad f mtinye it dd
seg usgina |stullbornty rat

jwise ju copy, Pp trom K

1 By atinded Hy otflerys nt

Hand readily adppitied: be hy

night after 18 ca per fad tot
“I shot iim hile his ind

rogators, “1! 1 to hand

Raye

irvedd

belief ¢ ’
nae co}

io on the's sa chich ae

Questioned ima pond rad to

| icense numbers, | _4 foo}

Daniel ‘returned & es,
was then he! pu wut hig ir

and raleed his ads,” he ia

Were up.” | Jj?

Hudgins Use ui how ha
Officer, lea peti ifth the patrol ¢d
the car overlurtied, gna he crn
Where he hid y throughout ji

Bays He Viet

. Incide with the posttiope of
by searching parties, Daniel's }
A nile away frorp the stolen ioe

Kaying he was @ native of
he hed escaped from the George
Ge, last July, Since then, he adtd
ord Cincinnath Onto.

While officers accepted his |
sane anylum, Btale Invea'lgator |
talk Jike a crazy man.’

Clometed with Mills, Btdte's
State Attorney Ipeaph OW. Ca
police department, Conatahle Tom)
and Hawking Hydginae made a
fore midnight wre locked up,

The prisgnets story of (lea fet

@'itute for the night, Hudgina jout' as le (ime in turning to hi} i

day in town he appl nd be

and received a driver's license Thee W, 1. Blanton's ce MY ve
5

Uved career of ¢rime. On hin’

then gave his address us 7 Ff. '¥,
Delivery in Miami. i

ar i)

nt en @ car in Miami earty |p
| " inging Into the ntretoh dof

eral highway rffar Goulds he’ pustad the mathine faster
rd Daniel Bp the, chage. | | a
*  “Hech for two f ‘ lf miles before he cau
Hudgins said. He declared tow: Wijained in his car whith

it
Arriving In Miam! Thursday

941, page

iy aha eli beer #
4 out of bis hand ca

mit hia iMenuty, ni

and I always carty i fi
qunty jail, Hudgina ¢

, M Patrolman Daniel laty
him for-speeding,

@ up,” Hudgins told

trolman may have
here hip body was fe

tem police tors eneoe th

WMachind, he continued, |

i +
7 fig
gun and :
‘ 4 ha a
: z
;
f

s1Only Onee tt |
hee, and Daniel eta

r. ‘The officer steps itt

the am car and t

mi eped away. A mf
\ f Into the awampe ane

uray, |

um luduly

ih the patrol car fal

ra andl the body ae Al

was found near Ala ¢ jit i

one horn, Ga, Hudgins.
le

Henjtarium at Mill

: i
:

Wit it}

¢ lial

it

ef

he nae been in Pesr rit |
| Miry of lncercerstion ™ i |
me Observed, “He bl :
ka ney w. G. Worley, A |
W. iMeichen of the; rhe
wi eiryd |
ds eAd Patroimen Mcrin tin }
| confession end shotthy Big

going to the Beart

{ st, Cincinnats, and @

¢

iF
s

"


| ee Oo

Miami Daily Herald, Sun, Dec. 7, 1941. page |

=.
= a Taal <a Re

Sad

aa

Soa

ehhh:

z
*
i
=

x

nak See
bed

The Wis why,


Miami Daily Herald, Sun, Dec. 7, 1941, page |

COPY Pe 06 pe SE Me?

The two captors of Byrd) Hudgins, cics Lous Omer Hum
ber ir, slayer co! Rood Parcisbar: Luther ©. Demiel pust cher
they had delivered thex.man to smmogrenon bore: patot
men. At the let is Gary M Fowler with Frork Walker. AY

. ’ Ad ’ “4% ve , .
the righ! is Hudeons in county kel sl showing ceimmos, I

en

set shows the wecpon with which Hodes ins he ied
Daniel

g

¢

,

r

"
¢
a

4


Two Descriptions Tally

It was a driver's Iicense beating
'Humber’s name and found near the
aiain patrolman’s wrecked car
which set officers on the trail of a
|man by that name. Barker discov:
ered Sunday that Hudgins’ printa|
and those of Humber do not tally.
Barker said he was of the opin
ton that Hudgins, who obtained
Humber’s driver's license by some
means not yet learned, deliberately
toased the license on the ground td
throw investigators on the trail of
another man. His ob de ba _
paid,

found on the ~ Le ie)
dropped by m a, rker 5

By sotne coineidenes, the driver’s
litense listed » description of Humy
ber which also fitted Hudgins,
Barker said. A close examination
of the card also revealed, the cap-
tain reported, that Hudgins appar-
ently erased Humber’s signature
and rewrote the signature In his
own hand. Humber is believed ve

ing in Cleveland. “4

a Ae WTO oe oe

‘}wits that killing.

Reiterates Details of Killing |
This pelt ae was not
| brought up when with Gate
Investigator’ J. -R.. ‘and Capt:
¥. W..Melchen of the police hami-
cide bureau’ questioned’ Hadgins
for more than an hour during the
w Worley’ iq Hudgins, rested
or’ aa o, res
‘after a night's sleep, seemed cheer-
ful yet stfil remorseful, over the
cited’ for the investigators, who
or the inv
herr — — facts. ‘Tha
youta, ey BRK, a
willingnegs lead quik sto any,
charges wh grand may
return egainat him. OM
Worley said he hed received «
wire from the Georgia ftate Bant-
tarium near Milledgeville, Ga, cor

robora story that he
6,
wcaped rom thre, Su 38. Tha

— Had been a patient since
, 1940. 7 ‘ fit wh
Jallers © that’

was exhibiting unusual |
heartily as) the ether peleenees.
ea ae
Like nklin Pierce McCali and
Tom Ashwell, before him, Hudgins
la being kept in a solitary cell away |
from other prisoners.
Danie] Funeral Tofay 4
Worley said Cincinnati authori-
ties requested that Hedgins be
uestioned about # holdup-killing |
there severa] weeks ago in which
the victim dled of gunshot wounds
ae did Daniel. Hudgina denied:
knowledge of the case, the etate
attorney raid, and investigators are
convinced he had nothing. to do

Wua. ~al services for Daniel will
be toda, WVollowing brief rites at
the Philbr'*k Funeral Home at 0:30
a.m. the dy will be taken to
Weat for sery at4230p.m. in the

Funeral Home,
_ Members of the state road will
act as pallbearers and burial’ will

be in the Key West city cemetery,
1 | ® @ ® =


Miami Herald. Tue. Feb. 10, 1942. page 1A and page 4/

Patrolman’s
Killer Enters
Insanity Plea

—_——~-—__—-
By STEPHEN TRUMBULL
Harald Stal? Weiter

Whether Byrdl I. Hudgins ts in-
sane within the legal definitton of
the word or whether he js “crazy |,
like a fox" appeared to be the only
question between him and the elec:
tric chair as his trial for the Dec. 5
slaying of State Patrolman LL. P.
Daniel opened in Circuit court
‘Tuesday.

Just as the prosecutors had paved
the way for an introduction of the)
callous confession of the lanky, 22)
sear-old killer, George O' Kell, court |
appointed defense attorney, pro)
duced a Nov, 18, 19140, opinion of al
Georgia court holding Hudgins le. |
gally insane. The defense attorney
argued the confession of any per: |
son so adjudged is inadmissible.

Trial Judge Paul D. Barns indl-
cated he would overrule the move,
admit the confession and order the
tilal to proceed, but gave O'Kel
until the resumption of court today
to produce legal opinions in sup:
port of his argument,

“tf vou can change my tind Vl
change any ruling,” Judge Barns
said. after the legal skirmish. “Othe
erwise | will overrule your motion.”

Found Sane By Doctors

The Insanity issue had been
raised, and temporarily shelved, at
a morning preamble to the trial and
before the selection of the jury
Hudgins took the witness stand
briefly to testitv that he suffered
from eptleptic fits, and suffered a
selzure in his cell only a few nights |
ayo. ‘Two allentsts, Dv. d. Tt Agos
and Dr. James L. Anderson, had
preceded him with testimony he }s
legally sane and they could find no,
direct evidence of epilepsy.

Judge Barns held with the allen: |
ists that Hudgins ts “sane for thre
purpose of this trial,” and ordered
the selection of a jury. The prelim:
inary ruling did not pt eclude fhe
Introduction “Of testimony before
the jury in support of the insanity
claim.

Two downtown merchants, @

ee
Turn To Page 4.4

ce I,

Insanity Plea |

Continued From Page 1
a

famous author, and a co-creator of
the animated, cartoom, “Popeye,”
were among those called to the
jury box, One of the merchants,
W, A. Pacettl, assistant general
manager of the Red Cross Drug De-
partment store, was excused because
of urgent business, The author,
Fustice E. Adams, was transferred |
to activi case because of the iiness
of his wife and the fact the murder
jury will be kept under court juris
etfon until the case is ended, Sid-
ney Palmer, shoe store owner and |
dne-time city commission candidate, |
remained on the fury, as did the
“Popeye” artist, Jack Ward.

Mrs. Florence Daniel, widow of
the slain officer, sat In the front |
row, straining to keep back the)
‘tears and averting her eyes when.
the death bullet and the death gun
were introduced into the evidence.
}fler son, Billy, whose @ years pre-
‘cludes a complete understanding of
what itis all about, divided his at-
tention between striped slicks of,
peppermint candy and wadbook of
adventure cartoonr. Daniel's
crippled father, B. F. Daniel, and
his sinter, Mrw. Grace Day, saat with
the widow and the boy.

Now Has Moustache

Hlodginw’ appearance in court re:
vealed the fact he is given to Inter:
chanpgable moustaches, as well as
interchangable names. When, after
hilling the officer and wrecking his |
car In attempting to flee the acene, |
he left behind a picture of himself |
}Aporting a moustache. When ar!
rested) near the scene some 20 hours)
later there Was no moustache. Now, |
fin court, the moustache is there
aptly

Indicted es “Byrd £. Hudgins,
Alias d. EL. Plumber, jr.” the records
were changed at the opening of the
trial to show that he also has been)
Known as “Burtell Hudgins”

Qkell dn his opening statement
to the jury, sald there would be no
Genial of the facet Thudging killed
the patrolman when the latter
stopped him oon the south Dixie
highway at the intersection of Alla-
pattah road. ‘The entire argument,
he Indicated, would be that because
lof an Injury sustalned while in
I paacetime service with the army,
}ludgins ts legally irresponsible.

State Attorney G. A. Worley, as:
alnsted In the case by Hlugh MacAr-
‘thur of Tampa, attorney for the

Ketate highway police, outlined the

| state's case, and then called the wit-
nesses Who, step by step, filled in|
| that outline,

poctor Testifies

There was Dr. BG. Thomas,
county physician, who told of the
path of the heavy-caltber bullet nl-
most completely through Daniel's
chest from side to side, ‘There was
R. M. Bullock, Miami police radio)
dispatcher, who told of the last call
from the slain officer. He said It
| was just 11:15 p. m. on Dec. 5 when
‘Daniel called in to say he had

'
stopped a car, and asked a check on}

the Heense
Three minutes later Bullock called |
back to tell the afficeer the car he

had stopped was a stolen one. |
There was No answer from the pa.
trolman. Hudgins haus confessed it
was while walting for that call that
he produced his weapon and “hand-
ed it to him.” Bullock put out a
general alarm.

Patrolman Ho OM. Ports told of
finding the body beside the stolen
car. Patrolmen A, G. Faucett and
AG. Parker filled in more of the
grim details, Sergt. A. C. Spense
told of finding the patrolman’s car
less than half a mile away, where
Hudgins admits wrecking It in his
flight.

Farmers Picked Him Up

The two Perrine farmers who
picked the slayer up on the road
after he had staved in hiding until
nightfall, Gary Fowler and Wilifam
Frank Walker, brought the picture
on until they were stopped by Imm. |
gration border patrolinen—to their |
intense relilefas they knew the iden: |
rity of their passenger—and border |
patrolman Sook. Hawkins slapped
the handeuffs on the alayer,

i oot) Mills, fhvestigator for the
State attorney and the last withess
of the dav, told of Hudgin’s confes: |
sion, and titroduced the death gun |)
Into the testimony. Tt war on the |
‘confession matter that O'Kell in: |
terposed his objection, decision on}
lwhich will come today. |

The iInsanttyv dectston ds from a
Clavton County, Georgla, court I
came. there after Hudgins had |

stolen and burned an automobile |)
and on {ts basis he was sent to the |:
pstate insane home He escaped |
ifrom there July 16, 1941.


Miami Daily Herald. Tues. July 21.1942 5!

HUDGINS PAYS
DEATH PENALTY

ee aie te ay

Slayer of Stain Patrolman
Praye As He Entors
Electric Chair

Br The Areocleica Presa

RAWMonn, Hla, July 20.—Prav-
Ing as he went to the electric chair,
Hyrdt Hucging, 22-year-old former
‘inmate of a ainio hoapltal in Qeor-
Ria, Monday pald with hie life for.
the cold-blooded murder of State
Iiighway Patrolman 1, P, Dantel
near Goulds last Dee, '5,

Hudgins, whose death sentence
the wtate pardon board recently re-
fused to comniute | 7,
to Hife imprison: °
ment despite ef.
forts of relat|yes
to prove le waa
Inaane, shot Dan.
jel while the off}.
cer had his hands
raised, The state

(patrolman
‘stopped Hudgina
While the latter
wags driving a (%# i
stolen car,  HUDGING

Muidyins, who
escaped from the Georgia state hoa.
pital several months before he
killed Dantels, was composed as he
went to the ehatr,

1. F. Chapman, state prison farm
superintendent, sald Hudgina made
no statement regarding ine case,
eaving only that he war “praying!
for evervone and wanted everyone
tu pray for him °


Miami Daily Herald, Wed, Feb 11, 1942, pages 1A .1B and 4A

DEATH VERDICr

Jury Convicts State Patrol-
man’s Slayer of First
Degree Murder

INSANITY PLEA FAILS

22-Year-Old ” Killer Grits.

Teeth In Silence On
Hearing Fate

Iby STEPHEN, TRUMBULL
Herald Riall Writer
Hvradt Bo. Dbavdpto pease Kise up
Tis own life tn the electeie hate for
the fatal shooting of State Patrol:

j tan I. P. Danie! on the night of
Dee 5,

After it twoeduy tebe. chore drags
Whilete the buatkang 2 veurcoted |!
Slaver orecetved far omoce oof a
“breah’ Chan did his vbettun a jury
before Civeute Judpe Paul Do Barns
returned: oshortiy after 1 pom
Puesday with a first degree murder
Verdict Without recommendation of

Mmerey, Voder  biorlda haw ths
Inakes the death penalty patible
lary,

Vfuucdpeitis, wor diased daesecgy pee dtanstaage
ed Jot Wally Ceonet  iatteedies
While the jury wos gut elenetiwed tia
Deiticda nid atarert ateaitit bread. ae

PHOTO OM PAGE 1K

the verdbet was read Pri three elevas
lor and on his way back to his cell,
Where before he bia been mast to
Quaetous With dds proces, de page.
ted HIN teeth im sitenece wheal. fay
Mills, Investivator for the state at
lorney a Offfee, adelressed titre.
Hreaks Nilenece

Tt Wars not une he WaS beck in

the Jail that he broke his silence

With
“So that mneans Do pet the cain?”
. “Did vou expect anything elser
Mills ashead
“Yeh bhardyrains besponded “1

Thott Chev a peecorimene mrerey |

, Pit JUubots, it tater wos leaned,
Pe pt wee! tppeets ee ees Cs 2 oe hey |

.gi att Woy i wa ef oti) A

Jubess such Peevcrt Pee fester tives Cheatts

premade wanted lhave brererny shele
stepped. AW Uitispect fied! tietatoend
Would have voted for dite dustead
of death could they have been as:
suted diudgins would not have gone
pfiee alo some fiture thone by the
jparole or the pardon route

Deliberate Hour and Mulf
At 10 p. my, after wn hour and a
half of deliberation, they returned
‘oy ask Judge Barns whether they

;COUT vote legally for the life term |

; with the stipulation the slayer
hever be pardoned. ‘The Judge tn-
formed them they could make such
a recommendation, but it would not
he legally binding.

That point cleared up, they were
back In the jury room for only
three minutes before reaching their

verdict ‘The widow of the gluta

officer, his B year-old son, Hilly, ane)
his sister were In the courtroom,
when the verdict was returned.
They would make no comment,
hwery serap of evidence bearhng |
on the only Poxaihle defense, the |
question of tnaanity, was beoupelyt |
before the Jury Hy Deletuse Attor-
hey Gearge OkKell ‘There van thie |
record: of Hudging’ army discharge |
pahowing epilepsy, the full record of
jhis confinement tna Cleorpaa state
Sanitarium from whieh ode later
reseaped, aad the full record ot lis
PDehav bor staee pits dtiest
Assails Doctors’ Finding

The bulky attorney, a trifte Klow
On his feet but by no means slow
Under his hat, ripped into the sanity
verdict of the two courtappointed |
allentsts, Drs, i. if Avos and James |
I. Anderson, arguing that thefr ex. |
aminations of an hour and a half
should not outweigh the optnion
Of army doctors ana Georgia
alientsts, :

Agalnst this, however, the state,
Thiurded Headgears’ Callous conmfesston, |
i the atory of how, fleltnigs In a stolen :
joan, he shot the patrolman when die
Was lopped for questioning: on

i]
hhye

j

Patrolman’s

Killer Gets |
Death Decree

a
Continued From Page 1

S. Dixie highway at Allapattah dr.;
how he fired the shot even as the
young officer stood with his hands
upralsed

The confession became the chlet |
weapon jn battering down the plea
of insanity. Jt showed all of the
reasoning, all of the cold calculation
that definitions of Insanity say are)
lacking. It also showed motive. |
Daniel was sluln ja the three mine |
utes between his radio call to the
Miamnl police, and thelr answer
which would have wid him the car |
he bad stopped was a stolen one.
Hu ging knew what that answer
would be.

Report Bouwst of “Hreak"

Hhugh MacArthur, utturney for,
the state highway pollce and sworn
fn as spechal prosecutor to ald Wor-
ley, opened for the stale. Worley
closed with the words, “Gentlemen,
L ask you to do your duty.”

Normal tension of a murder trial
Closing received sume additions
throughout Tuesday with a report
the prisoner had boasted he would
“make a break for it,” following
the example of one of his brothers
who escaped after a murder sen-
tence in Georgia und who still is at
large. As a@ result of the purported

‘boast, state patrolmen guarded
‘every courtroom exit and Sheriff

D.C. Coleman, Mills or Capt, Stuart
Senneff- of the highway pollce was |
within arm’s length of the killer
throught the concluding session.

Judge Batns wijl pass sentence
after -the customary fourdlay pe
riod allowed the defense for the
preparation of motions for a new
trial or an appeal,


Fy

Serer erseenmn ne

COURT TO PASS.
DEATH DECREE

Hudgins’ Attorney Expect-
ed To File Motion For

New Trial Today
an etn en - .

Beedl 1. Hudgins, awastinw the
€rath sentence following his con-
Naction for the slaving of State Pa-
trotman lL PL Daniel will continue
to receive all of the benefits of the

legal cove he scorned when a peti-
than for a new trial is filed in his
tee sal f Lontas.

The aver, however, probably
Wail ravetve litthe consolation for
te wCUen Tt ots routine an cases
oP tis nature, amd the petition
tissally ot» denied It wall be filed
by Attorney George Okell, appoint
etoby the court to represent Hudg-
tos when tt was learned the hiller
ware without funds to retain counsel

The petition will ask a new trial
@ othe prownd Hudgins was Jecally
Piseanhe at the time of the erie, a
eontention Judge Piauh bo Barus ine
Cicated he did eephelios e after hear:
Ing the testimony of two courtap:
yennted allentsts, and a contention
the jury did not belleve when {t
brought in the verdict of firstde-
gree murder without recommenda:
ior of mercy.

Huceins, momentarily stunned by
the verdicio when yo owas retuned
Tuesdays right, appeared to have
Pegained Yas composure ti tlre comune
ts tal Waitties das bhi. appetite
Mar cithatier ted ard die Cabked ora
tactaa@llv woth dias fetlan: Prisoners

“oatee Rarns prohabily will pass
Berctenoe Pefore the end of the

*

ween Tle gdeath pemalev is qocetiedte
tervournter blortda law unless the
lary accompanies dts verdict wat
Aomastorit., vote for meres

‘TALLY Y ASSASSINATED

W. OH. PRE Gi & colored farmer
who resided several miles south - of
(Gainesville, was brutally murdered
about 10 o'clock Saturday night on
the Galnesville-Prairte Creek road
at 8 point about a mile enst of the
city limits. — :

Joule Harriscn, a YOUNK white man,
{Was 90 route to his home, hear New.
nan’s: lake, when his attention was
attracted by the report o! x» shat-
®uUn some distance ahead of him,
probably a quarter of a mile = The.
young man discerned the ery of man!
immediately after the report of the,
gun. Then a second shot wa» fired and
young Harrison says he heard die-
tinctly a voice ery out: "Don't shoot
me any more.” A third xhot was
fired. Harrison, realising (hat x»
tragedy wag being enacte:!, turned |
and retraced his steps to the olty, re-
‘porting what he had heard.

Policeman Walts and‘ Constable (W

Q. Richardson, with others hurried ta
the scene,’ and following the trai! we

by the bady, located the remains of
Mahafney about a hundred yards
north of the road. The wurderer, to
cover his crime, bad @ragged his-vic-.
tim, feet first, to a secluded spot...
The body was bare from the walat up, |
and was horribly scratched from ¢on- |
tact with underbrush. |
Owing to the distance that young.
Harrison had to cover, it was 11!
o'clock: before the matter? was re|
ported -to-the-pelies,aadit was near |

midnight-when thd body was found..

_A search was immediately institut.
ed for {he murderer. The motive for
the crime cannot be surmised: as Ma
hafney was a darkey of an ULAZeUt-
ing nature. He was about 55 years
of age and wel] known here. He for
merly drove a fuel wagon ia Ualnes-
ville, | |
~ An inquest will be contiucted today.


The Hanging of Hurd Attended By Large

. Crowd; Murderer Died Without Emotion

i aad

“On the road to Heaven: good.
bre, were the ast words utiored hy
Ham Hurd, the youns seg?n who was
eaccuted from the acaffeld = within
the Alachua coéinty jat) enclosure Fri
day. The exterior gallows waa unes
becatige tha) tp the otd-fatt te unre
able: but this condition seemed
pleastng to the mortid srinokery

The march from the prison to the
eeaMold stared at 1f o'stock, Kher
Ramsey being aceompapled by sever.
‘al of tin deputlea. On the asd wtepe
jthe party halted long enough ter
Hurd lp address a few remarkea to
| those arvacinbled 9 eruwd of Prrhape
[une reused Perens, avine of w harm
[Sere women and young girte and
inany boys of tender age: Hurd tats
ithe hearers that keeping  tuwmpany
[wR the eviltneiined placed tim to
Sle presen. posttion~on the very
-orink of entering Into eternity tte
+ 8tOod while folored Deytehers cog.
/Aueted » brinf services, gnd- then am.

‘@ YOTyY atwady ste. He ofrted BR Te.

/Malason wheteser, ‘sotwitheigadiny Jaze his ret @tle, wih ber babe in

het rine, Sieiped .ovorbonts In mit

‘hal come tine sto he demered. Uses
ihe weld newer suhenlt to Ale qa the

gallows. Hird stood nsaaigled white
the. straps ang black Sip were ad
jusiod ASI being ready Rt 1}: 29. 30

jewnded the stops '» the aaliows with |

[Utes after the (rap wae sprung Phe
bendy was cul dawn and turned uver
to relatives of the dead ean

Hurd wae raerited to eapiate one
Of the moat brutal ‘Times aver eosm-
posers tn thie section On the night

jhald Wot Muaha(ney, au axed color.
| na fartier, on the Gainesville Hochetlg
(road, and fred upes hit there times
parte & ahot-gun, alterwary dragging
the victho's body into a deuse ewan
‘bearby A young ‘Obite wan, on
route heme, heard theahot» and ales
heard Mahatney ¢ dst :
shoot mu asain.” . The mater waa re
Grromted withte thred hours alter the
murder, He fire: denied , but later
rotlogned, Mopilrating bin hr her-in

¢ Man who Wat murdered wits
® Relive of Afvies. Ghd Pussansed ip.
lolllgnnges tn os narkég degres above

Amerie IN” Sar ie, but ‘reserned
10 Africa fur a thie, and op onde Woy.

E
7
J
:
é

Sty Ler meshing genic

of -Pctober-tourtty, best year, he ways

"Doa't:

twrtod to the otaars, vod Hard whs-

pe on etl loteg mrnnorated him,
“ie eM,

the average neara, He mired io

reporting “him JVerd) to

NS

o


& min

tte
ee RE eR 8 es POE

‘Hurd Received Rite of Bap-
tism on Eve of Execution

i seth bturd the mearn whi ia fe ve The beg) poasrrert} «a gol appe

| nee: sted eithin ‘Se enthraars of URe pits reatrrday. pa withstanding ihe

| atae big cxeriniy pall this merning abreast | bear approarh of the imat her Of |
“25 Car np thee BR WA beptizad ih a trath earth him feguestod that oyatere be |

yeh om (he eecund ker of the prices (an Heth of hie dinner meal Thureday,

L reopens afterieum af 4 Ochkek the land the fratyueat wae eestiptiod with. |

re being adminteterwd by Mev Hj burd has atatont during the past few

suey Syoeta ‘mvc

co;

“
4

enyoeTy SeTTTAseutey pe:

MM. Pierstna. faster of Mt Mortak Bap days thal be cannet reatize the fact -
the Chared, talored. (hat he le in De banged olay o
Hurd proicestd religieva tome lime tia esecution will be tate [eo Re ~
Bat- even pring to the @ecovery ‘by | plate the foal. murder of W. it. Me fe
Jair Tortay that he had susesaded |batney. an seed hegre farmer who ©
ta sawing off 11. ¢ivete which held tn [was waylaid os the Gataearvitie Ro- ‘
tart the bere to the call im whieh he |ebetie read oo the aight of October MS
7 ete Siged “% ao i4eh, 2913. | eee ee w
, ~ : he

. Ne)
: be
+


{by the body, located the reMaina of
j Mahatney
jROrth of the road. The hedy waa
‘found by Officers Waits and Richard

| ‘Tie coroner’ jury, aided by Sheriff

Fs and ‘his. assistants, are oon:
ldubting | @ systematic inxeatigation aa
‘tp the death of Ww. H. Mahafney, the
‘ened colored man who was foully as-

mesibated ubile en route in his
wagon from Gainesville to his home

near Paine's Prairie last Saturday
night, about 10 o'clook.

. As related in Suaday's tasue of The:
‘Gan, Josie Harrleos, a “young yhite|
man, heard the. shots and saw the
flash from. the as each shot was
fred, the murder having ‘been com-
mited on the (Oalneevilie-Prairte
Creek road opposite Tiger bay, two
‘miles east of the court honse. Young
Harrison was several hundred - yards
behind Mahafney when the tragedy
Ooodrred, and he returned to the city
and reported what he saw and heard.
‘Sherif y. Deputy Bruton, Po
iceman Walte and Constable W. O.
Richardson, with others, ‘hurried to
the soene, and following the tral! made

about a hundred yards

eon, they being the firgy to yeach the
spot where the shooting oceurred, as
Sherif stapped en route to
procure his blood hound. The murder-
er, to eover his crime, had

his victim, feet fret,, to a secluded;
apot.. The body was bare from the
‘watet ap, ahd was horribly scratched
trom contact with undevprash

- Owing to the distamee that young
itasvinog ‘eae te aude, ates dae 21
TUSK before the matter was re
port 1 to theo | ra, and it as near

{

midnight when the body was found.

Ishot was fred, the supposition is that

.- Phe murderer evidently acted in,
great haste, as the highway upon which!
the deed wag committed is one of the
mgst generally used In the county,’
and scores of sutomobdiies and vebl-|
clea pase that way each evening. |

Mahafney came to Gainesville Satur
day morning, near the noon hour, and
@eparted in his wagon about 9 o'clock
ia the evening. From the nature of
‘the wounds it is evjdent that be was
‘shot while seated in his wagon, and
as Josie Harrison did not hear any
loud talking or cries until the fret.

Mahafney did not know of his as
saasin's presence until the frst shot
was fired.

' gs above stated, the victim's back
was badly mutilated as a result of be
‘Jug dragged over roots ané briars. He
‘was left ta a pool of water about four
He was lying om his

Co ‘
urderer Acted Quickly

-_

ryt 1% Caner } }
HOLLENS, General, hanged Green

> WARGED - FOR ‘WURDER.

wren ates Th ere rs ee Wet oo Td Dekel sieeamiedie -
Pre ‘

omit. MOLLENS EXECUTED ‘AT
ary “OREEN / ve BPRINGS. ,
} } 4 SAU on Me i 3 ae ti Py ‘, F
7 ven, the. Scattoid Ha Made a Touch.
op tar Appeal ‘On’ fionalt of His
Zaye st , 7 , Little Gtr

Na
os

01 —-
abel Cove, ‘ges. {0-At Atleen! aitautts
’ set nook, Gankral:Hollehs entered on his
; test hor oh earth, In dhe. fall yard and
. ground the scaffold « large crowd gath-
5a PMargdee Masa ves Jest tna Volees of mine,
_Istere wag heard ptayihg with the coffe
Nderoned: i pts, } Hie, Cvoked,, Was - distlacd?
me peers ‘at Umee ejaculating: o- 8
CoS MyGod’ help me. Have mercy on mr
Ey: peor doubt! nyt ea AY ay KI eT
St “pt ten routes: at: noon, mheritf reeks,
2: mecompanled,; by... Mayor,’ La Brown,
‘ ‘Bydney Ba ‘Hantord, Deputy, United States
 Marehal 1B. K.:Jonne of Bradford, Sheriff
&, MDixginbotham, of: ‘Nase, .@heriff( Hagan
et ‘ee ePutnam,- Sheri euriad Yet! Votusia,
Cs Be jot -Bherttt: Howell of, Baker County:
“Deputies Seane”and Peter: ‘Hagan of {Put-
%: “path ‘entered the Jall, and went aq thé
‘oat ot* 3ie~ prisoner, He’: wate cooly and

= patient;? and; replying: ta 2 °q lon nm
RE. correspondent. said; 3 ies ats nt

“ody
S erith | tne: shining, angela around wor
is cvereat Xarone, {r ia heaven.’ vey

-oveaeneta ve you": last ‘auee te

emma ann

ot 2 Yea,: ‘fait hsavess the’ congroastion
{trom the Boaffold.” | my

4 tin “vive bd nee regret over. Asuna your

witer?
cat noady heeds year” cathe’ the replys: ey whe
th jealousy. Wive volAutea, after tha
I I eed,’ maw what @ pt pre T nad ‘nade;
rs ‘pat; It was too late,” My wif, Was ‘dead,
ene aS eat, Yay ithrdat, and ined to’ go with
nes. But! fe wee God's wilt thay, L enould,
“oe sioner ee wr warnink” tov opera, I khow,
"ray? wite, hag ftorgiven™ me, and. bla ws
<smrte, God iy Ort my side." “ee pata
be! WAY HVE mitiutde of TE tna’ bid foi Doors
Swern opened’ by, Sheriff Weeks, and!
* Leteaty walkie’: |
einto-the een Herd h sn (tt fence
oneth every vend AY wnd. aaldd “Cogd-by. °T:
wed thet oe you in heaven, , OYE. no; uae

2 of aoathee™. 2” pore Ls ee

Coversprings, FL 12-10-1897

* ee

fecThe Reva," B, PR, Spratt of Hibernia, Av |
(AL Thane ot Gieen! Cove’ Springs and |
‘ ee ‘AY Robvdita Of Palatka ‘ofrerdd a ore
he sion as Lapp ll At‘ widbri the ¢

( pat ik ane iene
sorbet i re sivaten Marbtial Johns,
P+ abn ay eM ‘Bide, followed by Mayor Lauds
"4 Brow; and! B, Caleaaen; foditdr of ‘the |

iBnrine, Seager antora Arce Mtred

Seow eee a Metres

Peat Powel! the} reached the "yard, the
crawd ‘etepped ‘back, and te Gyomed man
raw the ven ffdids = = fte trerivied, bul. only

(for Wa tnatant,” He Walked WELNOUt itbetet-
‘area tip the dteps ofthe sea reid Anet. took
elec itp toukea dowh on the crowd

-win ter FRE: three thintetere
amie Ind front, ‘ahd the Rev, 'G. hd
) ve 1) the ‘erowd to sot the
Ane: Aiitioiter ast piteau a ee
"Methodtiet’ nytan Aree ehy > peg:
wher any Tear, 16 ate," Naz
“The crowd’ bain Sid Hotlens beat: ees
“wien bin finger,’ — wing an! fleartily as

te Caevtoh Rpbaece n Sunday, ve tv ite:
‘A prayer wan offered by. MeV A a Ay tones
‘Qoe’grnte: ter. tne con dem ny hn @

‘emg on vite Bhevift ¥ iw “deyirties
amtha.Ssabeastied Oe of oat Aa ution
Html dewh g 2 G4 on; bi dsae
tha! ew BS ra ratt’ read: a chapter

¢ bay ua, “thd ¢': 12

cae pil svatited ities
Loh ft. Seon the, crowt! td
nd-AGenaral. {Ron

Se aN
w 4 mal eet \

: ead’ scene allie
$ “8Don
x. rhc ahie he Li tl WAY etn,

anerityy! 8 arm ready
wk He stepped ‘pack con the tri “es Ris’ ones
iene ees hope twere~ Aare wail:
darbee ‘wrbulid hia neck-t te ‘farpedsl= ee
Res ‘ queries vont, more::.minut Rae
tia . , me ii See ta gersenOR tiod,:. Ve
Smerey: where tod, 2 Ma $
ee y ey? Kt «. ‘ ; | ,
Byeqube Med roe *
eaows Bherte, eddy.”


+

_

Notwod arid GriMths he recbvered raps
dif; and en the 18th wae Indicted by the
Grand dury for murder in the first de-}
gree. He wan helt before Judge Call
jand defended by Colonel C. F. Law afid
'flev. J. M, Willis, The defense alléged
extrema provocation, and sitcceeded In
iinpressing the Jury to such ast extént
that {t took them from 4 p. mm. uotll 10
n,m. next day to teach a verdict, The
Governor fixed the data of execution for
to-day, and no effort was made to sécure |,
d pardon, Tha cititena of Green Cove, |,
while sorry for tha man, feel that he .
had miet his Just deserts. '
Beye yearw ago Hollens was rentenced
to death for attempted rape, On’ appeal
to the’ Bupreme Court A new tial. was
ordered. The new trial resulted in an mc

waiieh ee ee ey
‘ Ey Jekven a Mttle child, 81-3 yeara did.
Bho, Was present at the exectition, and a
onerous bublid aipped ‘many & ‘dollar
4nto' her’ litttc hand, After her father was
pinced: in tha: coffin, she came and took
a took at htm, but luckily could not real-
tse. what death meant. = +". ”

Ld ta A. :

abe @ 410, Ny: “wy r]

PY

4 4 oak +h gt a ie
“ 43 Deane x Z

ro

Nae rege
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et
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credits

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—

RIDA lms

Fic

FLORIDA TIMES-UNION (Jacksonville), Monday, 14 January 1946, page 3.

State Will Execute

g
e

es


The Tallahassee Democrat,

Page l.

+

\ROBERT-HINDS
|—DIES IN CHAIR

Ap alachieola, N Negro Pay ys

PWith Life fo for rime -

RAIFORD, “W—_Robert mien
Apalachicola negro. convicted of
criminally —assaviting a white
woman, died in Florida’s electric
chair st the atete prison here to-:
day.

The young riegso was placed: in:
the chair at 10:28 3 m, Eastern’
Standard time, and wes pro-
nounced’ dead at 10°9@'s mm. He

ene ne

}wee—eatm—end—made—me—state—

Friday,

July 23,

1937,


THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION (Jacksonville), Tuesday, 15 January 1946, page 6.

Three Are Executed
At Raiford Prison
_ Within 45 Minates

te their deaths in the Floride
te Prison electric chair within
the space of 45 minutes here today.

They were:

vieted of raping a young white gir!
in Dade County in 1944. °


NO APFEAL
HOLT, Kempt, black, hanged at Milton, Florida, on Sept, 27, 1907.

"Milton, Fla,, Aug. 29, 1907-Kempt Holt, the negro who was convicted of mrder at the last
term of circuit court and sentenced to be hanged in this city tomorrow was tonight granted
a 30-day respite by Gov. Broward, and the telegram being received by J. T, Wiggins,
attorney for the negro, Holt was arrested a few months ago for the murder of another
negro at Woodsville, a few miles south of Bagdad, and was tried at the next succeding term
of circuit court by Judge White, found guilty and sentenced to die,It is reported here
that the reason given for the respite is the application of Attormey Wiggins for a conmu-
tation of sentence to life imprisonment, Since the county stenographer is out of the city
at present, and the necessary papers covering the legal points could not be prepared until
the stenographer's return, Before the thirty days is up, it is expected that the motion
for a change of sentence can be heard, Public sentiment is in favor of such a move and
news of the governor's respite caused but Little comment," JOURNAL, Pensacola, Fla.,
“uge 30, 1907 (1/1.)

"Milton, Fla., 9-27-1907-Standiing upon the scaffold, with arms securely fastened and with
the sheriff standing near the hangman's rope, Hemp Holt, a negro spent a portion ofthe time
allotted him before being executed here today im laughin g and joking with the crowd of
severl hundred spectators who had gathered to witness the execution. He went to his death
in a jully mod, as a few minutes prior to the fitting of the black cap over the head, Holt
told a joke which caused mch laughter, notwithstanding the seriousness of the situation,
"Holt was convicted of murder in the spring term of court and would have been hanged last
month, but a respite of 30 days was granted him upon request of his attorney, This respite
terminated yesterday.

"at LL o'clock the prisoner bo be executed accompanied by Sheriff Mitchell, ascenddd the
scaffold, and the prisoner was allowed to speak to the crowd, He dwelt upon himself and
the crime of which he had been convicted but a short time and afterwards devoted himself

to amusing the crwod by telling jokes and would join thelaughter,.

"A few moments before thenoon hour he had concluded his talk, The rope wasadjust about
theneck, the blackcap fitted, and as the whistle of themills blew for the noon hour, the
¥rap was sprunge

The Neck was broken by the fall, and within 20 minutes the negro was pronounced d#dfa@ dead,"
JOURNAL, Pensacloa, Fla, 9-29-1907 (1.2)/

¢g

S
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT DATA SHEET Naw A
Fy lex OA
STATE INVENTORY #
OFFENDER: SOURCE OF DOCUMENTATION
NAME: Ke*P ol T (TITLE, DATE AND PAGE#)
e —s~ 4

RACE: CU CoN2 Tr p V7 bare
SEX: MALO

OFFENSE: We

DATE EXECUTED: SLES Nn 27147
county: front Co.

AGE:

VICTIM:

NAME:

RACE: —

sex: STOSQ_
AGE:

RELATIONSHIP
TO OFFENDER:

BACKGROUND
INFORMATION:

DATE CRIME
COMMITTED:

DATE OF
SENTENCING:

DAY OF THE

WEEK EXECUTED: \1W~< Nous

OFFENDER
RESIDENCY:

MEDIA ACCOUNT
OF CRIME:

G~ 26 - 1?07 TiS

MEDIA ACCOUNT
OF TRIAL:

MEDIA ACCOUNT
OF EXECUTION:

METHOD: Nouns TIME:
Nae!

STAYS OF
EXECUTION:

EXECUTIONER:
WITNESSES :

RITUALS:

LAST WORDS:

ge

OTHER eee . \ CRN aN Xnrd Sole RG Wine

Wott Vacs Neuntyo d oA + = - 4

feacaped four days earlier from

jof insanity, and Gov. Collins asked

Secret Report
On Hornbeck
Sanity Slated

Group’s Findings to Go
to Governor Without
Public Statement

RAIFORD, Oct. 31 (A—Supt.. L.
F. Chapman said today a sanity
committee to examine Samue!
Hornbeck, who is seeking to avoid
the electric chair, will make no
public Announcement as to its find-
ings.

“It will make its report directly
to the governor,”’ said the —
intendent of State Prison.
Chapman said the coasistties
had not yet been selected and that!
when it is, & will select its own

Myron Goldman — who also was
slain — were surrounded as they
were robbing a tavern. They had

ja in Savannah, Ga., where they
had been confined after coavietion|
of bank robbery.

_Hornbeck's des’. warrant was
withdrawn Saturday when his at-
torney asked an examination of
the 36-year-old prisoner on grounds

Chapman tea name a sanity com-
mission. .
Hornbeck was to have died

Kim Watches

The chair did take the life of
Chester Dyer, convicted in Sara-
sota in 1954 of alaying his em-
ployer, Robert Jones, to get money
for a visit to his girl friend.

Henry 8. Jones of West Colum-
bia, 8.C., a son of the alain man,

— Dyer go to his death.

Hornbeck and . router pal,j..

‘Kepsany

“GS6T ASQUSAON T
(eTTtTAuosyoer) NOINN-SSWIL WaIYNOTd AHL

“TZ ebed

ore
‘Hornbeck
Executed

In Prison

Criminal Goes to Chair
Quietly, Asks Only .
Cap of Colfee

RAIPORD, Dec. 12 —The state

Was shot by another man.
|. Various attempts were made by
ie” S-yearnlg- jatt- brester—con—
Victed robber—and .murderer to
avoid the death sentence but they
Toney Out et Ua date of his emsce-

The Jacksonville officer, Thomas
A. Robdinson, was killed Dec. 17,
1953, by a bullet fired by Horn
beck’s pal, Myron Goldman.

Goldman also died in a gun battle
on Jacksonville's outakirts after the
pair was surprised in th act of
robbing a restaurant. ~

Florida makes all participants in
@ robbery responsible if anyone is
alain during the commissioa of the
crime.

In Maay States

Mornbdeck, whose criminal activi-
ties extended into Alabama, Kem
lucky, Georgia, Minnesota, Nebras-
ka, Indiana and Florida, fied dur-
fing the akirmish but was captured
after a 20-mile flight in a atolen
‘car,

DeWitt Sinclair, prison superin-
tendent, said Horndeck made ne
statement before he died. The
switeh was thrown at 8:35 a.m, -
and he was pronounced dead eight
‘|minutes later by Dr. Mark Adams,
Mornbeck calle? for a cup of
coffee a short— time—before—he—
entered the death chamber. The
Rev, E. E. Eggieston, prison chap-
‘iain, and Father harold Jordan
of the Starke Roman Catholic -
Church accompanied him.
| Originally, Hernbeck was sched.
Juled to die in July but the death
warrant was withdrawn when Gov,
{Collins was to be out of the state.
A second one was cancelled in
.|\October when the prisoner's attor-
ney asked a sanity hearing.
Legally Sane
The third and last warrant was
Jaigned whea phychiatrists reported
to the governor that Hornbeck was
sane, ama Hee
Pour days before the Jacksonville
killing, Hornbeck and Goldman
escaped jail at Savannah, Ga., us
ing @ gun and haniculf key smug.
elec te them by their wives. The
women pleaded guilty last year
, ane were sentenced to seven yeara.
.|. Hornbeck and Goldman were be-
ing held im the Georgia jail after
coaviction of am $83,u00 bank rob-
bery for which they had drawn
2-year terms.

Gcet ‘sl URANO ‘AVGSERL ‘ATIIANOSHOVE


PAW AUN DO tg

-)

JACKSONVILLE, FLA.—|
Samuel J. Hornbeck, 34-year-old |
bank robber, Thursday was con: |
victed of first degree murder
in the slaying. of a county
patrolman here.

The charge automatically de-
mands the death penalty.

Hornbeck and a companion,
Myron Goldman, 32, ‘were ar-
rested in St. Paul with their
wives last July and later rTe-
turned to Savannah, Ga., where |)
they were convicted of an. $83,-
000 bank robbery and sentenced
to 25-years.

|
‘ 4 |

| On Dee. 12, while awaiting re- ||
‘| moval to a prison, they escaped |
|

‘\from the’ Savannah jail, using
\a pistol their wives later ad-
mitted smuggling to them.
Four days later the pair were
trapped by police during a bar
holdup here and tried to shoot
their way out. Goldman and a
patrolman died in the gun bat-
| tle and Hornbeck was captured.
| (Hornbeck formerly lived ‘at
2526 Highway g near New,
Brighton, Minn. Goldman for-
| merly lived at 4550 Central ave-
nue N.W., in rural ‘Anoka coun-
i| ty, Minnesota.
| (The two and their wives had |
been living in the Twin Cities |
Jarea several months prior to
their arrest by FBI agents last |
| July 16.) |


NAME PLACE — CITY OR COUNTY DOE & MEANS

Henry Horee Perry, Florida ‘| He. May 10, 1912

DOB OR AGE OCCUPATION RESIDENCE GEN

VICTIM

MOTIVE

SYNOPSIS

The following from Jacksonville FLORIDA TIMES-UNION for May 12, 1912: "Perry, Fla. = Taylor County

citizens witnessed their first hanging on Friday, "pril 26, wnich was to have been a double one, —
but one prisoner was given a reprieve until the pardoning board met which, after reviewing the

tion of Henry — ane prompely ae mae Sheri tr Parker. gave the doomed man a . is talk to

below, should Ah a warning to awe who are i practioine the ghings that swamed his uatelt.
Immediately after he bade the crowd goodbye, he walked to the trap and offered a short but impress
ive prayer, then placing himself in position, the noose was placed around his neck, The trap was
pulled at 10:2 o'clock and he was pronounced dead by Drs. Ellis and Culpepper,

"Too mich praise cannot be given Sheriff Parker for the graceful manner HE in conducting the two
executions, A stranger would have believed he had had mch experience, however, they were his
first. The last words of Henry Horee were as follows: *sood morning to you . How are you2
as I'm feeling eaecty fine,

{
|

to oa: right ane < ecusaed It is too late to look back at the danger you eres all walked over,
—__Pray that you will be forgiven for your sins, for regardless of the color, every one of you will

have to die some time, There is no distinction made in Heaven, You will all understand it better

some daye

fTYou, young men, I want to get this in your mind, that you all got to die some time, and I want ~

this to be a warning to you. Put down this fast life, Ther's no good in it. Cuit gambling,

Stop off from this blind tiger, AIL you people know that blind Se ee ee

here, but I could not help eypert, and am now paying the debt oe my ilarnet

peg Ly a sf O '° 124 ve TT eS -wrone ave aod “75 7 9

confess to my ieee fort have done wrong.

U wan bO—-S3 9 Enat eno re ied D nange O ife Ma y anda ve 2 = nae
you at can love, and join the church, Don't get one that you love but she don't Lees you, but
one that will love you.as muck as you love her, and you will live loving and get in the church, o
you might just as well keep the fast life right on, Put gambling down, Go to work if you don't m
make fubt $3 a week and be satisfied with what you have, If you see someone else with $3 more,
don't take your $3 and gamble with it to get theirs, for the chances are better to have your $3 i |
honestly than to have $6, You all put this down, Change your life, and live loving, all of you, >
because all of you got to die some day and you don't know the minute, nor the hour, Alt of—you,
regardless of color, I want you to try to live right and put this fast living down, I want you

1
e

APPEALS

LAST WORDS

EXECUTION


‘

. ‘ :
eens emene mn ee

R Patrolmant’ T harcea Al Relinsen “Sr: ‘and’ Georgia
Fugitive Slain; Second Rendit Captazed — -

SEN RL Peet By JOHN  F.. RARBRY.. , Saw daaate wd
Duyal County Patrolman Thomas Ailen re Jr.

, was killed shortly before 2 a.m. yesterday In a gun duel
‘after county and city policemen surrounded two fugitives
wanted by. the FBI in the rear of a bar and restaurant at
Normandy boulevard near Casoat avenue Pe
‘One of the bands was killed an5 02 0 -— Sao
~~ he” ater pied” te Tes the scene Oe, went
the shooting. The other, Sariuel J, 7 rp em Oy ia rs
Hornbeck, 36, waa apprehended tn.
| Lake Butler, about 60 miles from)
Jacksonville, following a wild auto-!
x mobile chase that reached cna

2
{
;
}
H
}
{
‘
{
|

-pear 103. milee en béur,  -
Hornbeck: nel ‘in the

rovering whe radiator and Gasibe
‘hood of the car he commandeered
at gun point caused the engine of
“the car te overhea> and burn oul.
i CON hilad wes eens by i
“fc. Stale By Bandits - at a momber of a gang o
. @ BY bank robbers wanted in Florida, |
Alabama and Georgia. He eurren-!
dered meekly, waving a white hand-/:
kerchief to three Duval Caunmy!:
patrolmen who pursed him in the!
autamobile chase einen _Uares!
counties. i “a aes
Bhet tn Ferehead. ae
Hornbeck's accomplice, My ren,
iPeter Goldman, 33, who’ fled with;
phim from the Chatham Oounty, Ga.,'
‘Jail in Savannah Sunday night, waa:
fatally snot during the gun battle:
‘in the rear of Kari Helleathal’s|
| Restaurant, 8064 Normandy Bivd.:
iTwo hostages they seized at the res-:
jtaurant escaped. t
| The @-year-olf patrolman, who:
iived at 8868 Holly Bay Rd., Arling-!
ton, with his wife and two children, :
‘was shot in Uhe forehead By one.
iof the gunmen while they were:
‘making @ break for freedom. |

Robinson, who was born in:
Charleston, 8.C., joined the County!
\Patral Oct. &, 1951, He was an Air}:

Force veteran and had attended:
Andrew Jackson High School and);
Jacksanville Junior College.”
| According to Gene Criffin, chief:
ieriminal inveatlgator of Bherif? Rex |
Sweat’ a office, Goldman and Hort |,
deck forced thelr way at'g gunpoint,
inte the Hellenthal Restaurant by a’
fear door about 1:30 am. Doyle Long!

eee eee mane

| Contined eon Page 14—Celuma 3

aes oe

od


a-

wa

a teed cers ea 7 ase j . F bai waa = Nes 2 hoes cee wee ‘
ri ‘ i in : as vt rash. st: MS “Sin eee a bin
we tet a eed cet pontine cecilia d. Ki On oe oe Sseaewrea Fm nee om pe ai mm A ty. a fe ergs ie ren v4 : : pare
ee bax) ¢ me | » ay. 4,
LLe, THORSDIY, DE me i. ae =
Nye Gar Be rit! ii
ein Gun Ba o: Second Fag

> gun, ordered, ‘een back; Johnston sald be, blasted they
fam, cctered ti Cov ra back. Soknwing waite, Ba tar with a
"eae eel ee oe ren ;

fii

eind tokd themt te le fece doen cn! forehead. 7

‘eee restieatees eect. tobe ... EDS fia shclins stint
Sgt. W. F cchiveton said he fell to the ey ede ane cried

@ the County Patro} epotted aiout. that be had been: Bit The
green Chrysler parked i tue rear| bandits then Hed with Long aeross
og--the restaurant with the motors field IN the reér of the ®ear to
rumming. He found it wax the carjward Astral avenue. erate dae
devexioed by an PBI dispatch us the'when he got to the ditch al Astral
pons wsed. by Hornbeck. od Goldmen|avende be Taped Ia and fattened

din

_ Set. Johan raticed for police! ern o
{etettance, Within - minutes thre aw Ohl et id meme banca
Ay ee Ce 9nd ® county patios) ot the big guy? (Goldman),
lear with Patroimen 2otineon,|® Géuinn Wak Seems: teher’- by
a, 9 ia a ends Pas [Patcouran R. RN, Milles, The bandit:
g ia Od Site wits
Johmeton and the other officern sir: Neoive ain Dhrte le Big
rommded the restaurant while stil) oye Sh ie tebe temas fy)
MoTe officers from tha city, county: ag entered hia right temple.
ry. tise } POL converged on the scene, a 8S caliore tevolver wag. found,
+ Get. Johnston turned eff the tent; " Ader big textye a
itor t the est-away ear took! According. to Long, when the
Usp as Eiiciés ied, they stopped by :
About 1:50. a.m, Hombrck ang doty. and: one of them teck the
started to leave.jne res-|Pocicsman’s gun from his hand,
taurent but darted back in wien they! “They Kicked him to
saw the police surrounding them, ‘
of them shouted through the rear/Rim, tco.But be. didn't move."
door. thet. they..were coming eut! Hornbeck fled tnte. the Carkness:
with bosteres: amd-warned the po-/and wad not heard from again tent
Hee not So fire. The door openedjbe knocked an the doot of B. BL

are Hornbeck and Golémnn came! Molbrook’y home ag 1359 Pyace-
jou, with. Meter and Long agifield Dr. Holbrook eal@ that when

|

In. ‘Tae bexktits. went to the Chrysler |the racket wag about, the Dandi
found. thea heya gone and then'confronteq hin with two guns and
pushed. Hafer and Long to a Buick/forced his way into the douse,
te owned-by. Nafer. As where Tuolbeosk’s children. ~ Were
they were entering the ccavertibie, asleep. .


a

keye to

fi
E

fromt window ~~~. cos: -- te
with the car in. Lake Butler, Rete}

3 "a itty rade}

beck stenped Wid emerged with hia!

Wilisbeed of the apprehension of
Hornbeck and the. bandit w ® pt
brought Heex here Ne was. tot
te ig, ed Un panies Sales

#2 ‘ L patreteives beens
to Ting tte guns, which Roroheck

é

e4
e
i

thety capture,_-. es Se a nel
ns | Hy te ny for the quick

a
2Ep
tie
1h:
a
SEEE

ace

Jan. 23. : ‘:
Accorting to The Associated!

reas, Goldman was @ msm > ne
the “Blue. Bucde*' gang the Verda
a fashionable party in N

with @86.800. Another member 67)

wom ve a 4


HORNBECK, Samuel Jey white, elec.Fla, SP (Duvsl) Dec, 12, 1955, ,ecce

jg JACKSON VILLE, THUREDA®, DSCEMEY. | ee ill Pat el 7 a ear A ar

rose ate. eee ne
. “eras ve,

<*>
cae
ee a a

te fehnaton’ ot the ‘urs: Cow ty Paired (eit) snows 2 ihe ro
be used to shootout right rear tire'e? car cacaped Grogs bark earsdita sirale 3 2 th ates and
|g S30. De ait a Lp nurrounded” theny ar $904-. Normandy.
is Soins oeday morning, Bullart. aod Pals seltiaie o,. 2 Sete Read RR ree RAT
Babies er pine tito Sathewees me etet mtg Sy See tate ities he chase isttease & shosdes.},
| Ae tn” hich "County Mairoimes TMierges A. Rod usCa wi. 3 rm filled. 34 org pictures: ea '
‘

j pages 28 ang 3° a | | we da gh ne Ep iain feeue ead

1 tae ie.

“
ate Sth e ect =:

fae
1
if
a!

—

Lok [AA MES ~ woo


With’ the 66.659 rom.
; ® Industria] Be nw
° MI Oct. BB kiss


Len

‘e

ale.

Ady Senatioasdy ery

SN EE Re OO RAE, Olt OE OR

tHornbeck-
(Executed

An-Prise on
Crimi uunal “Goes to “Choir
: Quietly, Asks Only > |

<s i Cup of Coffee.

ss;

~-RAIFORD. Dee. 12 W-The state
sotlay executed Samuel Hornbeck
in Florida’s electric chur for the

tenth of a Duval Coun’y police of-
}Gcer who was shot by another man.

“Various attemptx were made dy
the 3¢-year-old jail breaker, cop-
vieted robber and murderer to
avold the death sentence but they:
Sey, Pat Ons the gate of his execu. |

en JacKsonvil be officer. Thomas
A. Rodinson, Fas killed Dec. 17,
1933, by a bullet fired by Horn-
beck’s pal, Myren Goldman.

+ ~--Goidined also died io a gun hatile :

on Jacksonville's outskirts after the
pair was surprised in th act of
robbing & restaurant.

--Plorida makes al Sittictoants in

}& ToddSt{ry Tésponsible tf anyone ts-
sjain during the commission of the

et rime.

Vines ee,

| _ a Many fiates
Hornbeck, whose criminal activt

ties extended into Alabarha, Ken-.

\tucky, Georgla, Minnesola, Nebras-

\ka, Indiana and Florida,-Med dur-
jing the akirmish but was captured
after a 20-mile Aight tn a stolen”
‘car.

tendent, sald Hornbeck made 20>

switch was thrown at 8:38 a.m,
and he was prosounced dead elght
minutes later by Dr, Mark Adams,
‘prison ‘physician...

“Horntecx” tuted ~tor--aeap “ot

eottes ‘B short ‘time before. he -
entered the death chamber. The
Rey. BE. E. ‘Eggleston, prison chap-
lain, and Father Karold Jordan:
of the Starke Roman Catholo
Church “geod panled Nea
Originally, Bernbeck “was ‘sched. -
bled to “de ta July but the death
warrant was withdraws whea Gor,
Coline wos to de out , of the state. .
A Becond toe —was “tanceiid—ta-
October” when the prisoners -attor--
ney asked & sanity hearing, -.~
” “Lrgaity Bane
The third and last warrant was
signed when phychiatrists reported
to the governor thgl Hornbeck was
sane, .
Four days betore. the Jacksonville
killing, Hornbeck anc Goldman ~
escaped Jall at Sar yannah, Ga., us-
lng a gun and handculf key smug.
Kiet to them by thelr wives. The
women pieaded gulliy last year
104 ¥ere sentenced to aeren years
MSercheck and Geidmiaka were Se.

me, ’

roe bir er lier

_fachsonvthe,

"A
| L1E-/953— tA fy

Dewitt Stndlaiy’ wilson pinetine.
statement. before he died: The |


HORNBECK, Samuel, white, elec., Fla. (Duval) Dec. 12. 1956
+ @ * De

LOWELL AMES NORRIS

TRUE POLICE CASES, June, 195)

With reporter in role of desperado, Sgts.
G. W. Hall, at left, and J. C. Ingram re-
enact bank robbers’ jail break. Ingram was
tricked into opening door slot; gun in
his stomach forced him to unlock door.


nent ame

 oxperds Rearing 10 - rived!

or i GK a ae oa. “4 *

The Pate taker SS abECE In’, : socape tact

in abortive escape aternpt auer en make Geir. sxe
iStute Road Thi past ROLE witt Petrolman Robinson i}

ang livard .
Tar) Blanding afd Morgsiey

an Goldmsh wt r ced ay. i ay
04.5::jall: end wbbsh they!

LARE: the Ss “baitle

m Biate Road TS then on tH. State Normandy. Blyde -....

m 16, throurn Racore
ye Bla

te Road 2 to Lake Buter..and Goldman, W

“the rear qf DOM]

was th und throagh Starker omar preax Tremere trom “guvennat 7
aid thet spout the jad break tf -Horabeck: .
ho were held there
and sentenc

Desaty Boer! Gene Grito, chiel aiter their conviction
criminal ipvestugator in “Duval ing to 2S years each for the $£2.090
aie ae Dosh 0 wegen ete rte SY of tre. Citizens and South-
. tgs: Lem National Bank ~ branch, Ge
“NEW ROOFS” bape OCI iced ptatect~ Stee |
hah . Tre FBI fs seeking the wives ‘of ‘

LN J. REMODELING

Wood Rot Costh. -- >t
Home with Beautiful
>LASTIC “INSELSYDE

Hf OWN:

‘the parr, Patsy

pcar during the

‘oo Pau, Can Be Added
onie Loan-H--Desit pds

je srmuRgR tng ihe sua
cir’. eo

when he was captured In Laxe
tosped the}.

nickel-plated automatic out of the
chazxe.
yesterday . in the

took them into Clay,
and Union counties, were

utler Horpbec® said. he

Taking part
search, which

Ruth Hornbeck ond!
Norma Jane Golaman, for alle

eer a

Rradtord,

Oriffin, Chief. J.
Deputies Ernest Hartley

{ VGesrve Walker. -

“¥. Lowe, and

and


thing as invit-

\

desk sergeant

annoyed at the

vho stood in
it Miami cen--

‘had given her’

i¢

t

rang and: an-

had just been
» parked it in
. Yes, she’had

ignition.
¢

i

wise, Miss
nt reproved.
supplied with

‘ik them when

1
!
i

shrugged. “I -

“but I’ve al-
the car and

e.” Pek,
iow. Anybody. -

sound to have -

« seanned the

black 1940
a dent in the.
ll, we'll see if

éetly. “Thank
” she said as

4S

she took her purse and departed.

It made the sergeant feel pretty ~

good ta be called a captain, but he
was still peeved at the careless Miss
Strang. at '

“They put locks on houses, locks
on cars, locks on a lot’ of things,”
he muttered, scowling at her as she
went out the door. “A lot of people
think those locks are just for deco-
ration.” ae

If he had known that this particu-
lar oversight was to result in mur-
der, he would have been a lot
angrier. As it Was, he handed the

‘report to Radio Dispatcher R. M.

Bullock. Bullock put the alarm on
the air at 11:03 p.m. on. December
5, 1941, alerting radio-equipped cars
of the city police, the sheriff’s force

and the state highway patrol. Im-

mediately, more than 100 nighte
prowling officers were on the lookout
for the Plymouth in which Luella

Strang had so carelessly, left her

keys. ay
Just before midnight, State ‘Pa-
trolman Luther P. Daniels, radioed
headquarters. “That stolen Plymouth

‘
tn

'

Byrl Hudgins didn't fear vipers or al-

ligators — but fire scared him stiff.

pi Sh + é

It didn't long remain a puzzle why.
Patrolman Daniels failed to report.


i.

Me:

Sag ag Bie

vy

~
ae
4

FP" ai,

Mr AR
4
Zook

of Goulds,
miles south
ence. “Bet-
‘re and see

+ the lonely -

reached the
His spotlight —
. parked at
iels’ cruiser —

ks of things. ?
nouth cau-=

id it smelled .
+, He hur= 55
vr and called |

“et?” he ine 4
. replied. “TI

3

keep calling him and cant get an
answer.” oe

Spence reported what he had found.
“This doesn't look good,” ‘he said: “I:
think you'd better notify Captain Se-
neff and send another car down here.”

Bullock avreed. Within ten minutes,
Highway Patrolmen Porch and Faucett
joined Spence at the scene, and shortly
after them came three county. cars.’ The

group examined the Plymouth closely

® under the concentrated glare of several

spotlights, but found little in the way
of clues. The car seemed to be in
running order, but the gas tank was
empty. ; aa ‘

“T hate to suggest it,” Spence said at

. last, “but it may be that the thief who

took the Plymouth shot Daniels when
he came .to investigate, then made off
in Daniels’ patrol car.” ie! |
With the aid of their flashlights, the:
men began searching the). roadside
ditches. Finding nothing there, they
spread out further, probing the edge
of the jungle. In a grove
palms about 20 yards from the pave-.
ment, they stumbled across the body.
; “It’s Daniels,” Spence said. “Shot
through the chest.” ena
‘The patrolman was dead, though his

agmoment of silence as the officers
stood there, gazing at the still figure.
Daniels, still on the sunny side of 30,
had a young wife and family back in
Miami, and there would ,be sorrow
their hous: on the morrow. ips
One of the officers- hurried back
to his car to radio Miami, The grim
tidings of Daniels’ murder, sputtered
into the dispatcher’s office and caused
a flurry of activity inthe Florida

| Investigator |. his keen mem-
ory tripped a girl who tried to lie.

+ Sees

R. Mills—h

of mournful -

body was still faintly warm There was. :.

metropolis. Highway ‘Patrol Captain
Stuart Seneff, and Captain James O.
Barker, head of the Miami police iden-
tification bureau, sped to the scene
with a half-dozen other officers.
Seneff strode to where the body lay
and took a quick look around. Daniels’
gun was still in his holster, but his
uniform hat was missing and a search,
proved it to be nowhere around. =
“It seems plain enough,” Seneff said
bitterly. “The man who- stole the
Plymouth ran out of gas and needed
another car. He must have been lying

in wait here when Daniels came to.
_investigate. He shot Daniels and hid

the body. He took Daniels’ uniform
hat in order to disguise himself as an

officer, then made off in the patrol car.”

= THE CAPTAIN at once radioed
Miami, ordering a complete system of
roadblocks set up between Miami on
the north and Key West on the south,
He gave’ instructions for every car
traveling in that area to be stopped

and investigated.
“There are mighty few side roads‘ in‘

this stretch,” Seneff said to Barker,
“and those there are don’t go very far.
We should be able to bottle him up.”
“Only one thing,” Barker replied.
“He’s in a:patrol car and he probably
has the radio on. #e’ll hear. the in-
structions, know we're looking for him.
He may abandon the’ car and take to
the Everglades.” : he Ais

“He's crazy if he does that,” the

highway patrol captain said, “But if
he does, we'll have a real job on our
hands.”

As several cars roared off to join in
the search, Barker went to: the aban-

Captain Stuart Seneff got a helping
hand from Seminole Indian trackers.

-Otherwise, why would a “hoodlum

doned Plymouth and began a hunt for
fingerprints. He dusted the steering
wheel, gear shift lever and rear-view
mirror, then brushed off the excess
powder. |. "decane

“Seems to me,” he muttered to Sen-
eff as he worked, “that the thief must
have been hot—either had a record or
was wanted for some major’ crime.

commit murder just to avoid a stolen, ~
car rap?” era tog ak
“Rither that,” Captain Seneff agreed,
“or it was a case of personal ven-
geance., You know, Daniels recovered *
quite a few stolen cars recently, and
it may be that some hot car outfit was
out to get him.” 1 be
Barker succeeded in gettin ox
clear prints from the steering, wheel
Just then Seneff heard his’ radio |
squawking and he hurried over to. ge
the message. Bi he 3
“Daniels’ patrol ‘car has been foun
wrecked,” the dispatcher announced =
excitedly, “One mile south of wher

” «

SG pA RC eS $c

the highway. 0 RRA eae

“No sign of blood,” one of the men “
told the captain. “The killer got away, ,
and I'll never know how he got out
of this smashup without at least a few
bones broken.” we ie gaee th

Seneff felt the wrecked car's radi-
ator. It was (Continued on page, 72)

eS

a

cee SR ES

rhe

Captain James Barker found ‘a signifi- | 3
cant clue inside the slain man's hat.


eek ,
Mf wie oy

ieee

ct

* DE, D OR ALIVE! continued
i

shes: ig ee at the edge of U.S. No. 1,”
* he said: “I just passed it and it ‘seems
. to. be unoccupied, I’m ‘turning around
.to look’ it over.’

» “Good enough,” Bullock replied.
“Where are’ you on No. 1?”

“Seven. miles north of Goulds,” Dan-
“dels said.”

« “Right. Let me know what gives.”
“Bullock: then gave his attention to
nae ethed calls and was busy for about 20
_ minutes when suddenly he began to

’ “wonder why Daniels had not reported
_ back.’He should have had plenty of
time to:look-over the car, advise on its
condition and whether another man
~-would.. ‘be. needed to drive it back to”

Miami.” 6

i “Calling: State Car 107,” Bullock
dréned. into the mike. “Daniels, what’s
the story’ on that. Plymouth?”
There’ ‘was no reply, which seemed
queer, it ‘Apparently Daniels was still
@*) away from-his radio car and investi-
+ gating the other machine. What could

Tew,

be taking him so long?
Bullock tried him again five minutes
later, then ten, then 15. Still no reply.

The dispatcher became worried. Dan- -

iels, an able. and conscientious officer,
had promised to report right back. He
had now had more than a half-hour
to look over that stolen car, a job that
would normally take only five minutes
or so. The stretch of road Daniels was
patrolling, Bullock knew, was laid down
through the Everglades between Miami
and Key West. On both sides it was
- bordered by a-trackless jungle inhabit-
ed only by snakes, alligators and a few
Seminole Indians. E

™@ EVENTUALLY Bullock contacted

State. Highway’ Patrolman Ralph
Spence, who gave his position as two
-miles south of Miami on U.S. No. 1.
Spence had heard Bullock’s earlier

conversation with Daniels, so he knew

what was up.

“Daniels. said the stolen beh beri

was seven™miles north of Goulds,
which would’ be about 15 miles south
of Miami,” “Bullock told Spence. “Bet-
ter take a run down there and see
what’s up.”

Spence headed south over the lonely
highway at top speed, and reached the
spot in about ten minutes. His spotlight
picked out the Plymouth, parked at
the edge of the road. Daniels’ cruiser
was nowhere in sight.

Spence didn’t like the looks of things.
He approached, the Plymouth cau-
tiously, flashlight in one hand, gun in
the other. But it was empty. There
seemed to be no one around.

Then the. officer saw something
bright on the pavement.

ried, back 0 his radio car and called
Bullock. |

“Heard from Daniels yet?” he in-
quired: +

“Not ay

° rd,” Bullock replied. “I

It was an
empty .45 caliber shell, and it smelled.
of recently-burned. powder. He hur-—

answer.”

Spence re;
“This doesn’
think you'd
neff and sen:

Bullock ag
Highway Pat
joined Spenc
after them c:
\group exam

-under the co

spotlights, b
of clues. T
running ord
empty.

“T hate to
last, “but it
took the Pl:
he came .to
in Daniels’

With the
men bega:
ditches. Fi
spread out
of the juny
palms abou
ment, they

“It’s Dar
through th:

... The patr

body was st
a ,_moment
stood ther
Daniels, sti
had a youn
Miami, and
their housc
One of
to his car
tidings of
into the di:
a flurry ©

Investigato
ory trippe


“ledo, where he was quickly strapped
~ to.a lie detector. 4

', >-Interspersed with innocent queries
. -about politics and the weather, ex-
/. perts asked Collett questions. on de-
‘tails closely linked with. the triple
-slaying, The feed grinder, The measur-
ing tape. Elmer McCoy’s .32 automatic.
“Mrs./McCoy ‘washing dishes. Mildred
“McCoy ‘pulling up the drive at Oak
View after her trip from Pitsburg. |
+ On all of these delicate points, Col-
*% Tlett maintained his innocence, but the

that- McCoy had owed him $15,000 in
rent for séveral years. |

an “I went to talk to Elmer about that,”
“vhe said.*You know what a terrible
temper he had. Well, he got mad and
grabbed a pitchfork—came at me with
it. I couldn’t defend myself—not with
i ‘my back the way it is. There was a
» revolver hanging on a nail on the barn
wall. I grabbed it and shot him. The

next thing I remember, I was on my
~. way home.” ~
Collett claimed that his mind “went

”

fi barely warm, making it apparent that
the slayer had at least an hour’s head-
~ start. es
_“There’s only two ways he could
get out of here,” he said. “He’d either
have to take to the, road and hope to
hitch a ride, or else’ hide out in the
_ Everglades.”
~ Florida’s. Everglades section is the
~ ‘most fearsome and impenetrable jungle

~ .panse of swamps, rivulets and ham-
mocks. It is a sinister place in which
“men have been drowned, sunk in
“quicksand, or hopelessly lost for days
“until they starved. In addition to all
~ “this, it'teems with poisoned moccasin
‘snakes, alligators and saw-toothed
“vegetation that can rip human flesh
‘like a knife.

‘7A man would indeed have to be des-
-., perate to take refuge in this dangerous
|. wilderness. Captain. Seneff reasoned
*- that the chances were that the killer
must be skulking along the highway
somewhere, ‘and if he was, he would
soon be captured.

» Patrolman Daniels’ hat: was found
among the ferns a short distance from
the smashed patrol car, making it ob-
s/that the killer

# \

area in the United States—a vast ex-_.

had thrown it

—————————————. '
elias pets ied wea .

blank” after he shot McCoy. He gould}

remember absolutely nothing, he said,
of the shooting of Mrs. McCoy and
Mildred. Nor could he recall using any
other weapon, or what had become of
the two guns used in the massacre.
The questioners took all this with
several grains of salt. James Collett
was a cunning man, and he was obvi-
ously paving the way for a plea of
selfedefense followed by temporary
insanity, But. Collett could not explain
why he had laid his elaborate alibi
about attending the grange meeting if
he had no thought of murder in his
heart. Nor.could he explain how it

happened, if McCoy was advancing

toward him, he was shot in the back
ofthe head. -

“The grange and sick cow alibi shows .-

plenty of: premeditation,” Prosecutor
Hill told Icenhower. *“I’m convinced
that Collett drove to Oak View and
accomplished exactly what he intended
—to murder the three members of the
family so that he could get rich on the
inheritance.” pe

Collett stuck grimly to his story. His
wife, who had never dreamed of the
plot he had laid, was utterly appalled
at the revelation of his guilt.

A determined search was made for
the two guns used in the murders, but

they were never found. Several wild

- DEAD OR ALIVE!
: (Continued from page 43)

away as he fled from the scene. While
Seneff kept in contact with the officers

manning the roadblocks, Captain Bar- -

ker pulled up in his car and walked
over to the wrecked machine with his
fingerprinting equipment.

m= BARKER SOON FOUND several -

prints matching those he had already
lifted Trom the Plymouth, making it
certain that they were those of the
killer, On the highway not far from
the wreck, one of the officers picked
up an Ohio driver’s license issued to
one Henry Prahl. A small photograph
was attached. to the license, along with

a physical description and a Cincin-'

nati address... -

“Maybe Prahl’s the killer,” \ Seneff
reasoned, “and then again-maybe this
thing was dropped. by some innocent
person. In any case, we'll want a fast
check on Prahl.” :

Captain Barker headed back to

Miami carrying an assortment of clues

—the slayer’s prints, the .45 shell, the
driver’s license and Daniels’ hat. He

_ found no record of the fingerprints in

the local files, so he dispatched those
of the killer to the FBI. He sent a

ee Ne
Fay Tee

‘ engineered+by some criminal he had

wire to Ohio authorities asking for an:

rumors circulated in Fayette County,
one of them'to the effect that Collett
had slipped the two weapons into one
of the, coffins'during the funeral cere-

mony and.that they were now interred iy

underground’ with the victims. Prose- _

cuto? Hill, however, reasoned that he . |

had plenty of evidence to convict the
prisoner, gun or no gun.

Collett was promptly indicted on
three counts of murder. Still persisting
in his “self-defense” and “blackout”
story, he was brought to trial in March

* of 1944. A®jury composed mainly of

farmers listened to the evidence and
found him ‘guilty of first degree mur-

‘der. There was no recommendation for

mercy, which made the electric chair
mandatory.

One night in the middle of July, .
James Collett, stiff as a ramrod be-
cause of the brace on his back, walked
into the death room at the state peni-
tentiary at Columbus. Who knows, as
the fatal switch was thrown, whether
his last mental image was of three

_ faces—persons who had thought him a

friend but found him a blood-lusting
killer? ihe

Eprror’s Nore: To prevent embar-
rassment to’ an innocent person, the
name Ed Solent, as used in this narra-
tive, is fictitious.

bs ~
aR,
=
ids
immediate|. investigation of Henry

Prahl, Then he scrutinized Daniels’
hat. at

Clinging to the sweatband were two
long, black’ hairs. Barker knew Dan-
iels had black hair, but he was quite
sure the slain patrolman’s hair was
shorter. “Barker was not satisfied
with being quite sure. He took sam-
ples from Daniels’ head and compared

‘them withthe long hairs under the

microscope,” They were decidedly
different.

That proved , that the killer had
long, black hair and was probably in’
need of avhaircut. The description of

Prahl given on the Ohio driver’s license

‘merely said he had “dark” hair, leav-

ing Barker wondering just how dark
it was. ‘There was nothing to do but
wait for the report from Ohio on that.

Meanwhile, Sheriff D. C. Coleman
of Dade County and his chief investi-
gator, I, Ri Mills, had been going over
the facts ‘in the case. On the theory,

that Patrolman Daniels might have a

been the victim of a vengeance plot

previously® arrested, Mills examined
the record of Daniels’ arrests, a
“Here’sia possibility,” he said, pull-

- “A bad eg;
“We figured
stolen car ri:
that stick. \
and he was
There’s a m:
investigation.
Brack had
iami, and
ere assigne
it was now }
was aroused
to come to
Plymouth ha
identified it
told of Dan
realized that
indirectly re
. “Tm terri
never, ‘neve!

who stole t!
questioned.
She shool

“You wo
had anothe:
—one issue:

‘ “No,” the
only.my ov
‘body namec
impatient.
fully late, ;

Investiga|
almost phot
looked at
There was :
tive brunet

‘’'m sure
before,” he

“TF woul
Mills,” she

‘'met you b
. “Tm not
served. “I
any time?”
“Me!” si
“not! What

_

| om IT WAS

“resented tl

‘eu have a po
» sure, Capt:

in his offic:
all right.

>. Boston anc

‘on a nu
grand larc:
aliases, ,

~. Without

‘showed hx

°~ flushed an

“All rig

‘been in tr
» ~ see there’:

i last three

oe
a

a *

aay


THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION (Jacksonville)
Tuesday, 16 June 1942.

PAGE SEVEN
|
QYy Gti, ) 7 Wy Yy |
Y rma ry wah on Y

Electric Chair
Finally Claims
Life of Hysler

White Man and Negro
Electrocuted for Rob-
bery Slaying.
RAIPORD, June 15, —Husky,
26-year-old Clyde Hysler of Jack-
 Sonville, in the shadow of the elec- ;
trie chair for six years, was finally =
executed today for the robbery °

slaying of Mrs. Mayme Surrency of ©
Jacksonville in 1936,

He was followed in the chair by
James Baker, negro accomplice.

The execution of the pair had
been postponed repeatedly in recent
years as thelr attorneys exhausted
evéry legal means to save them.

Their case twice went to the U. &
Supreme Court.

They and Alvin Tyler. negro whe
later escaped and has not been re
Captured. were convicted first of
slaying John Surrency, husband of
Mrs. Surrency, but the jury recom-
mended mercy and they received
sentences of life imprisonment.
Then followed trial for the slaying
of Mrs. Surrency and they were
convicted without the mercy ree-
ommendation, making a death pen-
alty mandatory.

The prosecution charged that
Hysler hired the two negroes to
rob the elderly couple, and furnish-
ed his car and pistol for the jo8.
Tyler was charged with doing the
actual shooting. Hysler maintained
his innocence to the last.

Hysler was pronounced dead
10:12 A. M. and Baker at 10:28
A. M,


JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16. 1941.

New Step Taken to
-- Stay Hysler Death:

7

Page 30.

in their death row cells at the State
prison here today while Richard
Smith, a Brevard County negro died
in the electric chair only a few

granted Hysler a stay for a sanity
hearing and Gov. Spessard L. Hol-


--VA. telegram. for the ft a a ses
‘et v Be Wiles atart tod. ‘ The tele-
. o him.-He
minute aligning: the 2 0 Thine She
a

Message over, He at

Ing that'ic was “@ reprievé”

Ornor.. 6 on

At 10:33 Henry mounted the scaffold, at

ane a ae

4
®
a

and turning tho
“it, fears
from the gave!

“the addresa and

“Why, this te for Sherttt—Penmark.—
~On-ke- Seatote.——

to Open

gt aboaed

pate aie

hing setablighment until:
Gee Btery et the,

tea ‘foi %
al
at 4

wan, egy}, Ca mn ee ne ey ee

as-to his movements, managed to arrest
hit at the tlme spyscified above. Henry
made no attempt ro resisY at’ the time cf

ls arreat; ¢yw..":

When he arrived here he was In good
spirits, and joked with bia jutlers. dle
was firnt taken to the police alution and,
beng asked why he rat away, aluted that:
he was afraid to remain in the city, as he
did net know what the negroes might -lo
with hirn.

Me Denled His Galilt.

niet LL ee 0 en ee ee oo mosey
eta ae

gall, Werry was “aware of the wravity or}
Us position, ynd seemed Impressod with
the fact that the end of his Ife was al-
moat at hand. While In this frume of
mind the prisoner stoutty dented his gullt,
strting that Perry Smticy, bis brothear-in-
law, wasn the murderer of hix wife. and
that the mon who swore hin ife awev on
the witness stand wus the mun who
ought to have been hung for the ermmne
charged against himaclf.

He told Sheriff Broward, In the pres-
ence of three newspaper men and Deputy
Bherlf It. H. McMillan, that on the
night of the murder of his wife he went
home, finding hls wife out. Ife retired
and Jay awako, waiting for his wife to
ret trsHte -hees nre-- 4m pation t--and- wast
pained when, nally, his wife entered his
house at the hour af. 2 o'clock tn tha
mornitsy., Not ledog w@ustomed to thus
way of acting npon the part of his wife,
Robert omked her what she meant by
Kuch conduct, anc she repHed that she},

whe about her own “damned”
business, Robert «tated that at this
point he “remonstrated with his

wife, amt that Smiley, who had
gone on {nto the rear room cwhere he
slept, Cook a hand, objecting to the abuse
In words the Irate husband = snw tit to
heap upon his gqwn wife. Words followed
this, and before Henry could collect: his
thouxhts, Bmiley came rushing through

the—haele-deor with anax iiss tins, +
raleal abova hia head, ready to strike.

°. How His Wife Was Killed.

-Robert Henry's wife was standing close |.
behind, hin at this moment. Smiley
awung the ax around to put force Int:
the Intended blow, and In dotng a
knocked off tha lamp from the table, put-
ting..oul the. Uaht. In the dark, Henry
wtated that he ducked and that the blow
4ntended fuve-- him-waa--recelved . by. hia].
WHEE ene
Then Henry grappled the ax and in the
scume for its possession fell out of ‘the
side door, Aw hy fell. Ko satd that he
geruck’ at Bmnnloy, hitting ifm on tho right
rm, : ‘

The prisoner was) then asked why ho
had seen fit to run’away, niml he replied
that he.was ufrald of the man Smiley, }
and knew that tt wae (he sayliug, nd res
Vintered Cor Che Crttty af Merdloye, thot tr
they Had anyt tli amatigt a perma they
would be enged before death... The pris-
oner, stating. this as a reason for run-

: her that he dtd t
ee eA eT ae nat ie wee

A

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

DATA SHEET

A ice dig)

STATE

OFFENDER:

OFFENSE: ‘7)lerder
DATE EXECUTED: 3 //3 /)/

COUNTY : Milloliorsugh.

AGE:

VICTIM:

NAME : MAS os bento
RACE: a fs

SEX: FE

AGE:

RELATIONSHIP ——furfag
TO OFFENDER:

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

° en oe

DATE CRIME
COMMITTED :

DATE
SENTENCED : If Jo Jo

DAY OF THE
WEEK EXECUTED: Fa. Ly

OFFENDER
RESIDENCY :

MEDIA ACCOUNT
OF CRIME.

Anreated ~ 9/33

76/6

INVENTORY #

SOURCE OF DOCUMENTATION
(PROVIDE TITLE, DATE AND PAGE#)

Quis oehetKSo-ok

Tape Trrbere
man 14tery FF


MEDIA ACCOUNT
OF TRIAL:

MEDIA ACCOUNT
OF EXECUTION:

METHOD :

STAYS OF
EXECUTION :

EXECUTIONER: Uodt WwW. C. Spucce
WITNESSES :

RITUALS:

LAST WORDS: "(god Wye :

OTHER ONFORMATION: a
lee pew blag SOert SarT wt

Hf: Ar did im Fr suet OL

crv setaT fF ey hy-7.

&

a

HENSON, Bennie, white, hanged Tampa, Fla., 3-l3e1911.

ss CAPITAL PUNISHMENT DATA SHEET

FLoRiIbA
STATE

OFFENDER:

waME: Bewwiz HEMsed
RACE: W

SEX: M

OFFENSE: MURDER

DATE EXECUTED: “gech (3, /974
county: Hills Force 61 :

AGE:

VICTIM:

NAME: MeS, Hersey
RACE: Ww

SEX: F

AGE:

RELATIONSHIP
TO OFFENDER:

BACKGROUND
INFORMATION:

ite

DATE CRIME
COMMITTED:

DATE OF
SENTENCING: JAMUdeey (9, 19/4

DAY OF THE
WEEK EXECUTED: re: day

OFFENDER
RESIDENCY:

MEDIA ACCOUNT
OF CRIME: Aeeslto &, 23, /?>

INVENTORY #

SOURCE OF DOCUMENTATION

(TITLE, DATE AND PAGE#)
TAM pA Tree &are

vurg~ fone SEF


THE-FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, JACKSONVILLE, TUESDAY, JANUARY 13. 1959:

page 5.

Willie Horne |
‘Is Executed
For Assault |

j

| RAIPORD, Jan. 12 OPE:
, Calm and smiling. convicted rap
| Ist Willle Horne Jr., sat down in.
;the prison electric chair today ||
‘and was executed for the rape ,
Of @ Jacksonville white woman two:
1 years ago. .
| The 23-vear-cla Negro failed |
i Friday im a final attempt for re!
‘prieve when prison psychiatrists .
‘Tuled he was sane. Gov. LeRoy.
, Collins Teported physicians said
i there was no reason why the ex-
'ecution should not go on as

' schedwed.

| Horne, of Jacksonville, ate a |
| light breakfast and walked -the .
“last mile’ with Father Cornelius j
Dougherty, a Catholic priest from ||
var I

a.

Warden DeWitt’ Sinclair said
'Horne was very calm. He was ||
‘strapped to the chair and the
iswitch was thrown at 8:41 a.m.!
| At 8:46 a.m.. prison physician Dr. :
iJ. E. Mosley pronounced Horne
dead. . '

The Pardon Board refused to.
|| Interfere with Horne’s death sen-
tence Dec. 10. He was accused .-

jof attacking the 48-year-old vic-|
| tim after slugging her escort with ;
}@ tire wrench on Heckscher drive.
in Jacksonville. |


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t fish get away.
» the breakdown which
1e New York Customs
1 which are caught are
to line the bottom of
pector Joseph A. Ken-
1 charge of the institu-
t that it is impossible
dig international smug-
Inly an occasional car-
A heavy seizure does
n dent the framework
cket itself is built. “The
hope to do,” Kennedy
e their operation an in-
financial risk. We can
n, but we'll never put
isiness,”
weapon with which the
t to keep alive their

imazing system for the .

the losses which occur
ation. At the starting
2 smuggling chain, the
1 enough capital to’ es-
ce which is available
1ers in good standing.
arrangement,. in exist-
wenties, is known both
id simply as “The In-
current rates run from
cent of the shipment’s
additional percent, the
urnish bail for carriers
taught!

corded in the files

im wustoms School de-
transaction through all
of the chain. A diamond
‘schlatfer in Antwerp,
parcel of stones worth
jollars on Manhattan’s
“his represents a profit
en thousand bucks. His
iver will pay cash on
the second the stones

cutter looks up a_,car-
2 and bonded messen-
nade, perhaps, twelve
ew York in three years.
‘ertain knowledge that
‘d in a business where
a hole in the head is
strengthens the confi-
: merchant is prepared
carrier. The “traveler”,
2 smugglers are called,
ousand dollars—in ad-
; chunk of change, but
high and there’s still
left over.

these terms, the mer-
deal with “The Insur-
‘ed rates are five per-
il guarantee, and eight
ash guaranteed for a

is satisfied. Even if his
: and shipment is con-
ds to make five grand
e deal. Because “The
mutual company, the
to get a refund back
n if the carrier gets

, \
is hard to smash.

2 at the Canadian
York is a tribute to

POLICE FILES

the highly developed counter tech-

niques which customs officers have
brought to bear on the syndicates. They _
work with foreign agents, moiety di-
viders, and human nature. Foreign tip-
sters get a reward—or moiety—when
they alert the customs men about a
shipment of ice on its way across the
pond. The carriers themselves are
human beings who, despite their care-
fully developed self-control, often be-
tray themselves through their patterns
of psychological behavior.

Moiety money is the greatest buga-
boo of all to-the ice handlers. The U. S.

pays twenty-five percent of the re- .

covered sum—up to $50,000—for infor-.
mation which results in seizure. For
such easy money, the temptation to
squeal is very real indeed. Legitimate
dealers, toa, are inimical to the pushers
of smuggled diamonds. Out of fear that
dumped ice will undercut the legal
market in stones, American and for-
eign diamond dealers spy out their less
scrupulous colleagues and turn them
in in the holy name of fair ‘trade.
But by and large, the little things—
the psychological giveaways which car-
riers can’t avoid—betray the icemen to
the customs officers who have learned
to look fot such indicia. Plain clothes
customs police, male and female, mingle
with the crowds in the moments before
inspection. They look for the thousand
suspicious signs by which guilty per-
sons call attention to their maleficence.

- When the bags hit the counter, trained

inspectors exercise their long experi-
ence and the technical skill which en-
ables them to compare outer and inner
dimensions of any container which is
placed before them. Why is one pas-
senger overhearty, why is another one

reticent?” Why does one keep eyeing
a specific piece of luggage? Why is an-
other so nonchalant that his innocence
cries out for closer scrutiny?

RE ARE other signs, too. Cus-
tors Inspector Joseph Koehler at
New York’s Idlewild Airport- recently
stopped a carrier who was attempting
to smuggle over a half million dollars
worth of diamonds into the country. He
wasn’t sure just what made him sus-
picious about passenger Etta Hoffman,
a visitor from Belgium. She had a
pocketbook and two valises. Each of :
the pieces looked all right, even after
more than casual inspection. The wom-
an’s clothes seemed normal enough, if
somewhat lacking in chic. Of course
there was always the possibility of a
body-pocket or some other similar
dodge, but that wasn’t quite it, the in-
spector thought. Then he looked at
Miss Hoffman again and he had ‘his
answer. She was a big woman, nearly
six feel tall. Women aré vain enough
to want to dress down their height.
Why, then, was she wearing thick-soled,
high-heeled shoes?

Koehler turned the traveler over to
Inspectress Mathilda Clarke who took
her \inside. to the dressing-room. An
inspection of the Belgian woman’s
shoes revealed the hiding place of two
hundred thousand dollars worth of
stones! More careful attention to one_

of her suitcases revealed a cache of |

similar worth in the compartment liner!
United States Attorney Frank J. Par-
ker referred to the 3377 carat confisca-
tion as the “greatest seizure in U. S.
Customs history.”

Hollow heels, false containers, hol-

low books, secret pockets, dental plates,
F

bandaged fingers, hearing aids, soap,
loaves of bread, a canary’s craw, the
shroud of a corpse, fountain pens, and
every other conceivable hiding place
have been found, over the years, to
yield pay dirt after close customs in-
spections. No part of the human ana-
tomy which could be put to the purpose
has not been thought of by the ice-
pushers in connection with their smug-
gling operation. Human beings, it
would seem, are an awfully. sneaky
tribe.

The Montreal arrest, which yielded
1,139.72 carats represents only small
damage to the syndicates abroad. Judge
Gerald, Almond in fixing bail for Kus-
mierski, Mandel, and Honigwax told
the assembled officials in Criminal
Court that the smuggling ring behind
the trio would not be discouraged by
the fate of the three prisoners before
the bar. “Traffic in contraband,” he
said, “will continue to be both flagrant
and voluminous. We are called upon
to invoke with increasing stringency
those penalties provided by the law.
In the severity of our justice, we can
at least make reply to the lawless for-
ces with whom we have to deal.”

The icemen of Europe are less con-
cerned with the Judge’s excoriation
than they are with the teamwork which
resulted in Kusmierski’s arrest. A T-
man was on the scene when the arrest
was made. The carrier was cleared
through customs so that he might lead
the cops to his contacts. His arrival at
Dorval Airport had plainly been anti-
cipated. Where was the tipster who had
given the alarm? Where was the leak in
the ice chest which had to be plugged
—with lead?

THE END

SHIELD OF VALOR

(Continued from page 8)

As the hostages dropped to the
ground, the two hero patrolmen
walked out into a hail of lead

The cops were forced to hold their
fire, but even while he waited Johnston
knew what he was going to do. He
looked toward another automobile
parked just behind the Plymouth and
figured his chances of collapsing a rear
tire with one shot. He had a gdéod idea
of what was going to happen.

Hornbeck unreeled a string of oaths
when he discovered that the Ply-
mouth’s keys were‘ gone. He pushed
open the door and prodded the hos-
tages out, then forced them into the
second automobile, a Chevrolet owned
by Hafer. No sooner were they inside
than Johnston made the move he had
planned. His shotgun roared and the
blast. crumpled the Chevvy’s back tire.
It was the signal for the shooting to

begin.

POLICE FILES

The night was crisscrossed with gun-
fire as the fugitives forced their pris-
oners from the car. Hafer screamed and
fell to the ground as though wounded;
he wasn’t hurt but took this prident
ruse to place himself out of the line

of fire. Patrolman Robinson’s blazing -

.gun made him an easy target for the
outlaws as he pursued them, shielded
by their hostage, across a nearby field.
At the ditch near the style, Long flung
himself down and refused to move.
Goldman was half over the fence and
in no position to argue the point. Horn-
beck was already on the other side. The
two bandits were now on their own,
and®the cops were no longer hindered’
by the fear they might hurt the hos-
tage. Dropping to one knee, Robinson
took careful aim and fired. Goldman
fell from the fence like an unpoled
scarecrow. Hornbeck wheeled and fired
twice at the gun flashes. Robinson sag-
ged forward and fell with a bullet in
his head.

Hornbeck began to run. Brambles
tore at his pants legs, and slugs whined
over his head. He plunged through the
furrows of the field, panting, until, a

7 a :
.
TTT ORES "

«

s

half mile farther on, he came to the
house of B. B. Holbrook, a truck me-
chanic. At gunpoint, the badman forced
the .mechanic to surrender his auto-
mobile keys. Holbrook stood helplessly
by while the killer-con jammed the car
into second and hurtled toward the
highway on burning rubber.

The highway cops took up the chase.
At speeds which sometimes exceeded
ninety-five miles an hour, Johnston led
the chase which terminated, at last,
outside the small town of Lake Butler,
some fifty-two miles soythwest of Jack-
sonville. Here, met by a phalanx of
bumper-to-bumper police cars, the
fugitive was forced off the road and
ringed by grim faced patrolmen. He
was taken back to Jacksonville in
manacles and charged with murder.

The running gun battle had taken
two lives, one on each side of the law.
Patrolman Robinson and Myron Gold-
man were dead.

TRUE POLICE FILES honors Ser-
geant W. F. Johnston and Patrolman
T. A. Robinson, Jr., for bravery beyond
reward.

THE END

73


NAME PLACE — CITY OR COUNTY DOE & MEANS

H. May 10, 1912

Henry Horee

DOB OR AGE

Perry, Florida

RESIDENCE

RACE QCCUPATION

GEN

RECORD

CRIME DATE OTHER

VICTIM METHOD

AGE | RACE

MOTIVE

SYNOPSIS

The following from Jacksonville FLORIDA TIMES-UNION for May 12, 1912: "Perry, Fla. = Taylor County
citizens witnessed their first hanging on Friday, ‘pril 26, wich was to have been a double one, —
but one prisoner was given a reprieve until the pardoning board met which, after reviewing the

F

3 r .
tion of Henry Heree and promptly at 10:25 Sheriff Parker gave the doomed man a chance to talk to.

nepesoD no—_nad = ate OLE oO at= Q no tf)

= = aoe ag = J = AH 2 o&& Ss : 3 a = 2 = a (]
below, should be a warning to those who are practicing the ghings that caused his downfall,
__Immediately after he bade the crow! goodbye, he walked to the trap and offered a short but impress
ive prayer, then placing himself in position, the noose was placed around his neck, The trap was
pulled at 10:2 o'clock and he was pronounced dead by Drs. Ellis and Culpeppere

"Too mich praise cannot be given Sheriff Parker for the graceful manner We in conducting the two
executions, A stranger would have believed he had had mch experience, however, they were his
first. The Last words of Henry Horee were as OwsS?: “G00 ming to you ail, now are you
feeling? I'm feeling mighty fine,

- 9 9
got to die someday regardless of your color, You got to die some time, and you don't know what
ste ‘ A ‘i ; : f

r= b rOmo Q 2 be * 9 ms De oles é 6 e

to get right and be prepared. It is too late to look back at the danger you have all walked over.
__ Pray that you will be forgiven for your sins, for regardless of the color, every one of you will
have to die some time, There is no distinction made in Heaven, You will all understand it better,
some day.
YYou, young men, I want to get this in your mind, that you all got to die some time, and I want |
this to be a warning to you. Put down this fast life, Ther's no good in it. Ouit Rambling,
Stop off from this blind tiger. All you people know that blind tiger Sc_use of me be
here, but I could not help myself, and am now paying the debt for my wronge

oeD Ly a * V O Oro ye = WOOTTY iWaVe ag —@ 0 0 ne Cannes

> o

confess to my lord for I have done wrong.

O = Ma and 9 € @ 7 s
you all can love, and join the church, Don't get one that you love but she don't love you, but
one that will love you as muck as you love her, and you will live loving and get in the church, 0
you might just as well keep the fast life right on, Put gambling down, Go to work if you don't
make fubt $3 a week and be satisfied with what you have, If you see someone else with #3 more,
don't take your $3 and gamble with it to get theirs, for the chances are better to have your $3
honestly than to have $6, You all put this down, Change your life, and live loving, all of you,
because all of you got to adie some day and you don't know the minute, nor the hour, Alt of you, —
regardless of color, I want you to try to live right and put this fast living down, I want you
—alt to-pray-hard-and-meet—me-in Heaven, Goodbyes"

TRIAL

APPEALS

LAST WORDS

EXECUTION

SOURCE

FRANK NEWTON OFFICE SUPPLY-COTHAN


BYRDLE HUDGINS...continued/Penzer

|

informed they couldn't be sure Hudgins wouldn't one day be set free.) The
jury returned a verdict of guilty without a recom mendation for mercy. Such
a verdict carried an automatic death penalty under Florida law at the time.
Hudgins subsequent petition for a new trial, again arguing insanity, was
turned down.

On July 20, 1942, Hudgins was executed in the electric chair at
Florida's Raiford Prison.

SOURCES:

Miami Herald, Dec. 6, 7, 8,1941; Feb. 10,11,12, 1942; July 21, 19

42
Miami Daily News, Feb. 9, 10, 11; July 20, 1942. pabeel)
5a for

PAGE 5


BYRDLE HUDGINS...continued/Penzer

In December 1940, Hudgins, on trial for theft and the burning of an
automobile, was adjudicated insane and committed to the Georgia State
Hospital at Milledgeville. He escaped there on July 16, 1941.

TRIAL AND EXECUTION:

On February 9, 1942, the trial began and a jury quickly selected.
Among the jurors were Sidney Palmer, a shoestore owner and one-time city
commission candidate; and author Jack Ward, co-creator of the classic
animated cartoon, Popeye.

Hudgins was charged with murder in the first degree for the
premeditated killing of LP. Daniel. His court-appointed defense attorney,
George O’Kell, entered a plea on Hudgins’ behalf of not guilty by reason of
insanity. His defense was based almost entirely on the November 18, 1940
finding of a Georgia court that Hudgins was legally insane. That finding had
never been modified or reversed, O'’Kell reasoned, and therefore Hudgins was
insane both at the time he killed Daniel, and so couldn't be held responsible,
and when he confessed the killing after his arrest, making such a confession
inadmissible as evidence.

OKell buttressed his argument by pointing to Hudgins earlier
honorable discharge from the Army.

The court appointed two medical specialists determine Hudgins’
mental condition both at the time of the trial (is he competent to stand
trial?) and at the time of the murder (was he legally insane?) both concluded
after their examinations that HudginetPompeten and was sane. He may
have suffered epileptic fits, they allowed, but he could not have been
suffering one at the time of the killing, they reasoned. With that finding, the
State attorney was permitted to introduce the confession into evidence.

The trial lasted only two days. After one and one-half hours of
deliberation, the jury had asked Judge Barns if they would be permitted to
recommend a life term for the defendant with no chance for freedom. Judge
Barns responded they could make such a recommendation but that it would
not be binding upon the court. (Later it was learned that four of the twelve
jurors wanted to recommend such a sentence but didn't when they were

PAGE 4


a

@ belleved to be fron CNnehoamatl,
truck driver. He ts described as

/Humber standing alongside. Hum,

oliceman [s Found
ead Along Highway

Slayer Wrecks Patrol Car In Wild
Drive From Scene Of Brutal Murer

By SW. VAT TREAWS

A force of 50 highway police, deputy sheriffs and police
from the Greater Miami area scoured wooded pine lands
and tangled glades south of Miami Saturday searching for

the killer of State Highway TP

Danlels was shot) once with n
(-caliber mutomimty about pom
Friday at the intersection of U.S
No. t and South Allapattah drive,
two miles north of Goulds, about
20 miles south of Milam,

The suspect da LL. i. Humber,

six feet, two inches tall, weighthg
nearly 200 pounds and clad in a!
brown suit,

‘ {

The story of the killing, the first
suffered by the state Hitghiwary pou
trol wince its tneeption, has teen:
reconstructed by officials aa fol. |
lows

Dantels who resided wr ad;
Third at Albina, tole ae |
final trip befare going off duty |
Friday night scuth alony the No af
highway from South Minn He
found # coupe parked on the wrong
side of the road at the South Alla-
pattah drive Intersection, and
stopped to investigate.

Asks Check on License

He apparently was questioning
the suspect while sitting in the pac |
trol cur with Huniber, if he was

South

bers driving license, with his phe
ture, Was found at the spot, just oa
few feet off the road Be ominy |
gusplelotis, Dointels tuned his twa
way radio to ask Miaml police to!
check on the license number of the
atilomobile the ddller was driving

This request was the dast henred

om the patrolman
It is presumed he was shot the,

bullet entering his deft arm pene-
trating the hody ane Fanpages
downward, while sttil seated da the

(Turn to Page 2; MP QMO EES

atrolman L, P. Daniels, 32.

page | and page 2

|

'

South Allapattah drive

™~
Search
CCONTINEED FROM PAGE ONPD

patrol car. The suspect's machine.
which was stolen Friday night
from Mrs. Nancy Coe, 2197 SAW.
Fifth st. apparently wouldn't op-.
erate, so Daniels’ slayer quickly
dragged the patrolman’s body from
the highway car, got under the
wheel and beaded southwurd alony

He wrecked the state car, how-
ever, within half a omile Vire
tracks indicated the machine an-
gied off the straight stretch of
paving townrd a ditch about five
feet deep, finally plunged
turned end over end two or three
times and came to rest upright, 460
feet from the potmt where io lett
the paving.

Bloodhounds Brought In
Bioodhuounds called frum the
prison camp at Helle Glade trailed
from 3:30 8. m. to 6 wom. through
the woods and fields, quartering
through a negro settlement and f-
nally losing the trath A neyto re-
ported he had heard ao nien run
through his yard sosmietione early
Baturday morning.

Officiala could not account for
the patrol car wreck, but thought
Humber might have been atruck in
the shooting. They believe the
Buapect could not have escaped
from the accident without aevere
bruises, but aa no blood was found,
in the estate machine, they conclud-|
ed that Daniels was dragged frou.
the car quickly and that Humber!
was not cut in the wreck

Daniels’ body wae found a few
feet off the main highway, a ahort lh
distance from the apot that search|
ing patrolmen found the automo-
bile which he last called in ta re-
port.

Citizens in the Goulds aren
joined in the search Saturday,
along with immigration border pu-
trolmen, and were to scour negro
quarters, isolated houses and other |
likely hiding places during the’
day. Part of the Redland District
territory being searched was the
acene of a almilar manhunt four
yeara ayo when the Kidnaper of it
tle Skeegin Cash of Princeton was

GVer,

being sought.

Daniela Ignored Warning
Sheriff D. C Coleman and Capt
Stuart A. Seneff of the state bixh- |
way patrol were on the scene in
person, directing the searchers
Captain Beneff said that he had
issued a warning only Friday night

‘for all highway patroimen to ride

two in a car while on night duty.
but Daniels ignored Unis as he took
his final trip south along the bigh-
way just before going home

Daniels {as survived by his widess
and two children Philbrick funeral
home in dn charge of mirage ents

Hluimber, 20, ts suspee ted of juste
ticipating in oa holdup at West
Palm Beach Thursday night, bat
another suspect arrestedl bridiey
night in Hollywood ta conmectoun
with the robberies told police he
knew nothing of Humber

Another report received by police
vent patrolimen south to the Over
seas highway tn sear hoof two men
in an automobile, but the general
belief was that Hiumber still is in
hiding somewhere 19 the viernity |

of the crline scene,
When patrolmen from | Miares
and pollee from Key West con
verged on the keys rowd they baad
failed te spot the muspeetedd et
and a navy plane went oup te
search gucrounding waters om the
theory the oman beta seule!
might have slolen bank atid
headed for the rwolated Cape Sable
region or back toward Maid
Miami police radio, 1A charge
Lieut. Bena Demby. kept the search
co-ordinated und & cordon of patrol
cars blocked roads Jeading from
the Goulds aren. On the chaner
the slayer might have potten away
’rom) = Miaini, — atate police also
blocked roads from Jacksonville
around to Tampa.

of


HENRY, Robert, black, hanged at Jacksonville, Florida, on 9-2-1897

"HENRY HANGED.FOR WIFE MURDER: KNOT SLIPPED AND HE DIED OF STRANGUIA TION:
HE WAS GAME TO THE,LAST: NOT. A QUIVER OF A MUSCE IN MANIFESTATION OF
PHAR? AGAIN DECLARES HIS INNOCENCE: AND INSISTED THAT ROBERT SMILEY, HIS
WIFE'S BROTHER, KILLED THE WOMAN WITH AN AX BLOW, AIMED AT HIM, '.

"No gamer man ever walked upon a scaffold than Robert Henry, hanged yes-
terday for the murder of his wife. He was cool end strong until the
last, and not. a tremor shook his frame in those trying ordeals of
adjusting the noose and black cap, 4ll of which-was done quickly by
Sheriff Broward. Henry proclaimed his innocence with his last breath.
After the condemned man had mounted the scaffold and Revs. Father

Kenny and Barry had finished the reading of the Litany, he was asked

by the sheriff if he had anything to say. 'Yes, sir,' he replied.

Then, in 9 clear, strong voice, end with an emphasis that made many

doubt his puilt, he said: 'Gentlemen anf ellow=citizens, I am prepared to
meet M¥ my God. God knows Robert Smiley struck my wife in striking at
me. God knows it, end IT know it. I:-am satisfied I'll meet, my Jesus,.

I was born with-the spirit of God in me, snd, am prepared to’ die, RB&K

RXXEKAAXWEXKAXKIX Good-by, 511,' There were not. many Spectators, A
hundred or so was the number admitted to the jailyard, end these in-
cluded a sauad of eighteen police under Chief Ivers, Five hundred
clamored sat the gates of the jail for admittance, but their morbid
curiosity was not: gratified. by the sheriff, who appreciated the sol-
emnity of the occasion'and did not propose to make of it a show. The
more nimble of the outsiders, however,:saw a partoof the hanging. A
cherry. tree growing,on the south side of the jail well furnished

the means, ,They scrambled up: into this and found yneomfortable places

on the sharp glass bottles -imbedded in:the mansonry on the wall's crest.
A small boy ¢limbed high into the cherry tree, and, swaying back and
forth on a slender limb derided the swarm below himfor a lack of KXKKK
XXxXX @énterprise, | °

gk: "PRAYED ALL NIGHT. .

"Henry spent a large part of the night in prayer, but secured some

sleep even in the face of his doom. -He arose early, partook of a
breakfast of coffee, fried chicken and fruit sent to him by Sister

Mary Ann, arrayed himself in clean linen and his humbst, -and later

prayed with Feather Kenny, Father Barry, Sister Mary Ann and Sister M,
Stanislaus, Theyknelt sround a table on the iron floor of the corri-
dor, Henry making earnest responses tothe service, Shortly after 10
o'clock Députh Sheriff O'Toole and Jailer Fallon entered, sayine that

all was ready. They all arose and the sisters snd 4ll bade the

doomed man ean eternal farewell, Good old Sister Mery Ann, the .comforter
of the distressed snd the ministering angel to 911 those who here come
benesth the zellows shadow, enjoined him to have courage, 'Bebrave,'
she said, 'and forgive 11 your enemies.' The parting affectedKE the
prisoner more then st any other time. He was nervous and did not seem to
know what KAK to do, Sister Mary Ann gave him a hendkerchief. 'My

last give,' she said. He carried it with him to the place of AXKAXKKaMY
execution, Then the solemn procession moved, the prisoner between the two
priests and officers the female prisoners, silent up to this moment, broke
into loud wailing. Enoch Doyle, who was to have been hung on the
scaffold with Henry, but who has been granted a, reprieve until September |
li, was an interested. listener to the pvayers, and he watched with great” @
interest the procession pass through the jail yard. He nor any others

of the prisoners could see the execution, the gallows being screened

from their view by a high semi-circular partition of boards, They heard the
‘chug' when the body fell, and Doyle trembled and became half nauseated.
He lay on‘his cot.all the afternooh, and when asked how he felt said

t ' t 5 \ .
Kindly po'ly. The. colored part of the gqpulation will penduberepket:

i Jack Ketch hidden ;
voliows Liar Oheeb dene hendkorshier signal of Sheriff Sroward, was a

negro, but what his name is nobody will tell, for everybody except the

HENRY = hanged Jacksonville, Fla., B 9-2-1897. Continued page 3.

to this way of actingupon the part of his wife, Robert asked her what
’ she meant by such conduct, and she replied that she was about her own
‘damned' business. Robert stated thet st KKK this point he remonstrated
with his wife, end that Smiley, who hed gone on into the rear room
v~here he slept, took a hand, objecting to the abuse in words the irate
husband saw fit to heap upon his own wife. Words followed this, and
before Henry could collect his thoughts, Smiley came rushing through
the back door with an ax in his hands, raised above his head, ready
to strike.
"HOW HIS WIFE WAS KILLED.
"Robert Henry's wife was stendine close behind him at this moment.
Smiley swung the ax around to put force into the intended bow, and
| in doing so knocked off the lamp from the table, putting out the light.
In the dark, Henry stated that he ducked and that the blow XKKKAKA intend-
ed for him was received by his wife. Then Henry grappled the ax and
in the scuffle for its possession, fell out the side door. As he
fell, he said that he struck at Smiley, hitting him on the right arm,
The prisoner was then asked why he had seen fit to run away, and he re-
plied that he was afraid of the man Smiley, and knew that it was the
saying, as related to the family of Smileys, that if they had anything
against a person they would be avenged before death. The prisoner,
stating this as a reason for running off, stated further that he did
not know until after his arrest that his wife was dead,"
FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, Jacksonville, FL, September 3, 1897, at 8,

The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville),

Friday, September 3, 1897.

mere © hee

HRY MED

FOR-WIF ‘Me

Knot Slinnad, | and He Died. of

Strangulation. ~

HE WAS GAME TO THE LAST

Not a Quiver of a Muscle in Manifes-
* tation of Fear.

AGAIN” DECLARES HIS —INROCERCE}

~

And Insisted That Mobert Smiley,
Hin Wife's Brother, Killed the
Woman with an Ax Dlow,

Aimed at Files. ~

No gamer man ever walked upon an
scaffold than Robert, Henry, hangcd yes-
turday for the murder of hia wife. Ho7
WIR Voor amt strong tt nt — tHe best, — arr |
not @ tremor shook his. frume in those
‘trying ordeals of adjusting the noose and
black cap, all of which was done matekty
by Sherif Broward.

Henry proclaimed his innocenco with
‘hile: last breath. After the condémnoid
‘man*had-mounted the: scaffold and Revs.
-Father Kenny-and- Berry had folshed_the |
“yoadmE of the Litany, be-was asked by-+
the sheriff if ho had anything to’ sy.

"Yon, alr,” he replied. Then, tn ao clear,
ptrond voce, ang with an-cmphosis that
made many doubt his guilt, he sald:.

“Gentlemen and ‘Tellpw- -cltizens: Iam
prepared to mect ‘my Qo’. God known

Ttobert ey etruok my wife in abet
at me. God dotowe Ut, and - know I.

nin antiatled Mil meet my Jesus,  f. wae
bern with e spirit of God jn me, and

‘yard. Ie. nor any othets of

am prepared to did. Good-by, all.’”

~ TN ere were: net ~My —apestadusa—___ |
hundred or sO WiA. (ne number admitted
to the jJallyard, an eno Included a
po of. elahtéen pollea under Chief
Ivors Mive hundred clumored nt Clie
gates of the jail for admittawes, but thor
morbid curiosity. wus not gratified ty tho
aheriff, who appreciated the solemnity of
the oevasion and did not propose to make
oF. it. a show... The more nimble of the
outaidark, however, maw ow purt of the
hen ne. A cherey tveu growing on tho
Rout Gd of the Jatl wall furniahed tte
megns. They sarninbled up into thle and
found uncomfortable pinaes on the aharp
Rines bottles Imbedded In (he muasonry on
tho wall'n creat. A ~ouall boy cttiathed
high Into the cherry ee and, swnylng
back and fori. on the slender timb, de.
rided the swarm it him for a Inck of
enterprino,

* prayed Ant Nighe..

| Henry spent A tncge part of the night
in Dray. Dut necured some aloep even in
the fuce of pfy doom. He arone early, par-
too of mw. bruakfost of cuffee, : (hes
thicken and fruit nent to him by Alaler
Mary Aftin, arrayed hime), in clean Hnen
and hia humble best, and luter prayodl
with buther Kenny, Father Marry, Sister
tent Ann and Sister M. Atantalaua, They f
the

tA $2
nie i baad “Jftenry. mak ug carneat ‘Te~
naeg, o the sorvicé. Bhortly after 10
clock Deputy Sherif O'foole and Juller
Fallon entered, anylng-that all wan ready.
They. all nrore and the alistern and all
bade the doomed man an eternal, frrowell,
Qood old Mator Mary Ann, the romfort-
or of the distronued and the mintstortng
ange) to all those who here cama benenth
tho galinws’ ahudow, enjoined him to buve
courage,
‘He brave,” eheeald, “and forgive all
your enemies.” .
This parting affected the prisoner more
than at any rd ial Ho vee tn kee
oo sercm to _ now. won ie) 0
ater og ae Ana gave him a handkerchlof. |
"My last gift,’’ she sald.: He carried it
with him to tho place of execution,
‘~“Ynwtr the-solemn- jon:.mawed,. tha.
r between the two: peleats, thy Lit. ]
‘oly: BS TIA eee se cee whe metre 9 vag gry py) 4) ar -49
» Henry wha leaving the corridors bes
twedn the pricats and officora the female
et ath up to this moment, broke
_WALINE, idee
soy oylo, who wan to “fave beon
hupg on tne acaffold with Henry, but who
hur rranted A ropriave until Septem.
her. 14 woe Pan intorostod Iseténer to the
prayerk: a he watchod with great In-
tarent ¢ a reatcenion rund eae 4 the fail
¢ pritone
orn, cuvld awe the oxrousion, the gnlilows
baing screened from thoir view by a high
domil-cireulnr partition of wards. They
hoard the “chug when the body Coll, and
Doyle trembled and bocame half naus-
eated, Mig wh on his cot all the after.

—

noon, ani when aaked how he felt anid
inderly po'ly.’?:: -

@ colored part of the ‘population will

seek wea oted to know that the mvaterious

Ja Maley In the Ox berienth the
ie ‘ “wn wy @1 thy mnderohlef alx-

owurd, war « negro,- but
what nee name 8 nobody. will toll, for av-
ary. the.omMctala._waahustied
out, ge the the.J yer, beforg. the body waa

°

te making ‘ar’ “the arra ements, ad-
juating, t noose, strapping the mene
ene a “fein the” btack | cap, Bhorift
roward wus 1 and composed, but one
ttle-thing- made -hix -heart-leap-into hin
throat. Just ae. ne dexcended: from the
wenffold, after Dr. Stollenwerck had pro-
‘nounced Henry iifclesa some one in tho
crowd crled out: |

oe oy


officials was hustled out of the jail yard before the body was cut down,
In making ell-the anrangements, adjusting the noose, ‘stravping the man's
legs and fixing the black cap, sheriff Broward was cool and composed, |
but one little thing made his heart leap into his throat. Jus as he 4
descended from the scaffold, after Dr, Stellenwerck had pronounced Henry

lifeless, some one in the crowd cried out: 'A telegram for the HRKARKKRXX

sheriff.' Mr. Broward was startled. The telegram was handed to him,
He took a full minute signing the book and turning the message over,
He started to open it, fearing that it was a reprieve from the gover-
nor, He looked at the address, and, with a sigh of relief, said: "Why,

this is for Sheriff Denmark,.' ‘ .
. "ON THE SCAFFOLD, :
"At 10:35 Henry mounted the scaffold3 at 10:40 tje trak fel}. The knot
slipped from under the ear to the back of the neck, and the man,

suffering a dozen convulsions, with an upward drawing of the limbs,
strangled to death. In 16 minutes he was pronounced dead by. Dr,
Stollenwerck, A jury, consisting of the doctor, Henry Rives, W. P,

Flynn, Jno. Frank, Frank Clarkson, Morris Meyerson, IL, G, Pignolto,

A. W., Wamboldt, Joe Marzyck, P. A. Holt, Maurice Slager and C, L,

Decker, approving the verdict. Two undertakers, Charles Clark and the
members of the rival firm, Clark & Burns, came to the scene with

dead wagons and coffins to claim the body. Chas. Clark's claim being. ;
by virtue of a contract with the county to bury the pauper dead, Clark

and 35urns bedause of an order from the dead man's family. There was

some arguing with the sheriff, Chas, Clark retiring, exclaiming: 'I'm
no human buzzard,' explainine that he would not have been at the place

hed K&XHKE not he received instructions to do'so from the sheriff. Robert
Henry will be buried XKBXXWXXAKAK this morning st 10 o'clock from his
mother's residence, Rev, A, J. Cary officiating. The body will be af
Clerk and Burns' undertaking establishment until this morning,
"THE STORY OF THE CRIME,

"Robert Henry was executed for the murder of his wife on February 2),
1896, He was duly tried and convicted in the circuit court of this
county and sentenced to be hanged. The death warrant for the execution
of the felon was received.here four weeks ago and read to the prisoner
as he was locked in the cell in the county jail. At that time the
prisoner stated that he did not kill his wife and seemed very earnest

in his enunciation .of his innocence, He said, 'God in heaven knows

I am an innocent man.' The night of the murder of Henry's wife, he fled

from the city and was captured by Sheriff Pearce of Leon County ‘on April
22, The arrest was made near Sneed's station, in Gadsden county, at. ‘
the home of a colored family with whom Henry was stopping. The officer.
arresting the man accused of murder had received information ‘several . ? _
days before, that Henry was in the neighborhood of Quincy, and keeping
posted as to his movements, managed to arrest him at the time specified
above, Henry ‘made no attempt to resist at the ‘time of his arrest. When d
he arrived'there he was in good spirits, and joked with his jailers, He
was first taken to the police station, and being asked why he ran away,
stated that he was afraid to remain in the city, as he did not know.
what. the negroes might do to him, .
"HE DENIED HIS GUILT,

"When seen some time ago in the county jail, Henry was aware. of the
gravity of his position, and seemed imoressed with the fact that. the

end of his life was at hand, While in this frame of. mihd the prisoner .
ABBUX stoutly denied his built, stating that Perry Smiley, his brother-in-
lew, was the murderer of. his wife, and that the man who swore hts life

away on the witness stand was the.man who ought to have been hung for

the crime charged against himself, He told Sheriff Broward, in the
presente of three newspaper men and Deputy Sheriff R, H, McMillan, that

on the night of the murder of his wife he went home, finding his wife

Out. He retired end lay awake, waiting for his wife to return. ,He
be€ame impatient and wes pained when, finally, nis wife entered aisG
house at the hour of 2 o'clock in the. morn Ngee &

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an order: “Get down on ‘the floor on
your faces and don’t move!” While the
guards lay helpless, both desperados
made good their escape, commandeer-
ing a Plymouth sedan from a passing
motorist. :

The car’s description and license
number were broadcast in.a nationwide
alarm. Roadblocks and check points
were hastily set up at a dozen*strategic
spots, but somehow the stolen ‘auto-
mobile slipped through the cordon. The
prisoners and their hot car disappeared. °

On Wednesday, shortly before mid-
night, Doyle Long, a’ bartender, was
closing up shop in a tavern or the,-
western outskirts of Jacksonville, Flor-
ida. He had just locked the back door
and was saying goodnight to his last
customer, Otto Hafer, when two men
materialized out of the shadows. For
the first time Long noticed the Ply-
mouth parked well over to the side
of the driveway.

“Okay,” a voice gritted. “Inside, you
two!” A nickel plated revolver in the
bandit’s hand reinforced the command.
Long and Hafer had no choice but to
obey.

Seconds after the four men disap-
peared into the darkened bar, Patrol
Sergeant W. F. Johnston drove by in
his radio car. He promptly spotted the

‘automobile parked in the lane as the
hot Plymouth which had figured in the
Savannah jailbreak. He thought fast.
First plucking the ignitions keys from
the Plymouth’s dashboard, he rushed
~back to his own car and radioed for
help. In minutes, four highway patrol
Cars were converging on the tavern.
One of. these—the first to arrive—was
driven by Patrolman T. A. Robinson,
Jr. -

Johnston, with a shotgun in the crook
of his’ arm, tried the back door. It was
locked. He rattled the knob, then. bang-
ed on the panel. Robinson backed him

a

ble of a Florida fiel

+

Blood in the, rob

¥

8

d marks th
robbers who broke jail, stole.a car, and shot it out with the highway patrol.

Sam ‘Hornbeck, kill-crazy bank bandit
and escapee, commandeered a car at gun
point for a futile dash for freedom. §

up with his own police positive.

“All right, you guys,” Johnston call-
ed out. “I know you're in there. Come
on out or we’re coming in to get you!”

There was a moment of silence, then
the door was kicked open. “Hold your
fire,” a voice rasped. “Otherwise you're
gonna kill a couple of innocent people.
We got two hostages in here, and we're
walking out behind them!”

Flabbergasted, the cops watched the
odd procession file out of the tavern’s
back door. Long and Hafer came first,
‘their hands bound behind their backs
with baling wire. Behind them, bran-
dishing revolvers, came Goldman and
Hornbeck. Cautiously they. maneuver-
ed their hostages toward the Plymouth. ”

(Continued on ‘page 73)

i iy i *\ Gt
; a! ¥
iy ‘Ss iN “fy i

_>
e scarlet trail of two bank

POLICE FILES : i POLICE FILES

ieee

.

1

toned Chrysler ground ©
em and a voice hailed

an 1. “I want to

hesit@ed and a small
the car, nickel-plated
Open that door,” he
en Long still didn’t
trigger. “I guess you
re are,” he said. “We're
akers—Hornbeck and

the door and swung it
joined by Goldman,
er and the sailor inside.
both with baling wire,
valuables. Hornbeck
d. Looking around him,
He tugged at the door
He jerked Long to his
.” he directed. “I want

hrugged. “I don’t know
he said.
p you to remember,”
, and raised his gun to
ess man.

moment that the huge
ed close by happened to
It fell with a reverberat-
ook the building. Long
ise for what it was and
it it threw the bandits
ic. They started in the
sound, only to be di-
knock on the rear out-
them. Hornbeck sprang
yeephole and raised the
it; H aimed it shut.
1e @) 2d.

was icsumed. “Open
inded. ©
yonded Hornbeck. With
thought, he stooped and
sailor to his feet; Gold-
‘the bartender. Holding
yes before them as living
k threw back the door.
he cried, and then a
ited his features. “We've

the first to see him and
} gun; Hornbeck moved
er so as to ensure pro-
ny funny business,” he
ese two are dead men.”
r the first time; perhaps
he felt the muzzle of a
‘inst his back. His voice
i cracked. “Please move
Even as he spoke, the
me bright as day from
ie spotlights, focused

‘llingly obeyed; Patrol-
a perfect marksman,
r vantage. The sergeant

to get under cover.
at him and slowly re-
then stood watching. So
d all the other officers
oving their living shields
lly reached the Chrysler.
yurst of profanity when
red that the ignition keys

x il tight grasp, he
u eaching it, he

ess bartender after him, _

wn in the front seat.
behind was Hornbeck,
sailor into the rear and

ind him. Gun in hand, .-
-driver’s seat, turned the.)

‘foot sought the starter. y:
8

S rea

The engine roared into life and the Buick
moved slowly forward.

_Disregarding his own safety, Patrol-
man Robinson ran forward to intercept
the fleeing car. From behind came two
loud bursts of gunfire. The Buick paused
and then lurched sideways, its rear right

. tire shot to fragments. From all sides

‘came spasmodic firing, returned by those
in the car. The sailor cried out that he
was hit, and dropped to the ground. Gold-
man slipped from behind the wheel and
made toward what seemed the sole un-
guarded spot—the large field with high
growing weeds.

Robinson loomed suddenly before him:
Goldman’s gun spat fire. There was a
return shot; Goldman returned it once—
twice. Robinson dropped. Goldman con-
tinued to run in a fanfare of blazing fire.
The darkness swallowed him up.

The bartender, arms still bound behind
him, made a sudden bolt for the field.
Hornbeck rose to his feet, took deliberate
aim and fired. Long ran several steps
farther, stumbled and fell. His body
vanished from view. Then Hornbeck
made a sudden break.

From all sides came renewed firing.
Hornbeck suddenly stumbled. Johnston,
not far behind, saw he had tripped over
the prone Robinson. The bandit rose and
kicked savagely at the motionless figure.
Fearful of hitting their own man, the
police stopped firing. Taking advantage of
the lull, Hornbeck stooped, wrenched
Robinson’s gun from his outstretched
hand. Then he, too, disappeared into the
night. Officers broke from cover to follow.

Johnston paused by the side of Patrol-
man Robinson, the World War II veteran
who had joined the force two years before.
The officer lay beyond all help, with a
bullet wound in his head.

The sergeant hurried to join the others,
only to learn that they had been out-
distanced. Both bandits had apparently
escaped. Later, a search of the weed-
cluttered field uncovered the two living
shields. Neither had been injured. Hafer
had dropped to get out of gunfire range
and Long had dropped into a ditch.-

Radioing back to headquarters for an
ambulance, Johnston reported the escape
of the bandits. Every available county and
city police officer was ordered to the
scene, as well as a large contingent of
FBI Agents. When a search of the area
failed to disclose the presence of either
bandit, FBI men began a house-to-house
canvass.

Shortly after 2 o'clock, 48-year-old
Barto B. Holbrook, a truck mechanic
living on Peacefield Street, a half mile or
more from the Worth Club, was awak-
ened by a loud pounding on. the door.

He opened it to find himself staring into
the muzzles of two leveled pistols. “Give
me the keys to your car,” the man behind
them thundered.

Holbrook, the father of nine children,
did not argue. Grabbing the keys, the
bandit backed the machine from beneath
the car port and sped away into the night.

At 2:20, there came a report to head-
quarters: from Duval Patrolmen R. W.
Grant, J. B. Bullard and J. C. Patrick,
patrolling the area. They had just noticed
a green 1950 Ford near Park Street and
Cassat Avenue, they stated. Hood and
radiator were enveloped in some white
covering.

At 2:27, the radio dispatcher was back
on the air. “That green Ford you re-
ported,” the dispatcher told Grant, “was
just stolen from the home of a man by
the name of Holbrook. There’s every
reason to believe that it contains the
fugitives.”

“That car was heading toward Middle-

~

burg,” Grant- stated. “Maybe. we can
catch up with it.” Turning, the patrolman
started down Blandville Boulevard. The
road remained empty until they passed
Middlesburg. Then Bullard touched
Grant’s arm.

“Twin taillights a mile and a_ half
ahead.”

Grant nodded. “I’ve been watching,”
he replied, and glanced at the speed-
ometer. They were making 90; he pushed
down the accelerator. The needle jumped
to 95 and held. But the car ahead was
more than holding its own. Grant shoved
his foot to the floor.

The distance between the two cars
narrowed.

“Looks like the car we want,” one of
the men ventured.

They drew closer. From the side win-
dow of the car ahead there came the flash
of flame and the whine of a bullet.

“It is the car,” returned Grant grimly.

But nurse the throttle as he would, he
could get no closer, and the distance again
began to widen. The officers kept on the
tail of the runaway car as they roared
through Starke and then swerved north-
ward on State Road 16 and on past the
Florida State Prison. Six or eight miles
outside Lake Butler, Bullard again
touched Grant’s arm.

“They’re in trouble,” he said. “There's
heavy smoke pouring out from under the
chassis.”

As the distance between them again
grew short, a white handkerchief fluttered
from the window; Grant acknowledged it
with his lights. But there was no slacken-
ing of speed until they had reached Lake
Butler. Then the driver ahead suddenly
applied brakes. In a cloud of smoke, the
car lurched ‘to the side of the road and
stopped. With down bent head, a little
man stepped out, waving the handker-
chief.

It was Sam Hornbeck. “Don't shoot,”
he begged.

“Where’s your partner?” Grant ques-
tioned.

Hornbeck shrugged. He hadn’t seen
him since the two had left the wrecked
Buick, he replied. Nor was he armed. He
had thrown away his guns during the
chase. But he did have money—$229.36
stashed away in a rear hip pocket.

“If my engine hadn't overheated,” he
stated, “you never would have caught
me.”

Johnston and other Duval County
officers arrived. Notifying Union County
Sheriff J. H. Whitehead of the capture,
they brought back the prisoner to Jack-
sonville. Goldman, it was learned, hadn't
made good his escape—he was found at
daybreak. He lay in a ditch behind the
Worth Club, riddled with bullets. To date,
the shiny snub-nosed .32- caliber English
automatic has not been found. But Robin-
son’s gun was picked up on a lawn where
Hornbeck had thrown it, and was re-
turned to Duval County Patrol Head-
quarters.

*On Wednesday, January 6, 1954, Horn-
beck, attending the inquest, listened as
witnesses implicated him in the fatal
shooting of Patrolman Robinson. Later.
the six-man coroner’s jury found that the
patrolman had been shot by either Gold-

-man or Hornbeck.

At this writing, the case has not yet
been presented to the grand jury. No date
has been set for either the murder hearing
soon to come or the grand jury probe.
Neither have the two missing wives ,of
the desperadoes been located.

But one thing is certain. Come what
will, Sam Hornbeck is in a tough spot
which can get tougher!

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HORNBECK, Samuel J., wh, elec. FL (Duval) December 12, 1955

POLICE FILES reserves this page
to pay tribute to those brave and vigi-
lant law enforcement officers who by
their valor and selfless devotion to duty.
bring especial honor to the badge of
their office and police departments
everywhere. The case cited this month
is but one selected from many instances
of extraordinary police heroism which
usually receive no more attention than
a few brief lines in local newspapers,

This month the editors salute Patrol.

Sergeant W. F. Johnston: and Highway
Patrolman T. A. Robinson, Jr., of Jack-
sonville, Florida. Both officers were in-
strumental in bringing two notorious
desperados to book. To do this, Rob-
inson made the supreme sacrifice and
Save his life in line of duty.

Goldman and Samuel Hornbeck —
were in County Jail in Savannah,
Georgia, waiting to be transferred to
the federal pen in Atlanta: In the
preceding April they had stuck up and
looted a Savannah bank of $83,359;
they had been captured, convicted, and
given twenty-five years apiece. They
were desperate men with-long records.
Hornbeck was an accomplished escape
artist, having twice crashed out of Jef-

‘ferson County Jail. The authotities

are still trying to figure out . how
Hornbeck managed to get hold of a
gun, that Sunday night. Perhaps it had
been concealed in a box of cereal he was
known to have received from someone
on the outside.

The Marshal arrived at the jail to

0

There are six principal
terms:

1. Alopecia from d)
2. Alopecia from ot
3. Alopecia of the a
4. Alopecia areata (
5. Alopecia of the y
6. Alopecia at birth

Senile, premature and
known to modern scie
requires the advice anc

BUT MANY MEDI
SCALP DISEASE IS

This disease is called :
forms with the followi:

1. DRY SEBORRHEA: T
less, and without gloss.
is usually present with
mess. Hair loss is consid
with the progress of thi:

2. OILY SEBORRHEA: T
oily and greasy. The h:

call for his prisoners. When the guards . vy . to the touch and has. a
N Sunday night, December 13th, unlocked the cell door, Hornbeck whip- Two brave policemen exchanged shots Dandruff takes

° ¢ ; gether.
ie ; : aA with the Georgia escapees, Patrolman sales. Scalp is usual
two case-hardened felons Myron ped out a nickel plated 32 and snarle Robinson (above) was killed in ion ually

severe with baldness as
. duel, but Sgt. W. F. Johnston lived to
a show Patrolman J. V. Bullard (right)
, gun he used to blast convicts’ car.

Many doctors agree th
these symptoms of [
SEBORRHEA is toINV

Seborrhea is believed to
germ organisms — stap)
Pityrosporum ovale, and

° These germs attack the
causing an abnormal. w
gland. The hair follicle,
gland, then begins to at
until the hair follicle d:

But seborrhea can be ‘cc
organisms believed to ca
destroy your‘normal hai

aes

Death of a mad dog. Convict Myron Goldman's debt to society is paid in full.

An epic of dauntless police
Courage as two cons bid high -
for freedom in a flareup of
fury near Jacksonville, Fla.

A post-war developmer
organisms on contact. Pr
strated in laboratory test
tories in America. (Cor

When used as directed,
lates the flow of blood
the appearance of your |
thea. Your hair looks mc

You may safely follow t
curious, and finally deci:

. POLICE FILES POLICE FILES
: «

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POLICE FILES, May, 1954


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jail break. A check on Savannah stores
disclosed that shortly after the two wives
had been released, a woman answering
Mrs. Hornbeck’s description had pur-
chased a nickel-plated snub-nosed gun.
The dealer said the weap6n was a .32-cal-
iber, English-made Walters automatic.

Acting under orders of Assistant U. S.
Attorney Donald H. Frazer, warrants
were secured from U. S. Commissioner
William A. Wells, Jr.. charging Norma
Jean Goldman and Patsy Ruth Hornbeck
with aiding the men to escape. It seemed
probable that in the event of their capture,
they would be further charged with pro-
viding the getaway car found with run-
ning motor and parked in the graveyard
adjoining the jail.

Mrs. Goldman, 20 years old and a native
of Melber, Kentucky, was described as
5 feet 334 inches tall, 111 pounds, hazel
eyes, light brown hair and fair complex-
ion, with a mole on the left side of eye-
brow. Mrs. Hornbeck, 34 years of age,
was said to be 5 feet 3% inches in height;
she weighed 130 pounds, had hazel eyes,
medium dark chestnut hair and medium
dark complexion. On her left forearm was
a heart and a scroll tattoo inscribed with
the name “Millie.”

Bond for the two women, if caught, was
ordered hiked from $500 to $50,000. Wells
also issued warrants for Hornbeck and
Goldman, charging them with escaping.

Early on the morning of Tuesday,
December 15th, Savannah police received
a telephone call from a local resident,
Prince Hayward. He stated he had been
kidnaped by Hornbeck and Goldman
about 7 o’clock Monday evening outside a
Savannah night club on Colorado Avenue.
At the time, he had been seated with
Julius Williams, a friend, in the front seat
of a 1948 Chrysler he had purchased only
that morning.

In company with Williams, he was
forced to drive the bandits around the city
and into suburban Thunderbolt at the
point of guns held by both bandits. At 10
o’clock, Hornbeck ordered Hayward to
drive him to his home. There, after a
specially cooked meal, Hornbeck and
Goldman went into Hayward’s living
room, where they watched television.
Shortly after midnight, Williams gave his
captors the slip. Alarmed, the two bandits
fled in Hayward’s light green Chrysler
sedan. With varying emotions, Hayward
watched the twin taillights of his “new”
car fade from view. Then he called the
police. ,

Hayward was taken to the office of
State Attorney William A. Hallowes,
where he was questioned further by Dep-
uties Hartley and Walker. Meanwhile, out
at county police headquarters, Corporal
Thomas J. “Mickey” Dooley broadcast
the description of the stolen car and its
license number. The flash went through-
out Georgia, into Florida, the Carolinas,
to be picked up again and the alarm re-
layed over the entire Southern area.

Over in Baldwin County in the not-too-
far-distant state of Alabama, Sheriff Tay-
lor Wilkins at Bay Minette began taking
additional precautions. He felt there was
a good chance the two fleeing desperadoes
might make the attempt to liberate their
former confederate, Albert Sidney Den-
ton. After his conviction in the Savannah
trial, this man had been moved to the
southern Alabama town to face additional
charges of a gang slaying. Inside and out-
side the jail, additional armed guards
began a patrol.

As police throughout the vast territory
began to eye with suspicion every speed-
ing car, the Wanted Flash was broadcast
again and again into the ether:

74 vay

ATTENTION ALL POLICE — ATTENTION
ALL POLICE—HoRNBECK AND GOLDMAN,
SAVANNAH JAIL BREAKERS, COULD BE
HEADING YOUR WAY. DRIVING STOLEN
1948 CHRYSLER SEDAN—LIGHT GREEN
RODY—WHITE WALL TIRES—1953 GEor-
GIA REGISTRATION F-9562. Use CAUTION.
THESE MEN ARE ARMED AND DANGER-
ous.

Down in Duval County, Florida, Ser-
geant W. F. Johnston of the Road Patrol
was making his rounds. Out on the lonely
outskirts of Jacksonville, he glanced at
the luminous dial of his wrist watch—the
hands pointed to 1:50, this morning of
Wednesday, December 16. Johnston
turned west.

Usually at this hour during the week,
Karl Hellenthal’s Worth Club at 5004
Normandy Boulevard near Cassat Ave-
nue lay bleak and deserted. But tonight
lights shone from the rear business office
and, as he drew abreast, the officer ob-
served cars parked behind the Club. He
drove toward them. Disregarding the

Buick convertible, he turned to study a ~

light colored sedan parked near the rear
door. Its motor was running. With both
exhaust and steam rising in clouds to
befog the rear license plates, it was not
until he came close that he could read the
number. .

It was 1953 Georgia F-9562. And the
car was a light green 1948 Chrysler sedan
with white wall tires! Hand on gun, John-
ston glanced about him; there was no
trace of the occupants.

Backing up the patrol car, Sergeant
Johnston lifted the receiver of his radio
telephone, calling both the Road Patrol
office and the Jacksonville Police. “Send
me as many men as you can—and
quickly!” he directed; then cautioned,
“But use no sirens.”

Stepping from the patrol car, he hurried
to the deserted Chrysler. He again looked
about him, then, reaching quickly inside,
he shut off the motor and slipped the car
keys in his pocket. There was still no indi-
cation his presence had been discovered
but he moved warily. Back at his own car,
the sergeant drew out his riot gun and
slipped quickly to the rear door of the
club, where he stood watching, eyes try-
ing to penetrate the shadows.

The Duval County patrolmen were the
first to arrive—Thomas Allen Robinson,
Jr., George C. Troeger, R. N. Miller, J. ta
Patrick and R. E. Dowling. Close behind
them came three city police cars filled
with officers. Johnston kept mental count
as they stepped out. There were ten in
all, Stepping forward into the shadows,
he briefed them quickly as to what they
might expect. Hornbeck and Goldman
were probably inside the club. They were

armed; they were dangerous; they could.

come out shooting. “Watch out,” he con-
cluded.

As Johnston looked around, he recog-
nized T. A. Robinson, Jr., one of the
most popular mén of the Duval County
Patrol. “You're one of the guys I’m cau-
tioning,” the sergeant remarked. “You've
got a wife and kids.” Then he waited.
“You alt know what we’re going to do?”
he asked, and' then ordered: “Get
moving!”

In the instant before the men started
carrying out their orders, from inside the
building there came a sudden _rending
crash which roared loud in the stillness.

Sergeant Johnston ran to the door... .
As the police later learned, Doyle Long,
the Worth Club bartender, alone except
for a solitary customer, had, shortly be-
fore 1:30, started to close down the bar.
Accompanied by the customer, Otto
Hafer, a sailor from the nearby Naval Air

Training Center, Long stood outside,
talking as he turned the key in the lock.
As the two then moved toward Hafer’s
convertible, a light-toned Chrysler ground
to a stop beside them and a voice hailed
them from the car interior.

“Hey, bud,” a man called. “I want to
see you.” -

The bartender hesitated and a small
man leaped from the car, nickel-plated
gun in hand. “Open that door,” he
ordered, aid when Long still didn’t
move, cocked the trigger. “I guess you
don't know who we are,” he said. “We're
the two jail breakers—Hornbeck and
Goldman.”

Long unlocked’ the door and swung it
open. Hornbeck, joined by Goldman,
pushed the bartender and the sailor inside.
There they trussed both with baling wire,
after seizing their. valuables. Hornbeck
still wasn’t satisfied. Looking around him,
he spied the safe. He tugged at the door
but it was locked. He jerked Long to his
feet. “Get to work,” he directed. “I want
what’s inside.”

The bartender shrugged. “I don’t know
the combination,” he said.

“This may help you to remember,”
Hornbeck snapped, and raised his gun to
strike the defenseless man.

It was at this moment that the huge
ice machine located close by happened to
drop an overload. It fell with a reverberat-
ing crash that shook the building. Long
recognized the noise for what it was and
paid no heed. But it_ threw the bandits
into a jittery panic. They started in the
direction of the sound, only to be di-
verted by a loud knock on the rear out-
side door behind them. Hornbeck sprang
to the old-time peephole and raised the
shutter to peer out; He slammed it shut.

“The police,” he exploded.

The knocking was resumed. “Open
up,” a voice demanded. —

“Coming,” responded Hornbeck. With
the quickness of thought, he stooped and
raised the bound sailor to his feet; Gold-
man reached for the bartender. Holding
the helpless captives before them as living
shields, Hornbeck threw back the door.
“Don’t shoot,” he cried, and then a
demonic grin lighted his features. “We've
got hostages.”

Johnston was the first to see him and
he raised his riot gun; Hornbeck moved
the body of Hafer so as to ensure pro-
tection. “Try any funny business,” he
warned, “and these two are dead men.”

Long spoke for the first time; perhaps
it was because he felt the muzzle of a
gun pressing against his back. His voice
was strained and cracked. “Please move
back,” he urged. Even as he spoke, the
whole scene became bright as day from
powerful portable spotlights, focused
from all angles.

Johnston unwillingly obeyed; Patrol-
man Robinson, a perfect marksman,
moved for a better vantage. The sergeant
shouted for him to get under cover.
Robinson looked at him and slowly re-
traced his steps, then stood watching. So
did Johnston and all the other officers
as the bandits, shoving their living shields
before them, finally reached the Chrysler.
There came a burst of profanity when
Goldman discovered that the ignition keys
were missing.

Holding Long in his tight grasp, he
made for the Buick. Reaching it, he
dragged the hapless bartender after him,
forcing him down in the front seat.
Following close behind was Hornbeck,
who jerked the sailor into the rear and

crawled in behind him. Gun in hand, |
Goldman, in the driver’s seat, turned the 5).
ignition and his foot sought the starter. |

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_... hoodlums passing through this area all the year. ‘round. Many

_. drive* through‘ peacefully, but a: few’ invariably. stop off at
~ Jacksonville with the idea of making a “score” here to finance.

their seasonal play programs further South. As a result of this
situation we have more than our share of violent crime on
the professional level.

_ . This case really started at breakfast time, up in Savannah,

Georgia, on Tuesday, December 14th, last year. Samuel Horn-
beck—about 36, five-feet six, weighing 140, slim and with a
pock-marked face—and his colleague in crime, Myron Peter
Goldman—32, six feet, 200 pounds, with light brown, crew-
cut hair and blue eyes—were being held in the Chatham

Each had a record of violent crime from coast to coast. In
Savannah they both had been convicted of bank robbery, had
been sentenced to 25 years each, and were being held tem-
porarily for transfer to a Federal prison.

On the morning of the 14th, dark, smiling and ingratiating

Mrs. Hornbeck showed up early at the Chatham County jail ©
with what seemed a very human request: Her man was de- °
voted to a certain brand of cereal; he was nuts about it. It -

was unlikely jail fare, so she’d brought a box. Would the jailer
mind seeing that it reached Hornbeck?

The jailer wouldn’t mind. He was a human sort of guy, too.
But unfortunately the innocent-appearing cereal package con-
tained a fully loaded revolver! And that’s all Hornbeck needed.
With the gun, he and Goldman cowed three Chatham County
jail guards, took a revolver from one of them, and made a
clean getaway.

What followed was true to the known modus operandi of
Goldman, the cold-blooded killer of the duo. Instead of try-
ing to leave Savannah immediately, they knocked on the door
of a house occupied by a Negro family. When the door was
opened, they flashed their guns, forced their way in, and spent

the day hiding out and, holding their unwilling hosts at gun —

point. After dark they took the keys to the family’s 1948
Chrysler sedan. us

At this point, of course, nobody knew which direction they
were headed. But the owner made an immediate report, and
when Duval County Sergeant William F. Johnston came on
duty in Jacksonville that night, he noted the FBI report of the
escape which had been broadcast throughout the area.

Bill made appropriate notes in his little blue book, and, in
addition to his other duties, started looking for the stolen car
and its occupants,

Tie Ge
“Well Rta

- Tt was a singularly. cold and. very: dark-night. Sometime
around ‘one o'clock ‘Bill -had a rendezvous -with a patrol car

ae

continued his own lonely patrol. He was driving a special Ford.
Interceptor, and was the senior man in the field.
Passing down Normandy Boulevard, Bill took a good look

at the parking lot in the rear of the cafe owned by Karl Hallen-

thal, some six miles west of J acksonville. There were dim lights
in the cafe, and what Bill saw on the parking lot made him
tighten his grip on the wheel. Barely visible from the street
was the front end of a car which could be the stolen

County jail in Savannah. Both men were Federal prisoners. ae Chrysler.

Johnston drove down the street; entered the parking lot
from the far end, and drove up within three feet of the rear
of the Chrysler to read the tag, so heavy was the mist hanging
in the air. But the tag told him all he needed to know. It was
Georgia license F-9563—the car in which Hornbeck and
Goldman had escaped—and the motor was running. ~ .

Bill immediately switched off his lights, backed the police
cruiser into the dark shadows at the rear of the lot, and radioed
Robbie and Troeger to join him at once. vig

Meanwhile, a word about Hornbeck and Goldman: Hall-
enthal’s cafe, standing at the corner of Normandy Boulevard
and Truman Avenue, is a large affair, and one from which
experienced stick-up artists might well expect to make a siz-
able haul. Hornbeck and Goldman had driven to the rear of
the cafe, but had not entered. Sometime after one o’clock in
the morning, the night manager, Doyle H. Long, had emerged

from the rear door with his last customer—Aviation Ord- |

nanceman First Class Otto Hafer, attached to the Naval Air
Station at Jacksonville.

That was the moment Hornbeck and Goldman had been
waiting for. They immediately threw down their guns on
Long and Hafer, hustled them back into the cafe as hostages,
tied their hands behind them with wire, and started looting the

- geveral cash registers the place boasted. Meanwhile Bill

Johnston had cut off the motor, stuck the key in his pocket,

and radioed for aid. :
“Within two minutes Robbie and Troeger arrived, and sec-

onds later Jacksonville City Police cars started converging on .

the scene.
Sergeant Johnston posted his men at the corners of the cafe

building. Carrying a riot gun, Bill made a careful inspection

* of the lay of the land outside the cafe. Two tall, gooseneck

operated by Patrolman Thomas'B. Robinson, Jr,, and G. Cie
Troeger, and satisfied himself*that they had the alert. Bill then >

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|
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f * Was on Grind, —

Ny

Thene officers co paeaaee Turknett lying
on-the ground. He was put in Pur-
cell's machine and waa driven to. St
Luke's hospital by the chauffeur.
Turknett remained conscious, atating
that he knew that he could not Iive.
He was shot three times,.in the ab-
domen, in-the-teft hip and in the right
ahoulder. Burkhalter returned to the
corner of Kings road and Johnson
atreet with Purcell, who waa held as,
a witnena.

A larwe mumber of pouvenes then!
bewan to -arrive and the chase was
started without any  clew and was
ones huccessfully about nine hours

late
‘A Speedy Trial,

Pe delat 8 Attorney” we Os Do yoNelr wan at

she pe lice pheadauarters when Howell)
rought in, He immediately com-

ps mlgatad with the, grand jury. puw in
‘nesaion.. It tv sald ¢

at the grand jury
will ake sup, thd ethyl immodiataly.
and hat a speedy rial of tho ea
ollow,
. The patice headquarters bulldin
draped in mourning., The | Amer Bea
flag, files at half-mas from the top
of. the @treecture. Charles ¥,i \ Turlepett
was a man of quiet dispoaftion, and he
was well like Dy his fellow: officers
ang Jarre number of frienda: about
es ofty. ite waa 48 yeare old, and was
red in Duval county, The officer. la
furvived by. his widow, Mra. Leola’ M.
de nett PR gk three sons: Kenneth.

ne, 1 dl hog ana’ c Charies
Ha ind ie x wares ey. ote: word
Expressed Bgret.

ieee es ‘ere ¥, GR ch: last

nice A hey deep sorrowlover t

Aeaath of the offi eer. He utakes that
Turenece J ad a splen ey rd awan
officer, a was nat the at men

woulg m yinel provision for the
yr idew and the ¢ hildre who are heart-
Lrpken ‘because of “thelf terrible joaa,:

In the! a artment. He ‘said the clty”
Te ite



BYRDLE HUDGINS...continued/Penzer

didn't locate him. He waited until it became light before making his way
from the area by following along a canal, and then laid low until sundown.

Then he made his way to the highway, attempted to thumb a ride, and
was picked up by farmers Gary Fowler and Frank Walker. Fowler, believing
their passenger was the man being sought by the police, drove directly toa
police barricade. As he approached it he yelled to Boarder Patrol officers
James McDonaid and $.E. Hawkins, “Here's your manl" Hudgins, about to
shoot again, was stopped by Officer Hawkins who grabbed the weapon.

After being questioned by officers at the county jail, Hudgins
confessed. .

THE VICTIM:

Luther P. Daniel, a 32-year-old white male, was a native of Georgia
who lived most of his life in Florida. Daniel worked as a motorcycle officer in
Key West before moving to South Miami with his wife, Florence, and 9-year-
old son, Billie. He had only been with the state highway patrol some four
months when he was murdered on December 5, 1941.

Besides his wife and son, he was survived by two sisters, a brother
and his father. Most of the family was at the Daniel's home after the incident
to comfort Mrs. Daniel who was so grief-struck she was unable to get out of
bed.

Because Daniel was a member of the Trinity Methodist Church in both
Key West and Miami, funeral services, which took place on Monday,
December 8, 1941, were held in the Philbrick Funeral Home in Miami and
then the body was taken to Key West for burial.

THE OFFENDER:

Byrdle Hudgins, a white male who was 22 years old at the time of his
arrest, was, like Daniel, a native of Georgia. Tall and athletic looking, he had
been honorably discharged from the Army because of an injury he suffered
while serving in Hawaii: he was hit by the recoil of a field gun. Army medical
records also state that Hudgins suffered from epileptic seizures.

PAGE 3


Using sailor Otto Hafer, left, and bartender Doyle Long, right, as human shields, the two desperadoes tried to break
through police cordon. Hostages escaped unharmed amid wild gun battle; one of the bandits and a police officer were killed.

Ingram’s gttention, They stuffed the box of clothing in my
hand and forced me to tell Ingram to open the small trap at
the bottom to take the clothing.”

“And did he ?”

“He did. And the instant he did, Hornbeck pushed me
to one side and jabbed the gun into his belly. Told him if
he didn’t open up, he’d blow out his guts. Ingram had
nothing else to do but comply. Once inside the front office,
Hornbeck opened the desk drawer and took out Ingram’s
pistol, which he gave to Goldman.”

“They seemed to know all the answers,” Harris exploded.

Hall nodded. The strain was beginning to tell. He went
on to say that he was then forced to lead them down the
short hallway to the rear door, which they made him open.
Then the two captive sergeants were brought back to the
first-floor cell block and thrown in with Chapman. After-
ward the escapees relocked all doors and fled.

“Fortunately,” Hall concluded, “they had not thought to
search Ingram, who had his set of keys. He made his way
to the front office and gave the alarm.”

Officers were at once dispatched to the neighboring
hotel to pick up the two wives. But they had checked out
during the afternoon without giving any hint as to their
destination,

Parked in the graveyard adjoining the prison, a green
automobile was found with motor running. Evidently it had
been planted there in readiness for the getaway, but for
some reason had not been used. The sheriff was red with
anger.

“I want to know where the prisoners got that gun,” he
demanded.

For the moment nobody had the answer.

A search of the vacant cells revealed several packages of
breakfast cereal. One of these had been opened and its con-
tents scattered:

“That could account for the gun,” one of the county de-
tectives observed.

“No food is supposed to come into this prison unless it
has been thoroughly searched,” Harris shouted, “and I
propose to learn why this wasn’t done.”

Minutes later, the investigators continuing their search
of the grounds inside the 12-foot walls picked up the key
ring which had been taken from Hall. Checking further.
they discovered the escapees had apparently scaled the wall
by climbing up on the door of an outhouse in the jail yard
and getting from the roof of [Continued on page 73]

Police were waiting for desperadoes when they came
out back entrance of Worth Club, above. Right rear
tire of getaway car was riddled by Sgt. Johnson.


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Myron Goldman, center, and Sam Hornbeck, right, shown with Inspector Frank J. Mondike, were named the two most
dangerous men in America. Their wives, Norma Goldman, above, and Patsy Hornbeck, right, vanished after men escaped.

M yron Peter Goldman and Samuel J. Hornbeck had escaped! Two of
America’s most desperate criminals—using a gun that had been smuggled
into their cell—had just forced their way out of the Chatham County jail in
Savannah, Georgia.

Along the southern coast from Virginia to Florida, police were alerted and
the man hunt was on.

It was on the night of Sunday, December 13, 1953, the next to last Sunday
before Christmas; down in the picturesque city of Savannah, religious-
minded folk were on their way home from church when the news broke with
the whine of-sirens.

Prowl cars carrying police armed with riot and machine gufs cruised the
streets gay with holiday trimmings; more swarmed down the palm-lined
avenue leading to the docks. Outside city limits, others rolled roadblocks into
position as the alarm spread from state to state by radio, teletype and tele-
vision.

Earlier that same month—on December 3—it had appeared that the crimi-
nal careers of the diminutive 34-year-old Hornbeck and the burly, six-foot,
32-year-old Goldman had been definitely halted. Both had been sentenced to
serve 25 years for their part in the $83,359 robbery on April 10, 1953 of the
Southside Branch of the Citizens and Southern National Bank in Savannah.

From the time of their capture—with their wives and two other men
alleged to have been involved—it had been very evident that the government
was taking no chances with either Hornbeck or Goldman. The United States
Attorney had labeled them the two most dangerous men in the country,

KILLER OUT]

On a crime spree, two of America's most dangerous criminals must choose between

surrender and shooting it out with police. Their choice is deadly ....

Heroic Patrolman T. A. Robinson, Jr.,
was killed in gun exchange with bandits.

Se ce

‘ite

ee


told the sheriff. “With-

we don't‘stand a chance .

g on that fellow.”

. “We'll get our con-
red Snyder. “I know that
born as a mule. He
adm a thing, and
» he acquitted. But
we v_.. . prove his guilt.
over the difference be-
rs in jail and the electric
ady to talk.”

strategy was successful.
hour later, Hawk sent
had something to say.
im brought in from his

an’s face was haggard,
a sly glint in his dark
> make a statement,” he

ig,” the sheriff declared. —

mfession from you.”

sssion turned to one of
ren I'll talk anyway!” he
that fire. I wanted to kill

for a stenographer, who
ph Hawk's words as he
onfession.

to the Gelwix house after
lace,” he said. “They were
there for a while wonder-
ild be like to be married,
iden I didn’t want to go
I had a feeling that I was

just what it was that -

nind. I’d been begging
arry me all along. Maybe
ter her mother wrote—I
how she would boss me
rd.

ried ure what I could
in’t ay way out. All
its had been made and I
ll the marriage off on the
a trick like that would
putation. So I decided to
make it look like an acci-

e got some kerosene from
the kitchen, poured it over
women and splashed it
yms of the bungalow. He
1e bedroom where Mrs.
elen Louise were sleeping
i the door so they couldn't
awakened.
z to do the same to Cath-
“but I saw a flashlight on
d decided to hit her with
at way she would never
pened.”
1 killer seemed relieved to
sion off his chest. Booked
§ murder, Hawk laughed
h his jailers, consoled by
he would escape the full
_ crime.

a futile hope. The cruel
; act brought the case wide
defense counsel discovered
other had died in a burning
he still was a child, and
were called in to decide
night have some bearing on
urders. Their opinion was
not, and Hawk was pro-

vict — { sentenced to die.
Nas aled, but his plea
al v... .enied. On March
>») Hawk was electrocuted
Penitentiary in Bellfonte,

,

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lan Carter and Sally Martin are | PS

t the identity of persons innocently
iwestigation.)

‘

Odd Killer Out

[Continued from page 33]

this outhouse to the top of the wall.

Police, their guns at the ready, scat-
tered into the shadows of Colonial Park,
which lay beyond.

But there was no trace of either Horn-
beck or Goldman.

Outside the city. in the desolate coun-
tryside, more cordons were closing in,
reporting to Lieutenant Thomas J. Ma-
honey of the county police. In addition to
Savannah police, there were others under
command of Chief D. A. McCutchen of
the Savannah Beach police, Chief Robert
P. Crowder and Officer J. Q. James of
Garden City. These men helped county
officers establish roadblocks on U. S.
Route 17, north and south; U. S. Route 80
and State Route 21, the only highways
leading out of the county. As they worked
tirelessly, the officers remembered some
words uttered by Goldman which they
had hitherto considered an idle boast.

“There’s no jail strong enough to hold
Hornbeck and me,” he had taunted. “And
no police force smart enough to bring us
in. The next time we mix up with John
Law, it’s going to be either him or us.”
Then he had added, “And it won’t be us.”

‘On this same Sunday night of Decem-
ber 13, young Jack Fogarty and his attrac-
tive wife, Betty, of 1133 Henry Street in
Savannah, were, contrary to custom, at
the movies.

With baby sitters at a premium, they
spent most of their nights at home; but on
that particular date a picture was sched-
uled to appear at the Savannah Theater
that Betty had been most eager to sce.
Her father-in-law had offered to come
over with his wife to watch the baby. So
Jack and Betty had driven downtown to
catch the 7 o’clock show.

It was sometime after 9 that they came
out of the theater and walked back to
Chippewa Square, where they had parked
their 1950 two-door Chevrolet. Jack
started the motor; they were about to pull
away from the curb when a man ran up.
He reached for the car door and wrenched
it open.

Then it was for the first time that Jack
noticed the nickel-plated snub-nosed gun
which he held in his hand.

“This is a stick-up,” he warned. “Keep -

calm and nobody will get hurt.” He waved
the gun in the young husband’s direction.
“Move over!” he ordered.

From the shadows, another figure
emerged and the two hold-up men
squeezed themselves inside the car.

“Get going,” the slighter of the two
snarled. Under his direction, the Chevro-
let moved forward. Partway around the
square, Fogarty was told to go west on
Hull to Jefferson. As the rays of a passing
street light shone op the features of the
two men, Betty started.

The younger of the two noticed the
movement. “What’s wrong, lady?” he
asked.

Betty fought to keep her fright from
showing. “Nothing,” she replied, swal-
lowing hard, “but your friend here looks
to me like Goldman—” she paused—“‘the
bank robber.”

The heavier of the two men turned.
“That’s me,” he admitted, apparently
pleased at the recognition, and then he
smirked. “I’m Myron Goldman and my
friend is Sam Hornbeck.”

“You can’t be,” Betty stammered, try-
ing to keep her voice light. “You're in

ail.”
Both men chuckled. “Were in jail,”

*

Hornbeck corrected. “But we're out
now.” His voice thinned and hardened.
“And we're going to stay out, too.”
Unconsciously Betty shrank back.
Hornbeck grinned, enjoying her discom-
fiture. “Don’t get excited, lady,” he ad-
vised. “Think of the story you'll tell your
girl friends tomorrow.” He paused. “That
is, if there is a tomorrow.” He turned to

, the husband as the car neared an intersec-

tion. “Listen, you,” he said, all softness
gone. “Watch your driving. No slipping
up on stop signs or stop lights. Or doing
anything else that will get the police orf
our tail.’ He glanced behind him as he
spoke; the road was clear.

Fogarty slowed for another intersection
and then, acting under orders, he turned
left on Gwinnett, right to Montgomery,
south to Henry—their own street—and
then on to West Broad. “Look,” he said
finally, as he slowed for another intersec-
tion. “You don’t sound like bad guys to
me. Why not take the car and my money
and let us get out of here?”

“We've already got the car,” Hornbeck
reminded him. “As for money, thanks,
buddy, but we don’t need it. We're
loaded.” He moved his gun closer and the
trigger clicked to full cock. “Turn west.”

While the hunt for the two escapees
continued throughout the area, more and
more facts were coming out concerning
the jail break and it was becoming appar-
ent that both Goldman and Hornbeck had
done a thorough casing job. Not only had
they secured accurate knowledge of the
jail layout but they had planned every
move in careful detail.

Sheriff Harris informed County Police
Chief William F. Chapman and J. M.
Lopez, Special Agent in charge of the Sa-
vannah Division of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, that at 3:30 on the after-
noon of the jail break, Hornbeck and
Goldman had received a visit from their
wives. The private conference had taken
place in a small office in the jail adminis-
tration quarters while a deputy stood on
guard at the door. At this time, the
women had presented their husbands with
several boxes of their favorite breakfast
cereal. Later these same packages had
been found in Goldman’s cell, with one of
the boxes opened and its contents scat-
tered, The prisoners had been given the
routine frisk on their return to their cells
and the pistol had not been discovered
upon their persons; therefore, there must
have been carelessness on the part of one
or more jail employes, who had allowed
the food packages to go into the cell un-
opened. Steps were being taken, the ‘sher-
iff assured them, to uncover the identity
of those responsible.

First word regarding the whereabouts
of the wanted fugitives came shortly after
10 o'clock that same Sunday evening,
when a sergeant in a city patrol car re-
ported he had just-been contacted by Mr.
and Mrs. John J. Fogarty at the corner of
Henry and Montgomery streets. After a
brief recital of the kidnaping, they stated
they had been released unharmed a few
minutes before in the dark and lonely sec-
tion of 32nd Street at West road. The
robbers had continued west in the Fog-
arty Chevrolet.

This information, immediately beamed
throughout the area by radio and teletype,
was quickly canceled when searching po-
lice came upon the stolen car abandoned
in another section of Savannah. All that
night and all of Monday passed without
further word of the fugitives. .. . appar-
ently they had made good their escape.

Outsmarted temporarily, county and
city detectives, assisted by the FBI, fol-
lowed other leads in connection with the

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s

32

Sgt. W. F. Johnson, left, shows Officer J. V. Bullard the riot gun
he used to shoot out tire of getaway car. In scene at right, FBI
men and police examine ditch where body of gangster Myron
Goldman, inset, was found. Thug was slain trying to flee dragnet.

Acting on this official’s written orders, Sheriff William C.
Harris had placed them in solitary confinement, and extra
guards were secured to maintain these extraordinary pre-
cautions inside the grim citadel which was said to be escape-
proof.

Meanwhile, over Norma Jean Goldman and Patsy Ruth
Hornbeck, the two young and attractive wives of the des-
peradoes, a special woman guard was placed to keep them
under constant surveillance, for there had been a tip-off that
i wholesale rescue might be attempted. Charged as acces-
sories after the crime, the two women were held in $50,000
bail. Also closely watched were the two other participants
in the bank robbery, Thomas E. Brewer and Albert S.
Denton.

However, the trial had come to a close, without incident,
with the conviction of all four men. Tension lessened.
Brewer filed an appeal for a new trial; Denton was removed
to another prison to await trial for a previous charge against
him.

The bail on Mrs. Hornbeck and Mrs. Goldman was then
lowered to $500. They were released from custody to take
rooms in a neighboring hotel. There they intended to stay
until their husbands were transferred, to begin serving time
in a federal penitentiary. At least that was what they told
the authorities.

With the case marked closed as far as Hornbeck and
Goldman were concerned, law-enforcement officials from
Florida to Tennessee relaxed and sat back to catch their
breath. For these two convicted desperadoes had been in-
volved in more than just the Savannah bank job. In Bir-
iningham, Alabama, there had been the $52,000 robbery of-
the Westside Branch of the First National Bank; on Oc-
tober 10, 1952, Goldman had been very much involved in a
$9,000 robbery at the People’s Industrial Bank in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida. On and around October 18, 1952,
Hornbeck was said to have been a member of the gang at
Nashville, Tennessee, that made a specialty of robbing
fashionable dinner parties. The take was estimated to be
close to $100,000.

But the officers’ respite was brief. Now these two men
were again at large. ...

Back at the Chatham County jail, Sheriff Harris was
ruefully taking stock and Jail Sergeants M. O. Chapman,
G. W. Hall and J. C. Ingram were answering questions.
It was Chatham County’s first jail break in 44 years! ;

All turnkeys stoutly asserted theré had been no warning,

A

that a jail break had been planned. All appeared in order at
9 o'clock that evening when Sergeants Hall and Chapman,
leaving Ingram in charge of the outer office, had begun
their nightly chore of returning the prisoners at large in
their cell blocks to their individual cells. As usual, none of
the guards were armed. They finished their duties on the
third and second floor without incident, and went down to
the cell block on the first floor, occupied only by Hornbeck
and Goldman.

“I unlocked the cell block and we stepped inside,” Hall
stated. “I remained to lock it after us and Chapman walked
down to the farther end. Apparently at some signal between
the two prisoners, Goldman suddenly locked his arms
around Chapman and began to grapple.

“He was no match for that burly thug and I started to
go to his assistance, when there came a warning snarl from
Hornbeck,” the jail sergeant continued. “I turned. From
somewhere, Hornbeck had produced a shiny snub-nosed
revolver and it was pointed straight at my.heart.

““Tust let out one word!’ he told me. ‘Just one word and
you’re dead.’ Then he ordered me into Goldman’s cell. The
door slammed shut with me inside. Hornbeck then turned
to help Goldman secure Chapman, who was putting up a
terrific fight.

“They finally subdued him and he was pretty roughed up
when they shoved him up to the cell. Goldman was
all for giving Chapman the works then and there, but I
managed to talk them out of it. I told them that somebody
would be sure to hear the gunshot and that they would burn
for their crime.” ;

“What happened then?” the sheriff questioned.

“They threw him into the cell and dragged me out. Gold-
man held the gun on me while Hornbeck grabbed a suit of
clothes from the office, and also a box containing more
clothes. Then they made me unlock the cell block, which they
relocked after me and took the keys. Afterward they
marched me down to the main door with the pistol at my
a That door was locked,” Harris interjected.

“Sure it was,” Hall agreed, “but they made me scratch
on the small screen in the bottom of that steel door to attract

| above the 4

Be ae
ee
hance.” "=s\
he swamp, {=
- searchers a
their fires,
uch a way.
iously but

ached the a y

would one
< its place,
vy to make

e could be Fe
sses. Allis, “@
der, while ©

safety. To’
sted along —
d so dense a
stter, they < %%

the whole

f the most. >

with the .
they were :
nd all the
ne-fighting

the red=-.
ungle lore. |
afd along ©
nd men in |
ve that the 5
f the jun= 5.

vest, many

who had
d energies,
1 for their «
athe man=- &
1 of smoke
nteers had
n could be

vere Gary
r, both of
Chey were
day in the
.o their car
the thick-

wae

ow, I guess .
ugh some-= >

that way. -’
up ahead.
ride. Slow .
he’s going,”

ar to.a stop. a
‘he told the
way?”

ck seat. He
d fellow of “=
to have had -
jungle than
ver, he had
re hunt, be-
torn jacket, §
<ford shoes.

= ince ‘and his face was scratch

 thing:.to do,

. fords!. Fowler was now all,

his eyebrows singed. ae

“Looks like you got scorched a bit,”
Fowler remarked. aR

The man grunted. “Damn foolish
setting them.-fires,” he
growled. “For a minute I-thought I
was going to be burned to death.”

It seemed strange, if he was.a mem-
ber of a searching party, that he ‘had
been caught in a fire. The same chill-
ing thought occurred simultaneously
to Walker and Fowler. ,

Maybe this fellow wasn’t\a@, searcher

‘at all. Maybe he was the Killer!

Walker, who was driving, kept his
eyes focused ahead, but Fowler turned
and glanced at, the stranger as he
passed small talk with him. He saw
that. the man had a pistol stuck into
his belt. Ile also noticed {that the
stranger seemed surly and, uncom-
municative. Apparently. almost ex-
hausted, he slumped back jin, the seat
with his head in a corner so that he
could not be seen clearly.}),

All the searchers had been warned
to wear boots and heavy clothing, and
here this fellow was wearing dress ox-
ut certain
the passenger was the murderer, and
he did some
gun,‘a rifle, lay in the front seat be-
tween the two men, but a rifle was no
good .at close quarters. By.the time
Fowler brought it into action, the
stranger could easily drill a repeat-
edly with his pistol.

Fowler recalled with relief fi that road-
blocks had been set up all,along the
highway, and there was one Jess than
a mile ahead, Every car was being
searched before being allowed, to pass
through. That would give _—" their
chance. }

Soon they could see the. roadblock
ahead. Several police cars were there,
and a barricr had been erected across
the road, illuminated by, spotlights. |
The stranger saw it too. 7%

“Say—what’s all that up, there?” he
demanded nervously. ;

To Walker and Fowler, that question
branded him as the killer. If, he were
a searcher, he would surely have
known about the roadblocks2..

-“A detour,” Fowler replied easily.
“They’ ve been repairing the road. up
here.” se

Walker stopped the cary some dis-
tance from. the barricade. “1’ll go up
and see how we get throug there,” he
announced. i

He got out and met two: eificers who
walked toward him. They were U. S.
Border Patrolmen James ,H, McDon-
ald and Stephen Hawkins, In low
tones, Walker explained the situation

to them. Ba
“I think it’s the killer, the said.
“He's armed. You'd betteficome, up

with me slows and actaas.

tee

fast thinking: Walker’s .

you ’re telling us about the cto Wi

rR, ’

a McDONALD and "Hawkins com-
plied.. The three men’ sauntered’ to-’
ward the car, discussing the detour
that didn’t exist. When they reached
the car, McDonald suddenly jerked the ~
door open, aimed his gun at the strang-
er and ordered, “Come out of there!”

The man dove for his revolver, but
Hawkins came at him from the other
side and knocked it out of his hand.
In a moment the two officers, with the
aid of Walker and Fowler, had slipped
handcuffs on the cursing, struggling
prisoner.

“What the hell’s this all about?” the
man demanded wrathfully. “I been
helping hunt that feller all day, and
this is what I get for it!”

“We're taking you to Miami to see
about that,” Hawkins told him.

They took him to Miami headquar-
ters, where he was questioned by In-
vestigator Mills and Captain Barker.
He said his name was Henry Prahl and
that, he came from Ohio but was vaca-

‘tioning in Miami. He repeated his
-claim that he had left Miami that
morning to help hunt for the cope
killer.

“This must be your driver's enc

.then,” Mills said, showing him the li-
cense that had been found on the road.
,“That’s mine,” the suspect nodded.

“T must have dropped it when I reached

there this morning to help in the -

search.”

“That finishes you,” Mills said stern-

ly. “That license was found about 2
o'clock this morning, hours before any |
volunteer searchers arrived.”

“I’ve driven that road.:before,” the
man growled. “I musta lost it there
some other time, then.” '

“Another thing,’ Mills . pressed,
“this picture on the card looks like
you, but the physical description
doesn’t fit you at all. I don’t think
you’re Henry Prahl. Just who are
you?”

“I’m Prahl, I tell you,” the prisoner
insisted. “I can’t help it if they didn’t
put down my description right.”

State’s Attorney George A. Worley
arrived to help in the questioning, but:
‘still. the suspect continued to stick_to
his incredible story. ., Captain Barker
_took his fingerprints and also a sample
‘of his hair. A ballistics expert fired test
shots from the suspect’s .45 caliber
weapon.

The fingerprints were those of the
killer. The hair was the same as that
found in Daniels’ hat.. The gun, : the
microscope proved, was: the one that
had fired the fatal bullet.

At this moment a message arrived
from the FBI. The fingerprints of the
murder suspect had been identified as
those of Byrl L. Hudgins of Cincinnati,
-a man who had been. arrested seven

Lea wie a a oe

os

times in Ohio and elsewhere on charges:

ranging from assault to auto theft.
“You can’t beat science, Hudgins,”
Prosecutor Worley snapped..

fess or not.”

groaned. “You see, I was in the Army —

until a couple months ago. I was in=

jured when a. cannon exploded;next |
to me, and they gave me a medical dis-
charge in Honolulu. Since then I have

these spells—my head aches, yt —

ley scoffed.

“i Sep ee ea
m AT LENGTH Hudgins, apparently* .
realizing the ‘implausibility ‘of his ac- ~
count, elaborated on it somewhat. He |

admitted his identity and claimed that
he had borrowed the driver’s license

from a friend in Ohio and pasted his —

own picture on it. Then he told what
must rank as one of the most fancifil "
tales of all time.

“I didn’t really steal that Plymouth, iM
he said. “I was just walking past,-and .:
my head got to hurting so bad I had_.to
sit down somewhere. I climbed. into
the Plymouth to rest a minute., Well,

the next thing I knew I was out there ,

on the highway and the car was out of
gas. Was I surprised! Well, I was sit-
ting there, kind of dazed, when. this
cop came up. He said I was under ar-

rest because the car was stolenwesi= —

“T reached over to hand him my gun.

He must have thought I was going to ©

let him have it, because he aimed -his
gun at me. Fellows, I don’t remember
a thing after that. I blacked out, like I

do sometimes.. The next thing. I. re-'

member was when I was fighting my
way out to the highway and got a
up by them two guys.’

Byrl Hudgins was still stleling: to
this weird story when he went to trial ©

in the Dade County circuit court,.on ~~.

February 10, 1942. He couldn’t remem-
ber a thing, he said. ihe tetes Vaan
In the meantime, however, he had ~

been carefully examined by psychia=  ~

trists, who pronounced him: perfectly
sane and with a memory’ as, Zood :as
any man’s. There was considerable
ironic laughter in the courtroom “when,
Hudgins repeated his yarn‘t about
climbing into the Plymouth» because
he had a headache. 1 eS
He was found guilty of first: “degree
murder and was sentenced to die in

- the electric chair on July 20—a date he.

didn’t forget to keep because he was
escorted tothe wired chair by eWOs
strong guards.

/

Eprror’s Note: To prevent possible

embarrassment to innocent) .persons,’

the names Luélla Strang, Henry Prahl

and Virgil Brack, as used in ite nara Sk

rative, are fictitious.
, ee eo

ee ERs. caked erat

“We've .
got the goods on you whether A con=

WEEE Rae 3
“I can’t remember a thing,” Hudgins '

wt y

= Sage

vette Céun
‘+t that Collett

pons into one ©

funeral cere- —

- now interred ~ -

ictims. Prose= |
soned that he
to convict the

indicted on
Still persisting
nd “blackout”
trial in March >
sed mainly of

evidence and. -

t degree mur-
mendation for
electric chair

ddle of July,
a ramrod be-
: back, walked |
e state peni-

Yho knows, as_
‘own, whether |
was of three |

thought him a’
blood-lusting ~~~

event embar=) 2

t person, the
in this narra-=-

1 of Henry
nized Daniels’

and were two
er knew Dan- .
he was quite
in’s hair was

not satisfied -

He took sam-
and compared ~
irs under: the

re decidedly

1e killer had
is probably in’
description of -
driver’s license

rk” , leav-
justo dark
ning to do but

1 Ohio on that.
). C. Coleman

s chief investi-  ~

een going over
On the theory,
s might have

vengeance plot —
‘minal he had ~~ |
lills exantines 4

crests. “i
he foray pull

"served time for it. He has black hair.” .

tomy

‘not! What do you take: ‘me for?” -

-have a police record,

ga a ‘out of the’ file e §
named Virgil Brack. Pal ‘caught
him with a hot car last ‘August, and he

“A bad egg, too,” Coleman nodded.
“We figured he was a-member of a
stolen car ring, but. we, couldn’t make
that stick. We got him’ for car theft
and he was paroled — not long ago.
There’s a man who could stand some
investigation.” =.

Brack had been seen recently in
Miami, and a pair of, city detectives
were assigned to locate te him. Though
it was now past 3 a.MjLuella Strang
was aroused by telephone and asked
to come to headquarters. The stolen
Plymouth had been brought in, and she
identified it as hers. When she was
told of Daniels’ death, she suddenly
realized that her own carelessness was
indirectly responsible. ”

. “Pm terribly sorry,”, she ‘said. ‘Tl
never, never leave the rs in my car
again.”

“Did you get a glintpae of the man
who stole the car?” Investigator Mills
questioned.

She shook her head.=“I went out to
get the car and it was Eine that’s all I
know.”

“You wouldn't by y. chance have
had another driver's license in the car
—one issued to Henry Prahl in Ohio?”

“No,” the brunette Yeplied. “I had
only.my own. I never heard of any-
‘body named Prahl? Shé’looked a little
impatient. “May I go now? It’s aw-
fully late, you know.” az

Investigator Mills, a man with an
almost photographic memory for faces,
looked at Luella Strang curiously.
There was something about this attrac-
tive brunette that seemed familiar.

“Y’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere '

before,” he said. “Where could it be?”

“Tt wouldn't know about that, Mr.

Mills,” she replied. ‘Tm sure I haven't
‘met you before.”

“I’m not so sure of at.” Mills ob-
served. “Have you. been arrested at
any time?”

“Me!” she snapped. | oy should say

-m IT WAS CLEAR that. Miss Strang

resented the suggestion that she might
‘but just to ‘be

‘sure, Captain Barker checked. the files

~in his office. Miss Strang had a record;

all right. She had been ‘arrested in
Boston and several other Eastern cities
‘on a number of charges including
grand larceny, and at times had used
aliases.

Without a word, Investigator Mills
showed her the ca
flushed and bit her iipe,

“All right,” she said.

at last, “I’ve

’ been in trouble up North. But you can

see there’s nothing against me in the

| 4 last three years. I Ay how : foolish. I

“Fellow

~ -

rd,” Luella Sti! ang

was, and I came’ down to Miami to
make a new start. I haven’t made a
misstep here—not one!”

She seemed to be sincere about that,’
, but Mills had to be sure. “Do you know

a man named Virgil Brack?” he in-
quired.

“I never heard of him,” she replied.

“Could it be that you arranged to
have the car stolen by some friend of
yours, so that he’d get the car and
you'd get the insurance?”

Miss Strang seemed almost ready to
cry. “You men are so‘suspicious!” she
wailed. “You're wrong, I tell you—ab-
sdlutely wrong. I haven’t done a thing
out of the way since I came to Miami.
All I know about this, erie is that
my car was stolen.”

After some further Ghestioning. ‘Mills
was convinced that she was telling the
truth. She was released with a warn-
ing to remain available until the case
was closed. ' 4s,

Out at the murder scene, Captain
Seneff had kept in constant contact all
night long with the men manning the
roadblocks on. U. S. Highway No. 1.
Several patrolmen’ had been detailed
to investigate every one of the few side
roads which led off for a short distance

until they dead-ended in the swamp. °

But when dawn came, the killer had
not been captured.
“There’s. no possible way he could

have setkted along the hig way,’

eff “said to Patrolman Spence. “There’s ~
only. one answer. He must have gone. E

into the Everglades.” EE Bais to
It was a formidable and. dangerous —

project to attempt to search for the x 5

man in that noisome jungle; but Seneff .

did hot hesitate. Like every officer in- |
volved in the case, he was enraged at ~

the callous killing of Patrolman Dan-
iels and determined to get me guilty
man, dead or alive.

Word of the murder had peread; Cone
dozens of settlers and Everglades

guides, armed with rifles and shotguns, _

had joined the officers in the’ search —
along the roads. With the arrival ‘of.
daylight, Séneff summoned all the offi-
cers and volunteers to the spot ‘where’
Daniels’: cruiser was found ‘wrecked.
“We'll start from here,” he said. “I
figure the killer knew it would bine
sure capture to take to any’ road.”
probably headed right into the avert
By this time, almost 200 volunteers —

had arrived from Miami, most of them

members of -service men’s -organiza=
tions.’ They were divided -into. small.
posses of six or eight men ‘each, with
each group led by ‘an penal eea
swamp man. speeeiet 8

“Follow your guides ‘snd ‘watch your .
. step,” ‘Seneff warned them as they _

started. ‘“There’s bottomless’ mud* in”

places in there, as well as poisonous |

‘

—*

_ Starting at the highway, the posse
‘entered the jungle at intervals of about
100 yards, They moved slowly, with
_ guns ready, now and then shouting in
order: to keep in touch with their
neighbors. Soon they were enveloped
in the eerie stillness of the swampland,
+ sometimes, leaping from hummock to
_ hummock, sometimes cutting their way
_ through: tough-tendriled vines. Often
the spreading branches of cypresses,
hung heavily with Spanish moss, blot-
gted iguasthe light from overhead.
3 It!.was. grueling work, with the
~~. searchers forced to inhale the stench
_of-rotting vegetation and to fight off
“swarms of voracious mosquitoes. Every

~- step forward was a new adventure,

--and by. 10 a.m. almost every man was
wet to the knees. Before noon, many

- of the less hardy of the. volunteers,
"swollen .with mosquito, bites and
» ‘slashed by brambles and swamp grass,
had to give up and return to the road.

_™ BACK IN MIAMI, Captain Barker
received a reply from the Ohio au-
thorities, They confirmed that Henry
‘Prahl had been issued a driver’s li-
~."| cense, but Prahl had no police record.
-°He'had not been found at his Cincin-
“nati address, and officers were trying
~ to. locate, him. ;
4. Virgil Brack had also been picked
~ up in Miami and brought in for ques-
“tioning, - |
_ “Murder?” he’ said. “You got the
‘wrong guy, pals. I’m clean.”
©" “Maybe,” Investigator Mills replied.
“What were you doing last night?”
Brack grinned. “Last night? I gotta
swell alibi. I work as a theater usher
~ now, and I was busy last night until
the double feature ended.”
_  Brack’s” fingerprints were taken.
” They did not match ‘those of the slayer,
~ nor did his hair tally with the two hairs
-- found ‘inside Patrolman. Daniels’ hat.
. , Nevertheless, Brack’s story was
. checked. It was found thathe had been

Bs : ‘at the movie house until midnight, and
© since’ the ‘Plymouth had been stolen

-.~ before 11 p.m., Brack was exonerated
and released. , ;

_. °. Out at the murder : scene, the hunt
”) was pressing deeper into the Ever-
~. <’ glades but the killer was still uncaught.

ot - Shortly after noon, a pack of trained

bloodhounds was brought to the spot

Aes “+ and given the scent from the wrecked

patrol car,

“sy Baying excitedly, the dogs plunged.
 *' Into ‘the jungle, but they had not gone

. far before they circled around in con-
* fusion, unable to pick up the trail. It
» was apparent that the scent was lost
among the watercourses, and the dogs

...-were brought back.

a “About all it proves,” Seneff re-
*marked, “is that the killer actually did
3 1 into the ’Glades.” :

ain’

“reptiles: We don’t want any casualties.”’

.

The captain discussed the hunt with
a veteran guide who knew the swamps
as well as anyone around.

“Ag long as we haven't flushed him -

into the open yet,” the guide said, “I
don’t think there’s much hope of catch-
ing him. ‘Why, the brush is so thick in
some places that you could walk right
over a man without knowing he was
there.”

Captain Seneff pondered the prob-~

lem. He felt the same way, and he was
also worried les$ some of the searchers

be injured or bitten by a poisonous

snake.

“The Seminoles!” he exclaimed.

“why didn’t we think of them before?

They know these ‘swamps like the back

‘of your hand!”

There was a Seminole camp located
near the road a few miles to the north,
and two cars were sent there to ask
their help. The cars returned within a
half-hour, loaded with a dozen copper-
skinned. Seminole braves.’ ‘To their.
leader ,an interpreter, a tall, handsome
Indian named Sammy Tiger-Tail, Sen-
eff explained the: problem.

. Tiger-Tail nodded gravely. “May be
hard,” he said, “but we try.”

m IT WAS PAST 2 o'clock when the
Indians, clad in their traditional multi-
colored garb, headed into the jungle.
Seneff realized that time was now be-

‘coming an all-important factor in the

hunt. If the’ killer was not found by
nightfall, then he stood an excellent
chance of sneaking away from this
area and by morning there would be
no telling where to hunt for him.

A half-hour later, Tiger-Tail glided
out of the jungle and strode up to the
captain. 4

“Bad,” he said. “Too much water, too
much swamp. This is worst part of
’Glades.” ‘

“You mean there’s no use hunting
for him?” Seneff inquired.

‘I know better way,” Tiger-Tail said.
“We burn him out.”

Seneff shook his head. “Too danger-
ous, If we start a fire in there, there’s
no telling how far it would go—might
even burn cabins and houses.”

The Indian raised his hand. “Not big
fires. We make little fires, but much
smoke. Scare:him plenty so he come
out.” C .

With some difficulty he explained his
idea to Seneff. The Indians would start
small, controlled fires at intervals in
the swamp, making them produce
heavy smoke by piling green palm
fronds on them. There was no danger,

‘the Indian insisted, of the fire spread-
, ing because the Seminoles knew ex-
‘actly how to handle them, They had

often employed backfires to protect
themselves and their camps when larg-
er blazes roared across the Everglades.

last. “I guess it’s our.only chance.
The Indians returned to the swamp,

were wet well. above the ©)

ones
4

His p

eer
Sor ye)

his eyebrow

with large numbers of white searchers ~ = “Looks lil
to ald them, They began their fires, Fowler ‘rem
cunningly starting them in such a way *. © The man
that they, would blaze furiously but -- thing to d
soon die out, when they reached the growled. “!
edge of a canal. No sooner would one Was going
fire die out than others took its place, ‘It seemed
with men heaping on greenery to make @ ber of a se
more smoke, | * been caugh:
Soon a heavy pall.of smoke could be “9 ing though
seen rising above the cypresses. Alli- © to Walker :
gators barked and dove under, while §%- . Maybe th
small animals scuttled for safety. To “Si -at all. Ma.
Seneff and the guards posted along § ... Walker, °
the yoad, the smoke appeared so dense © eyes focuse:
that had they not known better, they | §. and glance
would haye sworn that the whole ~ ‘passed sma
Everglades: was ablaze. that. the m
Certainly, here was one of the most > his belt.
unusual of all manhunts, with the stranger s
white officers—equipped as they were ~ municative.
with two-way radio cars and all the ~ ze. hausted, h:
latest in scientific crime-fighting - ~—swith his h:
equipment—being aided by the red- -§ could not |!
skins and their primitive jungle lore. : All the :
Time was. growing short, afd along to wear bo.
the highway men on foot and men in here this fc
cars kept watch in the hope that the «fords! Fow
killer would be driven out of the jun- , the passen;
haat ‘<
gle. if. - he did son
As thesun sank in the west, many @* gun, a rifl
of the ‘volunteer searchers, who had _f tween the |
given freely of their time and energies, good .at cl
began to disperse and head for their : Fowler br
homes. By now, in fact, with the man- “@ stranger co
hunt changed to a campaign of smoke : edly with |
and fear, most of the volunteers had ; Fowler 1
little to do and ‘the situation could be “§ blocks had
well handled by the officers. - & _ highway, a
Among: those leaving were Gary F .a mile ah
Fowler and Frank Walker, both of = searched b.
whom lived in Miami. They’ were through. 1
damp, stiff and sore after a day in the § chance.
swamps as they climbed into their car ~~ 4 Soon th
and headed north through the thick- “ahead. Se
ening dusk, | . o@ . sand a barr
“If they:don’t get him now, I guess .~ "4 » the road,
he’s managed to slip through some- ~— The stran:
how,” Walker remarked. if . “Say—w
Fowler, nodded. “Looks that way.’ demanded
There’s ‘another searcher up ahead — ~~ To Walk
calling it quits. He wants a ride. Slow . §}-_branded h
down a) l.we’ll see where he’s going.” “9a _searche
F .. ~— known ak
By 4 : t re “A deto
™ WALKER brought the car to.a stop. -—  “They’ve |
“We're heading for Miami,” he told the “— _here.”
strangers “You going that way?” ; Walker
“That’s.exactly where I’m going,” d tance fron
the man. said. and see h
“Okay, climb in,” * “announce:
The man got into the back seat. He He got «
was a ‘stocky, black-haired fellow of walked to:
about 30,,and he seeme:! to have had. Border P:
even a harder day in the jungle than *® ald and
Walker and Fowler. However, he had @ tones, Wa
not dressed properly for the hunt, be- * to them.
_ ing hatless and clad in a torn jacket, ~ “. “I thin}
ordinary "trousers and oxford shoes. s “He’s arn


HUDGINS, Byrdle, elec, Fl.,(Dade) duly 20,1942

Nicole Penzer

113-56-6235
November 12, 1991

BYRDLE HUDGINS

Executed July 20, 1942

Dr. William Wilbanks
Department of Criminal Justice, FIU


HILTON, Jessie, and WASHINGTON, John, Jr., Blacks, electrocuted Florida State Prison
(Volusia County) on June ];, 1951 for separate, crimes,

"Whether or not John Washington, Jr., killed Paul R, Loomis in April, 1949, is a mystery
which may never be sloved unless Sheriff.Alex Littlefiedl finds the man or men who killed .
the aged trailerite, for Washington died in the electric chair at Raiford this morning,
leaving behind him firs, an unsigned confession that he killed Loomis, and then a record=
ed denial of the truth of the confession, Washington made the first confession to Consta=
ble Bill Slaughter when he went to Raiford to see if he could tie the Negro in on other
unsolved cases in the county, Littlefield went to the sta e prison yesterday on Saaugh-
er's reported solving of the old case, Dieing in the chair just preceding Washington,
was Jessie Hilton, convicted here of slaying Mrs, Bertha Turner, in an assault in her
home here. Prison Superintendent L. F, Chapman said both men went quietly to their exe-
cutions, He said Hilton was signing 'I'm 6n My Way to the Promised Land,' Washington
thanked officers for their treatment of him while he was under arrest, Hilton confessed
the slaying of Mrs, Turner, a white woman, after her stabbed body was discovered at her
home, Returning from his trip to Raiford Sunday, the sheriff brought with him a tape
recording in which John Washington, Jr., Lake Helen Negro, repudiated a confession made
Friday that he killed Loomis, Interviewing the condemned man in ‘death row,' Littlefiedd
explained that he concealed a microphone in the room in ordek to bring back Washington s
testimony. 'I have never killed angone but the old taxi driver in my life,' the recording
quoted the condemned Negro as saying, He also swore on the Bible, which the sheriff and
“hief Deputy Gene Petrone found him reading, that "he didn't kill Loomis - didn't even
know him,' Washington made a confession of the Loomis slaying to Constable Slaughter
Friday afternoon at the prison, but later refused to sign it. Asked by the sheriff why
he wouldn't sign the confession, the negro said "because he didn't do it.' He added,
according to the recorded version of the interview, that he confessed because he thought
it might give him a few more days to live; that Slaughter had indicated the confession
might bring him back to DeLand to appear before State's Attorney Murray Sams, The Negro
also denied even knowing Loomis, of ever having been in the section near Lake Girty
closer than raking leaves for a resident who lived near the Log Cabin, on North Woodland
Boulevard, With the Sheriff and Petrone when the confession was taken, were a prison
official and Fred Moore, a radio technician, who was in charge of the recording.
Littlefiedl explained that he doubted the first confession tecause of details of the Loo-
mis slaying which did not correspond with Washington s story. “A particular, the sheriff
pointed out that he had casts of footprints taken around the trailer where Loomis! body
was found and that these did not correspond with Washington s footprints, He added also,
that evidence indicated that Loomis was assaulted outside the trailer and later dragged
himself or was taken inside, Washington's confession was that he hit the man inside the
trailer, L ittlefield insisted that he was still working on the Loomis cas¢, and did not
consider i closed, Slaughter said this morning that he doubted Washington s confession
in some parts until he came back here and checked on some of the pointes inquestion,
One that was particularly pointed out by the constable was that Washington said that on
the day of the murder he saw a woman and a dog in the neighborhood where Lommis was mur-
dered near Lake Girty, Washington described the dog to Slaughter and told how the dog ran
at him and barked, Slaughter said he had tot known the dog had barked at the Negro but
wheb he called the dogls owner after his return from Raiford on Friday night, she con-
firmed the point. ‘There is jo doubt in my mind that Washington did the job even though
there are a few discrepancies in the confession made to me that my not exactly fit the
pactare as investigatéd by the sheriff's office,' the Constable concluded, Slaughter
said that he received his information on the case from a Negro girl that Washington met
in the county jail while serving time on an assault and battery charge on a Negro by
the name of Kinchen, This incident took place about 8 months priot to Bostic's deathe
As related by Salughter, the girl and Washington were to be married and Washineton re=
lated to her the detaisl of the Loomis murder, ‘All major cases I have ever investigated,
the sheriff's office has messed with it in some way,' Constable Slaughter remarked at
the end of his talk about why he went to Raiford to talk to Washington, Slaughter said
that no one from the sheriff's office had asked to see Washington's purported confession
which the constable admitted was unsigned because ‘Hilton (the negro that was convicted
of killing Mrs, Turner here last year) kept advising him not to place his name on any-
thing.' Chief Deputy Sheriff Eugene Petrone poin ed out this morning that there was no
‘feud! between the sheriff's office or the consstable but as brother law enforcement

officers the sheriff$,office felt compelled to clear up any murders that remained un-


ington) did kill. Loomis, States Attorney Murray Sams might want to talk to him," SUN NEWS,

DeLand, Flas, June jy 1951 (1/2&3e)

solved in the county as a public duty, Slaughter denied promising to bring the Negro back
to DeLand if he confessed the murder, He said that,he told Washington, that if he (Wash-

(Washington) i

"..ethe murder of William Bostic, Negro taxi driver, , »"Washington was. convicted in Circuit

Court: here Nove 2, 1950, for the fatal beating of William Bostin, Negro cab driver, on
May 6, 1960, Washington admitted the slaying, saying he stole $3 from the 65-year-old

cabbie and administerted the beating the settle an argument between his father and Bos-
tic, The taxi man was taking Washington to his Lake Helen home when the attack took place
on South Kepler Road," SUN NEWS, DeLand, June 1, 1951 (1/5)

2"


THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION (Jacksonville)

Tuesday,

5 June 1951, page 13.

Two Negros Executed
- In State Electric Chair!

RAIPORD, June 4 (IN8)—Two
negroes died within 20 Minutes of
each other today in the electric
meal at the State Prison in Ral-
ord.

Jessie Hilton. 34. was put to death
for slaying Mrs. Bertha Turner in
DeLand last September 20.

The extreme penalty was: carried
Out 30 minutes later on John Wash-
Ington, convicted of killing and rob-
Bing a negro taxicab operator of 3
May 6, 1960.


HINDS, Robert, black, electrocuted Florida on suly 23, 1937.

“Raiford (AP) - Robert Hinds, Apalachicola negro convicted of crimi-
nally assaulting a white woman, died in Florida's electric chair at the
State prison here today. The yoting negro was placed im the chair at
10:26 a.m, He was calm and made no Statement, About 30 witnesses were
present, many of them from the Apalachicola section where an attempt
was made to lynch the negro after his arrest. A Company of national
guardsmen surrounded the Leon County Courthouse in Tallahassee during
Hinds' trial but tere was no demonstration, The trial was moved to

Tallahassee on a change of venue." DEMOCRAT, Tallahasse, Florida,
July ag 1937. sp

ind holding tear
or to cell block
t. Leavenworth,
d for nearly 24

uprising ended.

Manhunt in the
Everglades

(Continued from page 9)

Prolonged questioning could not shake
the girl’s story. Mills at length sent her
on her way with instructions not to leave
the city until the investigation was com-
pleted. |

By now dawn was creeping above the
dense jungles bordering U.S. 1. Clouds of
mist still swirled through the hollows, but
the dark masses of gnarled, moss-draped
trees began to take shape as the great
wilderness bestirred ‘itself for'a new day.

Posses_ Assemble

News of Patrolman Daniels’ murder had
reached the scattered settlements along
the highway, bringing scores of armed
volunteer manhunters to the scene of thé
wrecked police cruiser, among them many
experienced swamp men and Everglades
guides. Captain Saneff. and other officers
quickly, organized these men into small
posses.

“Keep close to your guides,” he cau-
tioned them. “A few false steps and you
might be in mud up to your armpits, or get
bitten by a moccasin or ’gator. We want
Daniels’ killer, but no more casualties.”

Grimly determined, the manhunters en-
tered the jungles 100 yards apart on the
highway, working in sweeping encircling
movements toward each other.. The sun
rose, but only occasional shafts of its
light pierced the canopies of dense foliage
in the gloomy, steaming swamps. .

As they pressed deeper into the ham-
mocks, the odor of rotted vegetation be-
came oppressive and swarms of mosquitoes
maintained an incessant hum about them.
Occasionally a group would break through
into a small open savannah. Here, con-
trasting against the backdrop of somber
gray and brown of the jungle, a snow-
white heron would stand one-legged in.a
pond of lavender lily pads, eyeing them
curiously, or a crimson-plumaged _fila-
mingo would suddenly take wing, shrieking
raucously at this intrusion of their wilder-
ness domain.

Volunteers continued to pour into the
area, including hundreds from servicemen’s
organizations in Miami. They organized
quickly, then took to the ’Glades. Radio-
equipped police cars patrolled the highway,
coordinating this great manhunt which, by
midmorning, had become the largest in the
criminal history of south Florida. An at-
tempt was being made literally to screen
the Everglades for Patrolman Daniels’
killer.

Meanwhile back in Miami, Captain Bar-

ker received replies from the Cincinnati.

police and Ohio department of motor
vehicles: registration regarding Jack Sta-
cey. These confirmed the issuance of a
license to the man. Stacey had no criminal
record. A check at his home address
brought no information about his present
whereabouts. Detectives in both Ohio and
Florida continued their search for him.

Shortly before noon Miami detectives
located George Gaffney and brought him
into headquarters.

“I know nothing about ‘that copper’s
murder,” he stated flatly in answer to
Mills’ questioning. “You can’t hang any
part of that job on me.”

“Where were you last night?”

“Setting up pins in a bowling alley out
on Flagler Street,”. Gaffney answered.
“Been working there two weeks. Went on
at 7 last night, got off at 2 this morning.
Why don’t you check that?”

*

ADVERTISEMENT

“He can spot Pepsi-Cola a mile away.”

cS

“We intend to,” Mills informed him. A
nod from the chief investigator sent. two
detectives out on this chore. .

Barker took Gaffney’s prints and a
sample of hair from his head. A short
time later. he returned to the room and
handed Mills a negative report. The two
detectives returned. and confirmed that
Gaffney had been working at the bowling
alley at the time Daniels was murdered.

Other men who had been arrested by
Daniels were rounded up and questioned.
But each had an alibi that held up after
investigation and all were released. Gladys
Black was questioned again, but stuck to
her original story. She was not arrested.

Indians Take Up Hunt

The death bullet was extracted from
Daniels’ body and sent to Barker’s office.
Its riflings and landmarks were clear.
Barker’s crime laboratory now possessed
a wealth of scientific evidence if a suspect
should be captured.

As the afternoon slipped past scores of
men and officers, dirty and bedraggled,
came out of the Everglades for food, water,
and medical attention to cuts and insect

, bites. Seneff and his men were still con-

vinced that the killer had taken to the
Glades, but the fugitive’s trail could not
be picked up.

A pack of trained bloodhounds was
brought to the scene and given the scent
at the wrecked police.cruiser. The sleek
animals bounded confidently into the
jungles. A short time later, however, they
whimpered helplessly and ran in aimless
circles around the innumerable waterways
and sloughs. The scent was lost. Their
owner brought the valuable dogs out again
before they fell prey to moccasins or alli-
gators.

The murderer, if in the Everglades, un-

doubtedly possessed remarkable stamina
and cunning, and no small amount of luck.
He would now have been in these sinister
trackless swamps, with death awaiting him
almost any way he turned, for over 16
hours. Despite these dangers he would
have managed to remain hidden from the
hundreds of searchers attempting to ferret
him out. = mee

“There are a lot of small islands back in
there,” one of the veteran guides explained
to Seneff. “He might have gotten to one
of them. Or he might be hiding nearby
in the swamp grass and mud. Those
swamps are so dense we might have
stepped over him a dozen times already
and not seen him.”

“You couldn’t find any tracks?”

“That mud would have closed over his
footprints almost immediately, captain. Or
he could have walked'a quarter of a mile
at a time on fallen logs, roots and
branches.”

“What about a plane?” suggested Seneff.

“Could he be spotted from the air?”

“Not much chance of that. He could
cover himself with mud and grass. Or get
into one of those hammocks where even
the sun doesn’t come through.”

Seneff was thoughtful. “What about the
Seminole Indians?” he asked suddenly.
“Could they find him?”

The guide shrugged. “If they couldn’t,
nobody can: The Seminoles know these
’Glades like you and I know our own
backyards.”

“We'll try them,” Seneff decided prompt-
ly. He sent two cars at once to a Semi-
nole camp near Miami with a note to the
chief,

. The cars returned a short time later
loaded with Seminole braves in their
multicolored blouses and skirts. Seneff
talked to them through their leader and
interpreter, Sammy Tiger-Tail. They were

3]


ter they

nlarged.
wawhing in-
od to a radio
ed that Dan-
d just been
outh. He and

de, complete-
f high swamp
iway. It was
A patrolman,
-d heavy skid
, stopped to
i the wrecked
he area but
driver, dead

engine. It was
- the mishap
before. How
ive from this
jsut the direc-
10ow fled was

escape were
ly considered
have circled
d hitch-hiked
notorist. But
fic after mid-
| the highway
‘eillance after
flight seemed

ere the dread
ith their in-
, razor-edged
is and alliga-
nud in some
the skin. Few
and Seminole
’Glades their
into this
American
itiated it
enture, doubly
ild have to be
npt it.
=nan, reasoned

Not until fingerprints betrayed
him would the killer er admit
his identity. He had a record.

Patrolman Luther Daniels was an
expert on stolen cars—until he
spotted the wrong one, and died.

Pistol bullets and a. few hairs
helped Captain James O. Barker

to catch a comrade's murderer.

The threat of flames sweeping the

Everglades worried Captain Stuart
Seneff until a trick was explained.

7

Seneff, who killed Patrolman Luther
Daniels and attempted to escape in the
stolen police car. With a great deal of
luck and stamina, he. might actually
reach high ground deep within the
’Glades and hide out indefinitely if
not flushed out soon.

“If we don’t bag him before day-
light, we’ll go in after him!” Seneff
decided. :

The roadblocks were tightened and
officers continued to search the swamps

and hammocks that bordered the high- *

way. Barker meanwhile succéeded in
lifting two sets of prints from the in-
terior of the wrecked cruiser. Daniels’
abandoned ‘hat was found near the car;
Barker also took this into his pos-
session.

Next, a small card was found on the
highway a short distance from the skid
marks. It was an Ohio driver’s license
issued in the name of Jack Stacey. A
small photo was attached and the card
bore a physical description’and a Cin-
cinnati address.

“The question here,” frowned Seneff,
“is whether this was dropped by the
killer.or some innocent passing motor-
ist. We want a quick check on Stacey.”

Long Hairs In Hat ©

* Barker, taking the driver’s license,
Daniels’ hat, the .45 shell and his fin-
gerprint sheets, returned to Miami. He
promptly dispatched a wire to Ohio
authorities requesting information:
about Jack Stacey. The prints obtained
from the two cars were processed. One
set had been taken from both machines
and. were presumably those of the
murderer. They failed to match any
fingerprints in the local files. Barker
promptly airmailed them to the FBI in
Washington.

Several long black hairs were found
clinging to the sweatband inside Dan-
iels’ hat. They did not match samples
taken from the slain patrolman’s head.
Daniels had been black-haired, but his
hair had been short-cropped and re-
cently trimmed. Barker’s microscope
told him that these hairs; probably the
slayer’s, belonged to a young man with
long hair badly in need of a cut.

The picture on the Ohio driver’s li-
cense was that of a young man with
long black hair. Barker anxiously
awaited a reply from Ohio about Jack
Stacey.

Dade County Chief Investigator I. R.

Mills and Sheriff D. C. Coleman came . b

in on the case. They made a close
check of Daniels’ record of arrests.
“Here is a guy,” Mills said, picking
out one file card, “who just got out of
stir recently. George Gaffney. Remem-
ber him?” .
“I do,” nodded Coleman. “He was

pretty nasty at the time Daniels ar-
rested him.”
Daniels had tagged Gaffney some

_months previously for car larceny.

Thought to be a minor member of a
theft ring, the man had served a short
term in prison, then been paroled.. He
recently had been seen back in Miami.

“He might do,” said Barker. “He’s
also got long black hain” —

A team of city detectives was as-
signed to press a vigorous search into
Miami’s underworld for the former
convict.

The stolen Plymouth had _ been
brought to Miami. Despite the late
hour, Gladys Black was summoned to
headquarters. She identified the car,
but said she could offer nothing further
about the theft. .

“Do you know a Jack. Stacey from
Ohio?” Mills asked her.

The pretty redhead shook her head.
“Never heard of him.” Shown the
driver’s license bearing Stacey’s pic-
ture, ‘she still denied ever seeing him.

“How about a George Gaffney? Ever
heard of him?”

Again Miss Black shook her head.
She seemed impatient to end the inter-
view. Mills, a veteran investigator with
dark, penetrating eyes, whose indelible
mind retained hundreds of names and
faces, studied the girl intently.

“Where have I seen you before?” he
asked.

The girl shrugged. “I couldn’t say.
Maybe at some night club, or the
races.”

“No,” decided Mills. “You’ve been
arrested at some time or other, haven’t
you?”

The redhead was indignant. “Me?
How absurd!”

Mills nodded to Barker. The. latter
consulted the files in his office and re-
turned a few minutes later and placed
on Mills’ desk a police record card and
photograph,

Mills noted that Gladys Black, with
several aliases, had been arrested in
New York, Boston and other cities on
various offenses, including grand lar-
ceny. “I thought I’d seen you or your
picture somewhere,” he said calmly.

The girl managed a faint smile. “All
right, I lied to you because I wanted
to forget those things and turn over a .
new leaf down here in Miami.”

“That’s. splendid,” replied Mills.
“Now, about your car again. You didn’t,
y any chance, have some kind of an
insurance scheme in mind when it was
stolen, did you? A plan that backfired
with the murder of Patrolman Daniels?”

“Absolutely not,” Miss Black de-
clared sincerely. ‘Please believe me,
Mr. Mills, I only know that the car
was ‘stolen.” (Continued on page 31)

Even the Seminoles were helpless against these

trackless swamps. Then Tommy Tiger-Tail urged

an old method. ‘‘We burn him out,’’ he grunted

TLUIAT IND g Dy Ld,

BN

‘

-

re | r |

*y.

¢

BY BENNETT WRIGHT

HE STUNNING redhead in the form-fitting dress seemed

to know her way around a police station. Her high heels

tapped across the cement floor without missing a beat
and stopped in front of the desk window in Miami central
headquarters. She regarded the officer there with bold,
gray-green eyes. ,

“Sergeant,” she said, “my name is Gladys Black, and
I'd like to make a report on my car. It’s been stolen.”

“That so?” The sergeant reached for the regulation forms.
“Give me the details.”

The girl told him it was a black 1940 Plymouth coupe
and supplied the license number. The machine had been
parked in front of her apartment house an hour earlier.
Now it was gone.

“Were the keys in it?”

“Yes, I believe they were.”
ian looked up. “Wasn’t that a bit careless, Miss

ack?

“Perhaps,” pouted the girl. “Don’t we all make mistakes
once in a while, sergeant?”

The officer frowned slightly. “All right, we'll try to re-
cover the auto and we'll notify you if we do.”

That was how it all started—just a stolen car report made
by redheaded Gladys Black. Of course neither the desk
sergeant nor any other officer connected with the case at

’ the beginning could guess the far more sinister turn it

was destined to take.

“4 sgoey yp , \ ~ ~
¢ Cc ' loge faq) wy - { 1o
Lig CAO » dee (De we. Se / ae, mm \/ 5 hen J

The retentive memory of
Chief Investigator |. R.
Mills nailed a suspect's
lie about a driver's card.

The sergeant handed the report to Radio Officer R. M.
Bullock. “This is hot off the griddle, Bob. One of the
boys can probably tag that Plymouth before it gets very far.”

Bullock promptly alerted all radio teams, including those
in state highway patrol cruisers. It was then 11 p.m. on the
night of December 5, 1941. At midnight State Patrolman
Luther P. Daniels radioed back from his cruiser 15 miles

south of Miami on U.S. Highway No. 1.

“Just passed that stolen Plymouth coupe,” he reported.
“It’s parked off the highway and seems to be unoccupied.
ll turn around and see what’s cooking.”

“Good,” answered Bullock. “Call me right back.”

“Oke,” promised Daniels.

Fifteen minutes passed. Daniels did not report further.
Bullock tried unsuccessfully to contact him. Another 30
minutes‘ passed. Still there was no word from Daniels.
Bullock kept the state cruiser’s call signal working, but got
no answer. “s

The radio officer became worried. The stretch of road
Daniels was patroling, haknew, was one of the most desolate
in the country. It stretched south from Miami across the
Overseas Highway to Key West. For miles the limitless


swamps and jungles of the Everglades
flanked the pavement. oa
Bullock contacted other state high-

way cars, asking their positions. Patrol- .

man Ralph Spence radioed that he was
cruising on the outskirts south of

Miami. He had been listening in on.

Daniels’ earlier report.

“Make a run down and see if any-
thing’s wrong,” Bullock urged. “Daniels
should have called in before now.”

“Right,” agreed Spence. “I’m on the
way.” ®

There was little traffic south on US.
1 at that late hour. Spence wound the
cruiser up tight, his lights boring into
the black night. ‘Ten minutes later he
found the Plymouth still parked at the
place from which Daniels had last re-
ported.

Spence drove past with his spotlight
turned into the coupe. It appeared to
have no one in it. The patrolman
parked, snapped off his lights and, gun
and flashlight in his hands, circled cau-
tiously back to the car. He found it
deserted,

Empty Cartridge Case

- Spence flashed his light around the _

area, but there was no sign of the
coupe’s driver or of Daniels. It was
an eerie locale. Twisted cypresses and
huge oaks draped with Spanish moss
stood like gargoyles in the nearby
swamps. Somewhere an owl hooted, an
alligator bellowed. Mist steamed
across the highway. Spence turned up

his jacket collar and flashed his light

around the coupe again.

A bright metal object on the con-~
crete caught his eye. It was an empty
.45-caliber shell. It smelled of recently
burned powder. This spelled trouble
to Spence.

He ran back to his cruiser and called
Miami. “Any word from Daniels yet?
Did he radio that he was bringing in a
prisoner?”

“Haven’t heard from him,” Bullock
answered. “Where are you now?”

“Seven miles north of Goulds. I
found the Plymouth coupe, but nobody
is around, I also found a .45 shell. This
situation doesn’t look good. Notify
Captain Seneff and send another: car
down. here.”

“Right away,” Bullock promised.

Highway Patrolmen Faucett and
Porch reached the scene a few minutes
iater, closely followed by several coun-
ty cars. Powerful spotlights were
focused on the stolen coupe. But this
added, illumination provided no clue to
the person who had abandoned the
Plymouth there or to the disappearance
of Patrolman Daniels,

The officers fanned out in a-search
along the roadside ditches. Fifty yards
from the coupe they found a faint trail
leading into a dark hammock -of scrub
palms. And there they nearly trod
upon Patrolman Luther Daniels. He lay
on his back in the mud with a bullet
hole in his chest. . His body was still
warm, but he was dead. : :

There was a brief moment of silence,
then an officer swore softly. Young
Luther Daniels had left a wife and
family in a modest home’ in Miami.
That was bad enough; but nothing can

arouse a group of law enforcement
officers as much as the wanton killing

‘of one of their own in the line of duty.

Word was flashed to Miami over the
two-way radio. A veritable swarm of
cars now converged on the lonely Ever-
glades scene. In the vanguard of these
officers were Highway Patrol Captain
Stuart Seneff and Captain James O.
Barker, head of the Miami police iden-
tification bureau.

Seneff, a tall energetic man of quick
action and thought, knelt beside the
body. Daniels’ gun ‘was still in its
holster. Evidently the patrolman had
been ambushed as he approached the
stolen coupe, the killer then making a
quick attempt to hide the body in the
swamp hammock. Daniels’ uniform hat
was missing.

Seneff got to his feet. “The killer
escaped in the cruiser and took Daniels’
hat to disguise himself as an officer, I
presume. Let’s get those radios work-
ing. We want roadblocks set up north
to Miami and south to Key West. Every
car is to be stopped and every person
identified.”

“Tf he stays in that cruiser he won't
get far,” Spence answered grimly. “He
had to go either north or south on this

-highway. There aren’t many side

roads,” -

“He might take to the ’Glades if we
don’t get him quick enough,” replied
Seneff. “If he does that, we'll have a
real problem on our hands.” ,

Captain Barker, a man of athletic
build, gray-templed and sharp-eyed,
picked up his field kit. “I'll have a try
at that coupe for fingerprints,” he said.

The slain patrolman’s body was re-
moved to Miami and the manhunt was
quickly organized. Word was flashed

to local peace officers in the few scat-

tered villages and fishing camps that
bordered the highway. Cruisers roared
north and south to aid in establishing
the roadblocks and spreading the
alarm,

Cruiser Wrecked

The abandoned Plymouth was found
to be in good running order, but out

. of gas. Seneff talked with Barker while

the latter dusted the steering wheel and
gear shift lever for prints, working
under a portable floodlight.

“The man we want must have a
record,” he said. “Otherwise it doesn’t
make sense that he would kill an officer
just to beat a stolen car rap.”

“Unless he recognized Daniels and
had a personal grudge against him,”
suggested Barker. “Daniels, I under-
stand, had recovered quite a few stolen
cars in this area recently. Some mem-
ber of a ring might have been out to
get him. He couldn’t have picked a
better spot.”

“That’s possible,” .Seneff conceded
quickly. “We'll check Daniels’ record
of arrests for a lead if we don’t bag
this killer shortly.”

Barker dusted the excess powder
from the steering wheel and gear shift

‘lever with his feather-down brush.

“Here are some prints,” he said. He
peeled the protective coverings from
several clear cellulose tabs, pressed

‘them firmly over the powdered prints

and lifted the impressions. Later they
would be photographed and enlarged.

Seneff, who had been watching in-
tently, was suddenly called to a radio
car. There he was informed that Dan-
iels’ missing cruiser had just been
found wrecked one mile south. He and
Barker sped to the scene.

The cruiser lay on its side, complete-
ly smashed, in a thicket of high swamp
grass 50 feet off the highway. It was
nearly hidden from view. A patrolman,
passing slowly, had noticed heavy skid
marks on the, pavement, stopped to
investigate, and discovered the wrecked
car. Officers searched the area but
there was no sign of the driver, dead
or alive.

Seneff felt the cruiser’s engine. It was
barely warm. Obviously the mishap
had occurred some time before. How
the killer had escaped alive from this
wreck was one question, but the direc-
tion in which he had now fled was
more urgent.

Only two avenues of escape were
open and Seneff quickly considered
both. The killer might have circled

_ back to the highway and hitch-hiked

a ride with a passing motorist. But
there had been little traffic after mid-
night and so quickly had the highway
been placed under surveillance after
Daniels’ murder that this flight seemed
improbable.

On the other hand were the dread
trackless Everglades with their in-
terminable watercourses, razor-edged
Swamp grasses, moccasins and alliga-
tors, where even the mud in some
places was poisonous to the skin. Few
men except local guides and Seminole
Indians, who made the ’Glades their
home, ventured very far into this
greatest and most sinister of American
wildernesses. To the uninitiated it
would be a dangerous venture, doubly
so at night. A man would have to be
desperate indeed to attempt it.

But such was the man, reasoned

.

,
?
~
2
7

Pistol |
helped
to catc!

dA
The threa:

Everglade
Seneff unt


.

Others had to return to their homes in the volunteers reached the scene. Another groaned. “I have a terrific headache,” he

”s trail, Miami. Among the latter_ group were _ thing; this picture on the card is a likeness complained. “T can’t remember things.
ficers if Frank Walker and Gary Fowler. These of you, but the physical description be- He had, declared the suspect, recently
two headed their car north shortly after neath it does not fit you. Now, who are been discharged from the Army in Hono-
red, the dark. you?” , lulu. He had been injured when a gun ex-
ig. Then At a point some distance from the fires, “Pye told you,” growled the suspect. “J ploded and was thereafter subject to fits of
d hare- a man stepped from the jungle and flagged can’t help it if they didn’t put my descrip- epilepsy and lapses of memory. He con-
es. them down. He stood in the glare of the tion down right.” tinually had violent headaches.
he high- headlights, a stocky, burly, black-haired - Barker’s science quickly ex loded_ the “Tf you have in mind a defense based on
and car. man with ‘torn and mud-caked clothing. man’s story. The suspect's gerprints temporary insanity,” State’s Attorney
he killer Fowler slowed the car to a stop, whis- were found to match those found on both George A. Worley told him, “you can end
; second . pering to Walker, “Think this is that cop _ the stolen Plymouth and the wrecked po- that act right now. I’ve seen it performed
e escape killer, or one of the posse?” lice cruiser. A sample of his hair proved by experts. You aren’t even a good ama-
i. Seneff “T doubt if it’s the killer,” answered identical to the strands found in Daniels’ teur.”
g sun. Walker. “He would hardly be stupid hat. A test of the suspect’s gun, a .45-auto~ The man insisted that he was Stacey. A
enly ap- enough to stand out there in the head- matic, proved that it had fired the death reply to the fingerprint quer Barker had
lights like that, not knowing if we were slug. sent to the FBI refuted this, however. The
said the police or not. Besides, one of the road- Confronted with this evidence, the report disclosed that the man was Byrdl L.
ght come blocks is only a mile ahead.” slayer placed a hand against his head and Hudgins and hada criminal record.
uick?” The man came to the side of the car. :
seminoles’ “Going to Miami, fellows?” anne -—aceeeee”
-glades. It “Yes, get in the back,” Fowler told him. Leste Bay ger eg ss a Sar ana
inder-like ~ As the man climbed into the car both
he rotted . motorists saw enough to cause them con-
lestroying cern over their passenger. The man’s cloth-
id human. ing and hair had been singed and his face
‘Too dan- ; blistered, and a pistol butt protruded from
le jungle his belt. Walker’s own gun lay on the front
for miles. seat between him and Fowler, but it would
. or some be of little use against the man on the back
seat, if he became suspicious.
explained Fowler drove on, deciding to employ a
ch smoke. , friendly attitude until they reached the
come out. roadblock. “Live around here?” he casually \
ians show asked the stranger. 7
“No,” the other said gruffly. “I came Ee
down from Miami to help hunt that killer ”N A LOFTY NEW YORK APARTMENT, DETECTIVE
and got lost from the others. That fire INSPECTOR JIM MOON AND A MYSTERY WRITER,

caught me and I just did get out of there

H.W.KYNE, ARGUE OVER THE PLAUSIBILITY OF THE

srstood the alive.” ; LATTER'S NEWEST "WHO DOWE IT” WHEN » « «

res big “Pretty rough back in these ’Glades.” '

oe to. ind | “Yeah.” The other lost interest in the AGIRL. EH? WERE’S OUR ARCHER WI WAS TARGET
would be re a BR at ee GOT HER NAME. \aame AND, ODDLY ENOUGH, J SHOOTING ON MY
la be want to get to Miami as quick as pos-

2 maximum sible,” g q po ADDRESS ? ) f7 A HER NAME S sige ROOF ACROSS 7
and whites { A few minutes later Fowler approached CRY, - |

pA aprsii Poe i the barricade across the road, illuminated \ iy Sy

the woode | by floodlights. He braked to a stop. The

smothering man on the back seat jerked erect. “What’s AY "tow

this all about?” he demanded.

the captain The two motorists realized then that

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Pic ragereso +0¢AND SO, WHILE °
their camps AUTHOR KYWE TRIES
Thats werd the posses, or he would have known about ARMCHAIR DEDUCTION
the roadblocks. “I don't know,” Walker

rry out the ‘ 70 FIND THE MYSTERIOUS
4 The’ answered coolly, opening the front door. ACHE

. on : “Probably a detour or something. Yll go up ace inant
ort duration, and tell them to let us throug ra sated

smoke, might
the killer out

Passenger Disarmed

e highway. UD wasn't oun BET .Y WHY CERTAINLY f
" get started He walked casually ahead until he [ “DINNER FOR, THREE, / SUPPOSE WE PICK
havent muc reached the two nearest officers, U NY MR KYNE You UP IN AN HOUR
wiackbled ; d Border Patrolmen Stephen Hawkins and
Th in Pe James H. McDonald. Pointing to the barri-
Atte 4 jaced cade, Walker said from the side of his
ps and p at mouth, “I think that killer is in the back of
ah a 4 t a our car. He’s armed and loaks desperate.”
al a ‘The Hawkins nodded. The two officers saun-
are he tered back to the car with Walker, osten-
ike across the sibly talking about the detour. Reaching
1 Fy the machine, McDonald jerked open the
re canals .an back door and ordered sharply, “All right,

hers appeared

of the scene get out and identify yourself!”

The stranger tugged at the gun in his

a and, meere belt, but Hawkins had foreseen this action.

joining the A blow sent the weapon spinning to the —
and alligators floor of the car. An instant later Mc- susT IMAGINE / ME ¥ YES, AND WITH A — [THIN GILLETTES GivE You smooTH, |
swam to mid- Donald had handcuffs on the man. CHARACTER | DASH OF ROMANCE, ) REFRESHING SHAVES THAT LOOK AS .

Taken to headquarters in Miami, the Pe
suspect proved to be a surly customer. 4 HAVE THE KEENEST, SMOOTHEST-FINISHED EDGES
leo & He gave his name as Jack Stacey from Os a ' SL OF ANY LOW-PRICED BLADE ON THE MARKET. 7-7,
quarry also be Ohio. He denied any complicity whatso- . = Lhe ma = Sey 5 WHATS MORE THIN GILLETTES FIT YOUR} ©

ever in the murder of Patrolman Daniels. j fag] |.) GILLETTE RAZOR EXACTLY, THUS, YOU'RE 4° ©
=" | protECTED FROM THE SMART

“AND IRRITATION OF MISFIT

“ys NBLADES. ALWAYS ASK FOR,

s, rabbits and “1 @000 AS THEY FEEL. THATS BECAUSE THEY

iked across the

ising along the
tact with their
aw enforcement

ae. Jun bearing Stacey’s name and photo. “This Bap THIN GILLETTES Ve] =~
with the Indian license, then, is yours?” ie \ o
“Yeah. I must have dropped it when I YS yj @,

Everglades. The
ly lighted. Many
tired, sore an
ig the search.

got down there to help the police out.”
“Now I know you're lying,” charged
Mills. “Thjs card was found before any of 4


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Hudgins, now that the jig was up, ad-
mitted his identity and claimed that he had
borrowed the driver’s license from a friend
in Ohio and pasted his own picture over
the one on the card. Then he went into his
act again.
“I didn’t really steal that Plymouth,” he
said. “I was just walking past and my
head got to hurting, so I sat down in the
cir. The next thing I knew I was out on
the highway in them swamps and the car
was out of gas. I was sitting there with
my head hurting again when this cop came
up and asked to see my papers. He said I
was under arrest because the car was
stolen.
“T reached over to hand him my gun and
he threw his hands up in the air like I
was holding him up. Then he started to
pull his own gun and I thought he was
going to shoot me. My head . suddenly
busted wide open, it hurt something awful,
and I don’t remember anything, after that.”
Worley had the prisoner examined by
alienists and he was found to be perfectly

sane.

Byrdl Hudgins went on trial in the Dade
County circuit court on February 10, 1942.
He was found guilty of murder in the first
degree, sentenced to death, and was elec-
trocuted at the Florida state prison at
Raiford on July 20, 1942.

Cop killers don’t live long in Florida
when law enforcement officers and the
Seminole Indians team up together.

Eprror’s Note: To spare possible em-
barrassment to innocent persons, the names
Jack Stacey, Gladys Black and George
Gaffney, used in this story, are fictitious.

The Slayer Wore
Kid Gloves

(Continued from page 29)

We'll include a couple of our direct line
phone numbers; that'll give us a bit of a
jump on his next operation.”

The “next act” to which Brennan re~

‘ferred was played on July 26—just 24

days following Mrs. Jarvis’ murder. But
when radio patrol cars flashed to the scene,
dispatched on a direct line call from the
victim—operator of a West Sixth Street
dress store—the slippery fugitive was gone.
There was a repeat performance on Au-
gust 17 at a Wilshire Boulevard beauty
establishment, and here the slippery bandit
eluded capture by a matter of minutes.

“Next time,” Bert Jones promised his
men. “This bird is hitting one particular
district. I’m assigning special radio patrols
to it. Further, I’m sending teams to stake
out stores that haven’t been tapped. We'll
see what develops.”

Automobile Clue

When Brennan and Wiseman checked in
the following morning, Jones had further
news. The downtown men-—-Vaughn and
Jokisch—had managed to pry a possibly
significant detail from one of the victims.
It was to the effect the holdup ‘man had
referred either to a Chevrolet or Oldsmo-
bile’ coupe, and it was the woman’s
recollection that he owned one or the other
of these makes of vehicle.

Radio patrols and the motorcycle men
were ordered to shake. down every Olds
and Chevrolet coupe about which they had
the least suspicion. The citywide exam-
ination of vehicles progressed efficiently
and without press notice. There were sev-
eral arrests’ as stolen cars were recovered

or weapons turned up. A handful of indi-

viduals closely resembling the wanted
killer were brought in, processed and re-

leased.

“We'll keep it up,” Bert Jones declared
patiently. “This town’s big.”

Officers S. W. Preston and Don Jones
were aboard their cycles at 9 the night
of August 28 when a black Oldsmobile
coupe ‘swung past them at Vermont Ave-
nue and Wilshire after failing to make a
boulevard stop. They gunned their engines
and flagged the car down at Eighth and
Vermont, two blocks distant. The driver
alighted. _He was a neatly dressed young
man.

Preston dismounted. “You went through
a stop sign back there. Let’s see your
license.”

The young man produced it, and the offi-
cer checked the card against the vehicle’s
registration on the steering column. Both
were made out to Francis Paul Barnes.

“You’re Barnes?”

“Yes, sir, I am.”

Preston scrutinized him sharply, noted
the dark, waving hair, the slender build.
The license gave his-age as 21. :

The policeman turned his flash on the
interior of the car. On the floor lay a six-
inch hunting knife. Preston flicked a glance
at his partner. The latter nodded.

“We're taking you in, Barnes,” Preston
said. “If you’re on the up-and-up you'll
be on your way in half an hour. You know
where the Wilshire police station is over
on Pico Boulevard, don’t you? Get in your
heap and drive there. We'll be following
right behind you. Keep it slow.”

Barnes slipped back into his coupe,

_kicked the starter and turned into Eighth

Street, accelerating sharply. He was ignor-
ing orders. And then it became plain he
intended making a run for it. They spurted
after him.

-Don Jones had not gone five feet when
he brought his cycle to a halt and swung
to the ground. He directed his flash at a
small wad of rags over which he had just
run next to the curb.

He remembered seeing the thing fall
from -the coupe as Barnes alighted and
had assumed it was simply what it seemed
to be and had dropped out accidentally.
Now he knew that it had not been an
accident but a deliberate attempt to get rid
of more than rags. The feel of the thing
had been hard and metallic under his
wheel. He stooped and retrieved the
bundle, flipped it open. Before him lay a
blue steel automatic, fully loaded.

Escapes After Crash

Jones shoved rags and gun into a pocket
and leaped back aboard his cycle. Some-
where to the west he could hear Preston’s
wide-open siren and he let out his ma-
chine in pursuit. He caught sight of his
partner’s blue tail lights on Berendo
Street; Preston was doing at least 70. Then
he heard the crack of Preston’s service
revolver—twice—and he unlimbered his
own heavy gun. .

He was two blocks away when he heard
the crash. When he pulled up and vaulted
off at Fourth and Berendo, there was the
coupe on the Jawn of a home on the
northeast corner, its front crushed in from
impact with the building.

Preston was just coming around the
house from the back.

“He get away?” Jones panted.

“Yep. That ’41 heap of his can step. He
must have hopped the fence at the rear;
there’s a footprint.”

Radio cars assembled like a swarm of
angry wasps and the district was cordoned
off, but fast as was this maneuver, the
fleeing man had been faster.

Brennan and Wiseman arrived and
stared at the piece of ugly blue steel ‘and
listened to Don Jones’ description of

the young lay

Brennan’s e:
thing, ‘Don. G
going to. send

‘gas works.”

Barnes, acc:
tion, lived ‘ir
nearby San F:
and Detective
hurried to th
on Laurel Gri
told Barnes f
leaving no f
room he had
phone numb
was one, the
roomer had «

The invest
number; it h
East Forty-:
The woman
not where hs
sible, she t}
could be fo
mother-in-l:

“And whi
impatiently.
“lm not c
Burlington
Russell C:
laboring wi'
Late that n
bed.
“You're r
lieutenant.
killed Mrs.
in the wou
With an
bulletins d
day, acqua
Los Angele
young stick
Barnes con
neighborho
Streets anc
to inquire
for the rw
Hunter anc
under pre
traffic inqu
an addres:

Rosemont

son-in-law
Hunter <

Street add

than 17 =<

Barnes’ br

although |}

“But y:
young lad:
want with
“A minc

“Merely

later. Ma

Additio:
a watch h

._ the huge

But it y
that the t

m@ WHO HAS the right to define and
punish as crimes acts committed in, a
place belonging to no state or country?
For example, what about crimes com-
mitted on the high seas? The oceans
of the world belong to all nations.

A murder might be committed on a
Turkish ship. The victim might be an
American. What if one man kills an-
other by pushing him overboard from
a homemade raft in midocean? A pi-
rate crew sailing a ship without a flag
commits many murders. What coun-
try—if any—has the legal right to pun-
ish the killers in any of these cases?

Much closer to home the place of a
crime raises puzzling questions. What
country has the right to punish a crime
on the open and uninclosed waters of
the Great Lakes? First, you have to
know what, country has “criminal jur-
isdiction.” rae ;

River crimes create troublesome le-
gal problems too. In a number of
places in the United States a wide
river separates two states. Suppose a
crime is committed on a boat plying
the river. Which state has the right
to arrest, try and punish the acctised?

Sometimes a state will surrender its
control over a bit of its territory to the
United States. Does it. also give up

the right to punish crimes committed

there? bs

See if you can answer these ques-
tions about the right of a country or a
state to punish a crime committed in
a particular place.

1. An American citizen was accused
of committing a murder on board a
Norwegian ship on the ‘high seas.
Where may he be tried and punished?

2. A pirate ship, falsely flying a
French flag, attacked an American

_ vessel and killed several members of

the crew. What country may punish
the pirates?

3. Griffin killed his employer on a
boat sailing a river which was the
common boundary of two neighboring
states. To which state is he answer-
able for his crime? _

‘4. While navigating his own boat on
the Delaware River, a common boun-

32 dary between New Jersey and Penn-

THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ASKS

ike? wu, Rou)

lt se

BY CHARLES R. ROSENBERG, JR.
(Attorney-at-law)

sylvania, Newton fatally shot his wife,

who was with him. ' This took place
only a few feet from the New Jersey
shore. He then rowed to midstream,
pushed the body overboard and con-
tinued to the Pennsylvania side, where
he was captured. Which state can
punish him?

5. Two states separated by a boun-
dary river passed laws providing that
either of them should have the right
to punish crimes committed anywhere
on the river. The state on the eastern
side of the river had made possession
of liquor a crime and arrested Harper
for having liquor in his boat on the
river. The boat was anchored on the

_western side of the river and the state

on that side permitted possession of
liquor. Can he be legally convicted?

6. A British subject on a British ves-

sel was killed as a result of a German
captain running his ship into and sink-
ing the British ship. This took place
two-and one-half miles from the Eng-
lish coast in peacetime. Could the
German be tried for this in a British
court?
’ 1. While on the ocean, two miles off
the American coast,. Ali, a Turk, com-
mitted an act which was an offense
against the laws of the United States.
Can the United States punish him?

8. A member of the crew of an
American ship attacked another with
a dangerous weapon, intending to kill
him. At the time of the crime the ves-
sel was sailing the open and uninclosed
waters of the Great Lakes. Could the
courts of the United States take juris-
diction of this crime?

9. With the consent of the New York
legislature the United States took over
needed land in that state for military
purposes. After: the government oc-
cupied the land a crime ‘was committed
there. Should the crime be punished
by the federal government or the State
of New York?

10. Johnson,* who murdered a man
in, Ohio, fled into a federal military
reservation in that state. Could Ohio
authorities arrest him while he re-
mained within the reservation?

(Answers on page 42)

to try to pick up the white killer’s trail,
then notify the nearest armed officers if
they did so.

Standing erect and solemn-faced, the
Indians nodded their understanding. Then
they whirled and, bareheaded and hare-
footed, disappeared into the jungles.

Seneff lit a cigarette and paced the high-
way anxiously beside his command car.
Soon it would be dark again. If the killer
could stave off capture for this second
night, his chances for an indefinite escape
were good. Another hour passed. Seneff
kept an anxious eye on the waning sun.

Then Sammy Tiger-Tail suddenly ap-
peared at his side. ‘

“This bad part of ’Glades,” said the
Indian. “Take much time and night come
fast. Why we not burn ’im out quick?”

Seneff understood. Fire! The Seminoles’
most dreaded enemy in‘the Everglades. It
could sweep through the _tinder-like
grasses of the swamps and the rotted
vegetation of the hammocks, destroying
everything in its path, animal and human.

The officer shook his head. “Too dan-
gerous, Tiger-Tail. This whole jungle
might go up and the fire spread for miles.
It might reach the settlements, or some
trapper’s cabin.”

“Not forest fire,” the Indian explained
patiently. “Little fires, but much smoke.
Scare hell out of ’im. Make ’im come out.
me eontrol fire at canals. Indians show

ow.”

Fires Kindled

After a minute Seneff understood the
plan. A series of small grass fires would
be started in wide circles close to the
waterways where they would quickly
burn out. Green palm fronds would be
thrown on the fires to create the maximum
density of smoke. Indians and whites
would be stationed at strategic points to
prevent the fires from reaching the wooded
sections by backfiring and smothering
them with the palm fronds.

This ‘method of fire control, the captain
knew, was often used by the Seminoles
when forest fires threatened their camps
deep within the ’Glades. - There were
plenty of men present to carry out the
plan under the Indians’ guidance. The
small grass fires, even of short duration,
but with billowing clouds of smoke, might
well be the answer to driving the killer out
of his hiding place to seek the highway.

“Call in your braves and let’s get started
with it,” Seneff urged. “We haven’t much
time -left.” .

Quickly the manhunters assembled and
were given their instructions. The Indians
led them back into the swamps and: placed
each man at a strategic position. At a
signal from Sammy Tiger-Tail a dozen
small fires were kindled at once. The
flames caught and ran snakelike across the
grass. .

These flames reached the canals .and
burned out. Immediately others appeared
in areas north and south of the scene.
Continuous rivulets of fire and smoke
raced across the swamps, joining the
burned-off areas. Snakes and alligators
slid into the canals and swam to mid-
stream. Raccoons, Wildcats, rabbits and
other ground animals streaked across the
highway to safety. :

But would the human quarry also be
driven from his lair?

The patrol cars were cruising along the
highway, maintaining contact with their
radios. Here the modern law enforcement
officer with his scientific equipment was
working in close harmony with the Indian
and his age-old methods.

Dusk closed in on the Everglades. The
last of the fires were quickly lighted. Many
of the manhunters, now tired, sore and
hungry, were abandoning the search.

Others had to ret
Miami. Among th
Frank Walker and
two headed their c
dark.

At a point some «
a man stepped from
them down. He sto
headlights, a stock
man with ‘torn and

Fowler slowed th
pering to Walker, ‘
killer, or one of tl

“I doubt if it’s
Walker. “He wo
enough to stand o
lights like that, no
police or not. Bes
blocks is only a r

The man came t
“Going to Miami, f:

“Yes, get in the |

As the man clir
motorists saw enou
cern over their pass
ing and hair had b
blistered, and a pis’
his belt. Walker’s o°
seat between him a:
be of little use agai:
seat, if he became

Fowler drove on
friendly attitude 1
roadblock. “Live ar:
asked the stranger

“No,” the other
down from Miami
and got lost from
caught me and I ji
alive.”

“Pretty rough ba

“Yeah.” The oth
conversation. “I’m
I want ‘to get to
sible.”

A few minutes lz
thé barricade acros
by floodlights. He
man on the back se:
this all about?” he

The two motori:
their passenger had
the posses, or he w:
the roadblocks. “I
answered coolly, o
“Probably a detour
and tell them to le

Passenge

He walked casi
reached the two 1
Border Patrolmen
James H. McDonald
cade, Walker said
mouth, “I think that
our car. He’s arme

Hawkins nodded.
tered back to the c
sibly talking about
the machine, McD«
back door and orde
get out and identif-

The stranger tug
belt, but Hawkins }
A blow sent the wu
floor of the car.
Donald had handci

Taken to headq
suspect proved to
He gave his name
Ohio. He denied a
ever in the murder
He said he had m
Miami to serve as :

Mills showed hi
bearing Stacey’s n:
license, then, is yc

“Yeah. I must h
got down there to

“Now I know :
Mills. “Thjs card w

(Dade) 7-20-1912,

ein

y aL?

Meek-looking Vincent
Christie killed four.

| Discovered
“How To

| AGAIN:

IN 20 SECONDS

: » Twas in des ir when I began to lose e
Was oeatiarars ane se One day ost just 20. Cop-shooter Hudgins got
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ayy booklet that tells ail the facts.

we

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Assassin Zangara ham-
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Namesseessicscivivetvidees le chiasas

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by Thomas Thursday

ONFIDENTIAL DETECTIVE, May, 1950.

New FALSE PLATE

for OLD jj
IN 24 HOURS .

ft
4

“WF HAVE: seen many men die for the ped, and they are no longer among the
. @§ major -crime of ‘murder, Some walk- intelligent,
=. ed to the Chair ‘unassisted: some This is the story, or stories, of three
were half-carried, nerve-shocked with merciless killers, and their final pay-
' fright} some went: with a sneer of ‘con- ment for their crimes, a ‘seat in the’
tempt on their‘fearsome faces. All felt Electric Chair, Let us title the first af- -
* Method Trans-| "9 Compassion for their victims; each fair:
af oO seined | Was stupid, semi-moronic, an - error. of » — COP KILLERS DIE ‘YOUNG
x ' te Rol INK Nature. Beth prey ; The wife of every police official is
Why en others? We will transform
All

; : “a potential widow. The .wife of State
early tbabont Beante Piste Pane’ ine a beantifulnew, | female, kills ‘a’ fellow creature. Even ”’ Highway Patrolman Luther Daniels,

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ber mes restart Meera Pitert ranted demic * diplomas; when they conceive _ widows, ‘can attest the cruel fact,

. -adiirees for full _lfvouc plate taleos. vs | the ‘slaying: ‘of ‘another ‘person, some- + ‘It began with Jane Simmons and her

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didn’t premeditate or intend to shoot the trooper. Hudgins said that

Daniel "yelled and started running" and I jumped in his car and started
driving." (It should be noted that this reaction is unlikely since

Daniel would have been more likely to draw his gun and return fire
rather to simply flee with a holstered gun.)

The coupe had been stolen earlier that night in South Miami from
the front of the home of Nancy Coe, 24, of 317 N. Third St. The killer
evidently panicked when he realized the trooper was about to find out
that the car was stolen. Daniel was shot once witha .45 caliber "army
automatic" which the killer had bought earlier in Cincinnati. He then
fled in the patrol car. (In this scenario it is unclear why he did not

flee in the Coupe.)

uth Allapattah Drive but ran off the

road and wrecked the patrol car within half a mile of the murder site.
The patrol car ran off the road and "turned end over end two or three
times and came to rest upright, 360 feet from the point where it ieft
the paving." Apparently, the killer suffered only a slight leg injury
in the accident and then ran into the nearby woods to hide.

The killer headed south on So

Daniel’s silent radio alerted Patrol headquarters in Miami to pos-
sible trouble and other officers were soon looking for him. Sgt. Robert
Spence was the first officer to arrive at the scene. Spence spotted the
silhouette of the Coupe parked in the distance and was told by Capt.
Stuart A. Seneff to go no further until other officers arrived. When
Capt. Seneff and other officers arrived, a search of the area was made.
About 100 yards north of the car they found Paul Daniel’s body. "he
still had his gun, with barrel fully loaded, in the holster....a small

trickle of blood was still coming out of his chest."

Seeing that the patrol car was missing, the searchers realized that
the killer had fled in Daniel’s car. A call went out to all available
police in the Miami area that a trooper had been killed and for help in

finding the killer. "A force of 50 highway police, deputy sheriffs and

police from the Greater Miami area" converged on the scene. The law

enforcement officers were supplemented by "30 heavily-armed American
Legion veterans." The searchers soon found the wrecked patrol car only
a half-mile away and surmised that the killer had fled on foot into the
woods. The police found no blood in the patrol car and believed that
the fatally wounded Daniel must have been dragged quickly from the
patrol car (before he could bleed on the seat) and that the kiiler was

not wounded seriously by the wreck.

The searchers had a strong suspect in the killing as an Ohio
driver’s license with the name and picture of Louis Elmer Humber, Jr.,
26, a truck driver from Cincinnati, was found at the murder scene. The

searchers thus had a description and picture of thef suspect. BLOOd=
hounds were brought in from the prison camp at Belle Glade and "trailed
from 3:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. through the woods and fields...finally losing

the trail." Citizens in the Goulds area joined in the search on Satur-
day along with immigration border patrolmen. one report indicated that
as many as 1,000 people were involved in the search. |. (The killer would

2

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HUDGINS, Byrdle, elec. Fl.(Dade) July 20, 1942

A tentatlve drart of one of y»/ cases to pe 1nciudeu ii a
forthcoming book (Police Officers Killed in Dade County,
Florida, 1895-1991) by Dr. Wm. Wilbanks of Florida Interna-
tional U. Phone: 305-595-6102

F

/ #28 LUTHER PAUL DANIEL
Florida Highway Patrol
Shot & killed on Dec. 5, 1941

LHE EVENT

Paul Daniel, 32, became the two year-old State Road Patrol’s (now
the Florida Highway Patrol) first officer killed in the line of duty
when he was shot and killed after stopping a speeding vehicle on U.S. 1
and South Allapattah Dr. on Dec. 5, 1941. The story of the killer’s
capture was the front-page headline story in both the Miami Herald and
the Miami Daily News on Pearl Harbor Day, Sunday Dec. 7, 1941.

Trooper Daniel was alone on patrol around 11:00PM on Friday, Dec.
5, 1941, traveling south on U.S. 1 from South Miami. There are two.
views as to how contact between the killer and the trooper was
initiated. The initial police investigation indicated that the killer
was already stopped by the side of the road with a disabled vehicle when
approached by Daniel. In this scenario, the killer walked over to the
police car to talk with Daniel, who remained seated in the police car.
When Daniel radioed in for-a check on the car license, the killer real-
ized that the officer would soon know the car was stolen and shot Daniel
as he sat in the police car. This view was supported by the trajectory
of the bullet which entered Daniel’s left arm and then went downward.
The fact that the killer fled in the trooper’s vehicle would also
suggest that the killer’s car had been disabled. However, there was no
blood in the patrol car and Daniel’s body was found on the roadside.

The second scenario came from the killer’s confession as he said
that he had been speeding south on U.S. 1 through the "little town of
Perrine" at 80 mph. when he was spotted by the trooper. The trooper
gave chase and when the driver saw that the trooper was gaining on him
he slowed down and pulled off the road just before the intersection of
U.S. 1 and South Allapattah Dr. (In 1941 this intersection was at a
“lonely stretch" of U.S. 1 but in 1991 is the "Sears corner" of the
Cutler Ridge Shopping Center.)

The killer’s confession indicated that Trooper Daniel got out of
his patrol car and approached the Coupe. He asked the driver for his
license and walked back to his patrol car to radio in (at 11:15PM) to
the Miami Police the Coupe’s license plate number to see if the vehicle
was stolen. Three minutes later Miami police dispatcher R.M. Bulldck
radioed back to Daniel to tell him that the car was stolen. However,
Daniel did not answer as he had been shot. The trooper was waiting for
the radio message and had his foot on the patrol car’s running board
(with the radio in his hand) when the driver approached him with a gun

in hand. Daniel raised his hands up just as the driver shot him one
time in the chest.

Hudgins later told a psychiatrist that he "handed his gun toward
Daniel and that when the patrolman did not take it, but backed away in

alarm, ’I shot him’....’"when I get nervous it’s hard for me to think.’"
He also claimed that "something must have come over me" and that he
a

later say that he remained within 150 yards of the wrecked patrol car,
hiding in the bushes, and that the searchers came within 15 feet of his

hiding place at one point.)

The search team "scoured negro guarters, isolated houses and other
likely hiding places during the day." Part of the Redland District
being searched was the scene of a similar massive manhunt four years
earlier when the "kidnapper of little Skeegie Cash of Princeton, was

being sought."

Sheriff D.C. Colemam and Capt. Seneff of the State Highway Patrol
"were on the scene in person, directing the searchers." Capt. Seneff
told reporters that he had

issued a warning only Friday night for all highway patrolmen to

ride two in a car while on night duty but Daniel ignored this as he

took his final trip south along the highway just before going home.
(Miami Daily News, 12/6/41)

The search went well beyond Miaml. Patrolmen from Miami drove U.S.
1 south while patrolmen from Key west drove north looking for the patrol
car. When the two contingents met they drove north to participate ina
more intensive search of the Redlands area. A navy plane "searched the
surrounding waters on the theory that the man being sought might have
stolen a boat and headed for the isolated Cape Sable region." Twenty~
five years earlier (in 1916) the Rice gang had eluded a massive manhunt
and escaped by boat to the Cape Sable area after killing three sheriff’s
deputies near Homestead.

Miami police radio, in charge of Lieut. Ben Demby, kept the
search co-ordinated and a cordon of patrol cars blocked roads
leading from the Goulds area. On the chance the slayer might have
gotten away from Miami, state police also blocked roads from Jack-

Sonville around to Tampa. (Miaml Daily News, 12/6/41)

Within 24 hours the search was successful. Credit for the capture
of Byrdl L. Hudgins, 22, of Jonesboro, GA, (the name “L.E. Humber, Jr."
turned out to be an alias) was given to two border patrolmen of the U.S.
Immigration Service and "two quite Perrine farmers." Shortly before
9:00PM on Saturday night farmers Gary Fowler and Frank Walker, were
flagged down as they were driving north on U.S. 1 by a man who asked for
a ride. They drove past the man at first but then backed up because he
looked like the fugitive being sought. Fowler, who was also a "special
deputy sheriff," had a .38 caliber revolver on the seat between himself

and Walker when flagged down by Hudgins.

Fowler, driving the car, said he recognized the man as the hunted
killer, but stopped his car and told him to get into the rear seat.
Then he proceeded along the highway to a barbecue stand near
Kendall, where the immigration patrol had a flood-lighted barricade
thrown across the road.

Fowler said he knew their passenger had them covered from the
rear seat, and admitted being frightened when stopped at the bar-
ricade. He said Hudgins growled, "what the hell you stoppin’ for--
an accident or something?"

Stephen Hawkins and James H. McDonald, the border patrolmen,

3 f

on

HOt SAR EE CRN RETREAT


of his confinement in a Georgia state sanitarium"; and the "full record
Of his behavior since his arrest." oOkell suggested that the "hysteri-
cal" behavior of Hudgins since his arrest was indicative of insanity.

However, the state told the jury that Hudgins’ confession indicated
reasoning and "cold calculation" which suggested sanity. Prosecutors
said that the confession also showed a motive as Daniel was slain in the
three minutes between his radio call to the Miami police and their
answer. Hudgins knew what the answer would be and killed to avoid
arrest. The second day of the trial was marked by extra security as
Hudgins had boasted that he would “make a break for it" following the
example of "one of his brothers who escaped after a murder sentence in
Georgia and who still is at large." .

The case went to the jury on Tuesday night and a verdict of guilty
of first degree murder without recommendation of mercy was returned at
10:00PM. Under 1941 Florida law a death sentence was mandatory with
conviction for first degree murder without a recommendation for mercy by
the jury. Four of the 12 jurors favored a recommendation of mercy but a
majority was needed for such a recommendation.

An unspecified number would have voted for life instead of death
could they have been assured Hudgins would not have gone free at
some future time by the parole or the pardon route.

At 10 p.m., after an hour and a half of deliberation, they
returned to ask Judge Barns whether they could vote legally for the
life term with the stipulation the slayer never be pardoned. The
judge informed them they could make such a recommendation, but it
would not be legally binding.

That point cleared up, they were back in the jury room for only
three minutes before reaching their verdict. (Miami Herald,
2/11/42)

It 1s unclear whether the jury heard evidence that the gun used to
kill Daniel had also been used in the murder of H.G. Beatty, an Ashland,
KY, a furniture salesman, whose "bullet-riddled body was found in the
outskirts of Batavia near Cincinnati, Ohio, March 24, 1941. Hudgins had
admitted that he had the gun for 2 and 1/2 years but denied killing
Beatty. Newspaper accounts of the arrest and confession mentioned the
link to a second murder but the account of the trial was silent on this

point.

The verdict seemed to shock Hudgins as he had expected a recom-
mendation of mercy. His "grinning and joking" during the jury delibera-
tions turned to grim silence upon the announcement of the verdict. One
week later Hudgins was transported to Raiford Prison. For the trip he
was Shackled with the "Oregon boot," a heavy bronze weight on the right
ankle to preclude running and was "handcuffed to a leather belt about
his waist. Hudgins asked for and was given four Photographs of women
(taken from him at the time of his arrest) and the statement he had
written while in jail. The statement indicated the anger of Hudgins as
well as his ability to articulate. It said in part:

How can a foul, insanitary, stone-walled, lonely, demoralizing -

6


approached the car and asked for identification from the pas-

sengers. Fowler left the car and McDonald noticed Hudgins was
seated on a gun. He shouted a warning, and as he did, Hudgins
grabbed the gun, a .45 caliber automatic and jammed it into
Hawkins’ stomach. The latter wrested the gun from the killer,

bruising his hand, and McDonald pulled his gun and effected the
capture. (Miami Daily News, 12/7/41)

The prisoner was taken to the Dade County jail where he was ques-
tioned by the State Attorney, G.A. Worley, and police investigators.
Hudgins at first was calm and gave a fictitious name while denying
everything but then “broke down and admitted everything." His first
explanation as to why he shot and killed Trooper Daniel was, "I get
nervous when police stop me."

However, the cool demeanor of Hudgins soon changed as by the fol-
lowing Wednesday "his calm was gone and his nerves apparently shattered"
as he was reported "close to the maniac stage" and "his cries may be
heard over the entire jail." Hudgins’ attorney later pointed to this
behavior as evidence of insanity.

THE PERPETRATOR:

Byrdl Hudgins, 22, of Jonesboro, GA, was 6’2" and 196 lbs. He was
described in the newspapers as "lanky," “black haired and athletically
built," and "hulking." He said that he had hidden all day Saturday in a
Swamp near Perrine but saw the search plane, the bloodhounds, and the
police searching and knew he had to get out of the search area. He also
told investigators that he had bought the gun in Cincinnati and had been
in Miami the past few days staying at the Hometown Hotel at 719 N.E.
First Ave. Earlier in the day on Dec. 5, Hudgins had filed a credit
application for a $107 diamond ring for a girl friend in Ashland, KY.

Hudgins told the prosecutor and police that he had been discharged
from the "state insane hospital at Milledgeville, GA, last July."
Police also found out that Hudgins had served a prison term in Kilby
prison near Montgomery, AL, and had prior arrests in Griffin, GA,
Atlanta, and Miami (in 1932).

The killer later told reporters that he was "struck in the head by
an ejected shell casing from an anti-aircraft gun" when he was a member
of Company F of the 27th Infantry stationed at Schofield Barracks,
Honolulu. (Clearly, the news of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor
the day after his capture had special significance to Hudgins.) He
spent several months in the base hospital in Honolulu before being
"mustered out" of the army in 1937.

Hudgins said that the head injury had caused his mental problems
and claimed that, in 1939 and again in 1940, he begged the Veterans
Administration in Atlanta "to commit him to a hospital or some other
institution where he might receive mental care, but his pleas were
denied." He was sent to the mental hospital in Milledgeville, GA,

+


i i
es

"after being arrested in connection with the theft of an automobile."

Hudgins’ story of the killing contradicted the physical evidence.
He said the trooper chased him for several miles before forcing him to
the side of the road at the Allapattah intersection.

He said he had his gun beside him, and started to hand it over to

the patrolman, but "something made me release the safety catch and

start shooting."

After he was struck, Hudgins said Daniel screamed and staggered
about 85 feet before he fell. Hudgins denied having driven the
officer’s patrol car. (Miami Daily News, 12/7/41)

The Dade County Grand Jury indicted Hudgins on Dec. 8 and he was
arraigned the next day before Circuit Judg@ Richard H. Hunt. George
Okell was appointed to defend Hudgins. The two-day trial before Judge
Paul D. Barns started on Monday, Feb. 8, 1942, just two months after the
murder. State Attorney G.A. Worley, assisted by specially appointed
prosecutor Hugh MacArthur, attorney for the Road Patrol. A jury was
quickly selected the first day of the trial with one member being Jack
Ward, the co-creator and artist of the "Popeye" cartoon. The trial was
attended py Paul Daniel’s widow, Florence, his son Billy, 9, his
"crippled" father, B.F. Daniel, and his sister, Mrs. Grace Day.

. The state introduced Hudgins’ confession, the fake drivers license
left at the scene, and testimony from the men who captured the killer
near the scene. The prosecution also presented two "“alienists" (i.ée.,
psychiatrists) who testified that Hudgins was sane when he shot and
killed Daniel. The state maintained that Hudgins was not insane but
"crazy like a fox." The two psychiatrists, I.H. Agos and James L.
Anderson, testified that they also found no evidence of epileptic fits
(as claimed by the defense) though "they had tried to throw him into
such a fit and had failed." Both doctors testified that Hudgins could
have not been in an epileptic fit at the time of the shooting.

Defense Attorney Okell relied upon a defense of insanity. Evidence
was introduced to prove that Hudgins had been adjudicated insane by a
court in Georgia and "that adjudication still stands." Hudgins had been
arrested for stealing and torching a car in Georgia but was acquitted by
reason of insanity in Clayton County, GA, on Nov. 18, 1940, and com-
mitted to the Georgia State Hospital at Milledgeville. Hudgins escaped
on July 16, 1941, after seven months at the hospital and eventually made

his way to Miami. Okell, described by the Miami Herald as "a trifle
slow on his feet but by no means slow under his hat," pointed out that
"there has been no evidence he has since been declared sane." He

further argued that any confession "made by a person so declared insane
to be invalid."

Okell "ripped into" the opinion of sanity by the two court-
appointed "alienists,". reached after a one hour interview. He said that
their view should not overcome the opinion of army doctors and Georgia
psychiatrists who examined and observed Hudgins over a much longer
period of time. Okell introduced the record of Hudgins’ army discharge
which showed that he was subject to fits of epilepsy; the "full record

5


prison cell reform? How can a crew of ill-paid, sadistic guards
inspire in a criminal brain a desire to go straight? How can the

idiotic mass psychology of the American prison regime....lead to
rehabilitation in any degree? No, in prison you rot!..... society
is naively innocent of what prison actually represents. It likes

to believe that it is doing a criminal a good turn by sending him
to prison.

"There," Society sighs, “he will find himself!"

"Humbug!" (Miami Daily News, 2/18/42)

Hudgins was executed at Raiford on July 20,1942, just 5 & 1/2
months after his conviction and sentence. Shortly before that date the
state pardon board refused to commute his sentence. Hudgins became the
second man to be executed for killing a Dade law enforcement officer
(Frizell McLaren was executed in 1941 for the killing of Coral Gables
officer Homer Barton). A description of the execution of Hudgins was
given in Confidential Detective:

His arms are strapped securely. Then the headpiece is clamped

down. .

The switch is pulled and next the slow turning of the rheostat,
regulating the current. The body strains against the straps. The
current is turned off. And the attending physician’s famed words,
"IT now pronounce this man dead," concludes the macabre performance.

The cop-shooting days of Byrdl L. Hudgins are over. Forever.
(Confidential Detective, May, 1950)

Local newspapers paid scant attention to the execution of Hudgins.
The Miami Herald devoted four paragraphs to the page 5A story on July
21, 1942, while the Miami Daily News reported the execution in one para-
graph in a "Late News Flash" on July 20.

LHE OFFICER:

Luther Paul Daniel, 32, was born in Dawson, GA, on Nov. 2, 1909, to
Benjamin Franklin Daniel and Nettie Cora (Scott) Daniel (who died when
Paul was 13). He was the youngest of five children. The family lived
on a farm near the Cottondale community (near Dawson, GA). Paul
attended the Cottondale (Elementary) School for 7 years and then
attended Pleasant Hill High School.

Paul’s sister, Linda, was the first member of the family to move to
South Florida. She moved to Miami in 1925 and taught school for 35
years in Dade County. Paul’s other sister, Grace, joined her sister in
1926, working at Citrus Grove Elementary School. Paul, then 17, and his
father arrived in Miami on Sept. 17, 1926, just before the big hurricane

hit on Sept. 26. In 1930 Paul moved to the Florida Keys and met
Florence, a native of Key West who was teaching school at Key Largo.
They were married in 1931 and their son, Billy, was born in 1932. At

one point Paul worked with the State Road Department on the Overseas
Highway in the Florida Keys.

In 1937 the family moved to Key West as Paul became (at 28) a
7

SERS ssineeeser eee


Paul Daniels’ name (though misspelled as Daniels) is inscribed on
the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C. (On the East
Wall, Panel 16, Line 13).

On Dec. 5, 1991, the fiftieth anniversary of his murder, a ceremony
was held at ???? to remember the first Florida State Trooper killed in

the line of duty.

SOURCES : Miami Herald, Dec. 6,7,9,10,11, 1941, Feb. 9,10,11,18,
July 21, 1942; Miami Daily News, Dec. 6,7,10, 1941, Feb. 9,10,11,18,
July 20, 1942, Aug. 4, 1977; Key West Citizen, Dec. 6,8, 1941; Ccon=~
fidential Detective, May, 1950, pp. 6,32-33. Letter from Mrs. Grace
Day, Sept. 12, 1991.

2 ee Sate


@ THERE IS such a thing as invit- she took
ing, trouble, and the desk sergeant It mad
couldn’t help being annoyed at the good to h
attractive brunette who stood in was still |
front of the window at Miami cen-: Strang.
tral headquarters. She had given her’ “They
name as Luella Strang and an- on cars,

he mutte:
went out
think tho:
ration.”

nounced that her car had just been
stolen from where she parked it in
front.of her apartment. Yes, she'had
left the keys in the ignition.

“Now, that wasn't wise, Miss If he h:
Strang,” the sergeant  reproved. lar overs.
“The reason keys are supplied with der, he
‘ Pitas ‘ cars is so you can lock them when angrier.
ei We ia ids nee Let , you park them.” “report t
= ‘ The young woman shrugged. “I Bullock.
suppose so,” she said, “but I’ve al- the air a
ways left the keys in the car and 5, 1941, al
never had any trouble.” of the cit:
, “You've got trouble now. Anybody & and the
(\' 4 as careless as that is bound to have § mediately
i it sooner or later.” He scanned the prowling
iff report. “All right—a black 1940 & for the |!
Plymouth sedan with a dent in the Strang h
| right front fender. Well, we'll see if keys.
| we can find it for you.” Just b
(Ut She’smiled at him sweetly. “Thank trolman
you.so much, captain,” she said as headquai

‘killer crazy
‘ ice: ‘ , 4 7
Lk Wd gsi Wo
_pehoug n:
SR ;

Wt rons,


tc cycle officer with the Key West Police Department. Daniel joined
-ne .lorida Highway Patral on July 1, 1941 (five months before he was
killed). He was a member of the Third Recruit School (July 1-Aug. 1,
1941) of the "State Road Patrol". He and his family moved to South
Miami when he became a trooper.

Funeral services were held in both Miami and Key West. On Monday,
Dec. 8, services, conducted by Rev. Robert L. Allen of Trinity Methodist
Church, were held in Miami in the chapel of the Philbrick Funeral Home.
"Thirty-five members of the highway patrol, headed by Director J. J.
Gilliam from Tallahassee headquarters, filed by the uniform-clad body of
Daniel at the conclusion of brief services" in Miami. The troopers
"formed ranks and stood at rigid salute as the body, followed by the
weeping widow" and other members of the family started for Key West.
The Miami services were also attended by Sheriff D.C. Coleman and "offi-
cial representatives from all Dade county law enforcement agencies."

"Ranking officials of Key West and Monroe County". then drove north
on U.S. 1 on Tuesday "to meet the funeral party" from Miami and returned
the body to Key West for burial. The cortege passed the murder scene on
its path south from Miami to Key West.

Services were held in Key West on Tuesday afternoon at Lopez
Funeral Home with Rev. A.C. Riviere, pastor the First Methodist (Stone)
Church, conducting the services. Burial was in the "family plot" at the
"city’s historic cemetery."

Daniel was survived by his wife, Florence; a son, Billy Daniel, 9;
his father, Benjamin Franklin Daniel of Miami; a brother, R.C. Daniel of
Savannah; and two sisters, Mrs. Walter Lee of Miami and Mrs. G.J. Day of
Punta Gorda. The Miami Daily News reported on Dec. 7 that a constant
stream of friends and fellow officers called at the Daniel’s home in
South Miami during the day .on Saturday. The widow was reported to be
“crushed with grief" and "was under the ministration of friends and rel-
atives."

After Paul Daniel’s death, Florence and Billy moved to Key West to
live with Florence’s father (her mother was not living). After her
father’s death, Florence and Billy moved back to Miami where Florence
worked in the office of the Highway Patrol for six years. She died in
1968 and was buried at the side of her husband in Key West. On Sept.
17, 1970, the new FHP station in Key West was named "The Luther P.
Daniel Station" in a ceremony attended by the Daniel family.

In 1991, Paul’s son, Billy, 59, still lived in Key West. He is the
father of Debra Ann ??, 35; William Paul Daniel, Jr., 34; Michael

Daniel, 32; and Douglas Daniel, 29. Billy’s wife, Carrie, worked for
the Dept. of Driver’s License in Key West in the FHP building (a job she
had held since 196?). Grace Day, 83, (Paul’s sister) still resided in
Punta Gorda. Her son, George J. Day, worked for 40 years for the Miami
Herald, retiring in 1989 as a security supervisor. Linda (Mrs. J.F.)
Mm Brewer, 86, (another sister) still resided in Miami. Her daughter,

Annetta McEachern, was a Dade elementary school teacher.
8


110. THE FBI IN.AcTION -*

floodlights at the rear, and one at the front of the lot were
burning. In addition to the Chrysler, a dark Buick coupe was

‘ parked on the lot. (This, it later developed, belonged to sailor.

Hafer.) Having assured himself that his men were efficiently
deployed, Sergeant Johnston approached the rear door of
the cafe. Standing to one side, he knocked on the door with his
blackjack. <« .

There was a moment of silence. Then Bill heard the short
safety chain on the inside of the door being slipped into place,
after which the door was opened an inch or two.

“Come out with your hands up!” ordered the sergeant. “We
have the building surrounded!”

Bang! The door slammed shut again. Keeping close to the
building, Bill Johnston heard several men moving around in-
side. It seemed hardly a minute later when the back door of
the cafe swung wide open, and a high-pitched voice called,
“We're coming out—but we’re bringing hostages! If you shoot,
we'll kill the hostages; so you'd better hold your fire! You may
kill us, but we’ll kill the hostages, sure as hell!”

Immediately Hafer and Long, the two hostages, started im-
ploring the officers not to shoot.

At this moment, Patrolmen Robinson and Troeger ran to-
ward the parked Chrysler. Hornbeck and Goldman spotted
them and shouted, “Get away from the Chrysler!”

Having no choice, the officers complied, but they did not
return to their original station—the southwest corner of the
building. Patrolman Robinson ran to the rear of the parking

area and about 50 feet into the low grass of an adjoining va- -

cant lot, and got down. Troeger kept on past Robinson until
he came to a shallow ditch 100 feet farther into the vacant lot.
He lay down in the ditch. -

Hornbeck and Goldman emerged from the. back door of
the cafe. Each gunman held a hostage in front of him at pistol
point. The only thing we could do was hold our fire,

Finding the keys gone from the Chrysler, the two gunmen
quickly shifted to Hafer’s Buick, about 15 feet away. Gold-
man, with hostage Long, got in the front seat of the Buick, and
was holding the door as Hornbeck, preceded by Hafer, started
climbing into the back.

Sergeant Johnston realized that the bandits were about to
make a clean getaway. So, from his post some 30 feet away,
Bill Johnston blazed away with his riot gun at the right, rear
tire of the Buick. He was answered by a blast of fire from the
bandjts.

Suddenly Goldman saw a stray beam of light reflected from

“We'll Kill The Hostages!” 111

> Robbie’s cap insignia. Using this shining mark as a guide, the

gunman took careful aim and fired, killing the patrolman in-

_ $Stantly.

With the gunfire now rapidly increasing, Hafer, the sailor,
showed great presence of mind. Screaming, “I’m hit! ’'m hit!”
he tumbled out of the Buick and lay still on the ground. Actu-
ally he was not even scratched.

Pulling Long with them, Hornbeck and Goldman got out
of the car and started across the vacant lot. In the darkness
the officers couldn’t tell the hostage from the killers. As the
gunmen passed the body of Patrolman Robinson, Hornbeck
paused to kick the dead officer and pick up his gun. Then
the trio ran on, Goldman and Long bearing toward the left;
Hornbeck angling toward the right.

Of the three, only Goldman wore a hat and the officers were
aware of this fact. For some reason Goldman paused for a
moment on the horizon—long enough for Sergeant Bill John-
ston to take suitable action. Bill blazed away.

By this time just about every peace officer in Jacksonville
and Duval County, plus FBI Special Agents, were at the
scene. Telephones had been busy; day men had been routed
from their beds, and as quickly as they could buckle on their
guns they joined the growing throng of law enforcement of-
ficers at the scene.

After consultation, the officers formed a plan: Until day-
light they would surround the area and attempt to prevent
any possible escape. Meanwhile, a dozen or more small teams
were formed, the FBI men participating with the men from
my office and the City Police in all activities. At dawn it was
decided that these teams would make a house-to-house, room-
to-room search of the entire neighborhood. This latter plan
was based upon sound reasoning: While Goldman had been
seen to fall when Bill Johnston fired, our men had no way of
knowing conclusively that Goldman had been kilied. The only
way to determine that would have been to conduct a night
search of the six-foot-high broom straw field into which both
Goldman and Hornbeck had disappeared, and in the darkness
such a search might well prove suicidal for more than one
officer. On the other hand, it was known that both men were
adept at seizing hostages, and it was considered highly prob-
able that one or both of them might have gained entrance to
a nearby house, holding the occupants at gunpoint, and
awaiting a favorable moment to flee. Hence the plan for fine-
toothcombing the neighborhood at dawn.

As matters turned out, Hornbeck beat us to it by an eye-


Tue FBI in ACTIO 7
lash. While officers were séarching for him along nearby Tru-

man Avenue, the little gunman raced to 1250 Peacefield Drive _
(some six blocks away), stuck two guns in the belly of a garage —
mechanic named Holbrook, who occupied the premises with ~~

his wife and family, demanded and received the keys to Hol-
brook’s 1950 Ford club coupe, which stood in the carport,
and within minutes was racing south on State 21.
Holbrook reported what had happened immediately by tele-
‘phone, adding the information that, because of the coldness of
the night, his seafoam-green car had a blanket over the radi-
ator, spread back and hooked down under the hood. This
blanket was to play a decisive role in Hornbeck’s eventual

capture.

No sooner had the new information relative to Hornbeck’s —

flight been radioed to all cars, than one of our cruisers came
in with the report that they thought the suspect car had passed
them two minutes before. In this cruiser were two experienced
patrolmen—J. C. Patrick, and J. B. Bullard—and a rookie of
a month, Roaland Grant.

The three immediately gave chase toward Middleburg,
Florida, but when they raised the twin tail lights of the suspect
car ahead, it started drawing away. After passing through
Middleburg, the car ahead swung right, and minutes later we
received radio reports from the police of Starke, Florida, that
the automobiles had roared through that town at over 100
miles per hour, that the officers’ car was about 100 yards
behind the bandit car, and that our men were firing.

The beginning of the end came for Samuel Hornbeck in the
vicinity of Lake Butler, Florida, some 40 miles from Jackson-
ville. The blanket, still secured over the radiator of the stolen
car, literally caused the motor to burn up during the high-
speed chase. Black smoke began pouring out of the Ford, and
in a few seconds more, Hornbeck started waving a white hand-
kerchief out of the front left window. He managed to keep
up speed for a few more minutes, but upon entering Lake
Butler, he suddenly stopped the car in front of an all-night
restaurant, stuck both hands out of the window and waved
the white handkerchief.

Our men immediately put cuffs on Hornbeck and returned
with him to the scene of the original shooting. There, other offi-
cers found the body of Myron Goldman, lying in a ditch. His
right hand still clutching the .38 he’d taken from the Savannah
jailer, and there were still three live rounds in the cylinder. But
there was no longer anything alive about Myron Goldman.
He’d paid the price for the murder of Patrolman Robinson.

ENE

Willie Woulda Wept

It 1s ABOUT 7:30 on a mild August morning, in the tiny suburb
of Bellmore, Long Island. Short strings of dew brilliants still
cling to grass shoots in the shady patches of the pleasant
lawn rolling roadward from the front door of the trim little
house at 303 South Bedford Avenue. The door opens and a
man emerges. He is smiling, appears to be in robust health, of
early middle age; his hair is sparse on top and over the temples,
and he is neatly dressed in a fresh suit, well-polished shoes.
His name is Eric Gronwall, and he is manager of the Floral
Park Branch of the First National Bank of Franklin Square,
Long Island. Happily married, he is the perfect embodiment
of the successful young businessmen who pass their days in
the shadow of Gotham—close enough to consider themselves
big city sophisticates, yet enjoying the softer amenities of sub-
urban living. But on this particular morning Mr. Gronwall is
in deep trouble, although he doesn’t yet know it. Sixteen miles
away, at = Jericho Turnpike, is the branch bank that he
pd aa car from the garage, stops to close the

“Mr. 5 a ; a:
a rte — I'd like to talk with you. Drive back into
The speaker, who seems to ha
E ’ ve popped up out of the
a is a handsome, well-dressed young man, who speaks
te pleasant, conversational tone. He has curly brown hair,
rat igh) aes to be in his middle twenties, is of medium
bere ee pairs pegs his height at just a shade under six
ni > ee y. a oe about him is that he has some
t Cloth or bag folded neatl is ri
which he carries close to his body, in fecut oo

The bank manager’ : ;

&eT's reaction strictly foll aes 66 A

know you. Why can't we talk here?” Wyigie Sicaeed ei

removed deme ‘aw George Patrick McKinney. as he

ae ey re snub-nosed 38. ae one ce
ack j ee.

in the garage McKinney continued to be the complete

master ituati .
T of the situation. “You're going to drive me to the

he told G nisi .
couple of times. mine a spinning the cylinder of his gun a

pt. 3 € route you usually do. Th i
pe dsc. us, and there are men siesady at iaagrinley
your. wife and children are, and I have an asso-
113


rt“ eFC, Se
Nearess Witscas.
Mounted Officer” PP. Ih Buykhalter
and Sergt, J. W. Franklin Wore ‘Ae

closest witnesses tu the encounter. As
previously etated, Sergeant Franklin}
oee Ofirera Turknett' end Burkhalter |
had just arrested a =megro youth |
charged with ‘breaking Into a. store |
near the comer of Kings road and,
Johnson atreets| All three’ were toa-
fether end werel about to ring the dail,
for the patrol to be sent from
police headquarters.
: At thia juncture a negro . woman
called to rgt.- Fransiin- weking-to
speak with him. Sergt.. Franklin
.welked back to this woman,” Officer
Burkhalter was dismounted and was
holding the- prianher i Juat.at this time
an_ automobile sppreashed it corner
,and slowed up. ere were three ne-
‘groea in. .the.. machine, Burkhalter
gays that one of the negroes trans-
ferred something to hia Inside pocket.
The machine stopped a enort distance.
away and two men got oie Pitan ‘
: _To Overtake Man. !' |

i Burkhalter hays! he told Tarkett
either to hold» the prisoner, for: him
or to overtake ‘the car himself aa he
thought one of the negroes Waa armed
with ‘ revolver, urkbalter aaya
Turknett rede away without saying
aap in ing in reply.
i Burklalter says Turkhett passed tho
jautomobite eng een inde siowly after
,ehe Begre WwW a continued walking
down Kinga roa Burkhalter mays he
i (himself) walked up to the automobile
jafter Turknett followed the negro. He
says that he searched the driver. The
lother man who got out of the caf
Imerely crossed the atreet .to a house
‘of a man whom he claima ie Kia uncle
and then returned to the car. Burk-
halter saya he hed time to search both
_these men before the shooting, and
that™hefnore the shooting atarted Pur.
‘cell, the driver, told him that the man
iwith. him wes his pasesnger and that
(the negro who had gone off down the
;atreet’was unknown to him. he having
istoppyd hia machine on Third ‘avenue,
‘near the city cremator, and aaked for
a ride. The driver of the automobile
then ¢old Burkhalter that hé told the
negro that he couid ride as far as
‘he was. goine.wlth..._his-..passenger,
Purell said he did not knuw the neo-
t wan after thia that the shots were
fired, Turknett, after riding by the
automobile, evidantally' took hia time:
in overtaking the other negro, who
eontinued walking weat ion ee
road, Burkhalter heard ‘firing » and
-aaw,. tho flashee of flame, He and
Sergeant Franklin ranito the spot,
which was probably about two-dlocke
distant. .The nerro had fied... |


BYE.DLE HUDGINS...continued/Penzer

BYRDLE HUDGINS
Executed July 20, 1942

THE EVENT:

Late on December 5, 1941, Florida Highway Patrolman Luther P.
Daniel was cruising South Dixie Highway on his last round before going home
when he spotted a vehicle speeding south toward Key West. Early accounts
of these events reported incorrectly that Daniel saw the subject vehicle
stopped on the side of the road and decided to check it out. Later testimony
would reveal that Daniel stopped the car because it was speeding.

After Daniel stopped the vehicle he routinely asked the tall (six feet
two) and husky (200 pounds) motorist for his license, then radioed in for a
computer check of the registration plate numbers. The answer came back
that the car was registered to a Nancy Coe who earlier had reported it stolen.

Right about then, Byrdle Hudgins, alias Louis Elmer Humber, Jr.,
approached the officer with a .45 automatic in hand. Daniel began to raise his
arms and back away, evidently seeing Hudgins’ gun. Hudgins shot and killed
him anyway—marking incidentaily the first killing of a state highway
patrolman since its inception and launching the largest manhunt in the state
since the search for Skeegie Cash four years earlier.

Just what happened after that is the subject of conflicting reports.
Hudgins own early account (Miami Herald, Sun., Dec. 7, 1941, page 1) has it
that after driving off in the patrol car he heard the dying officer's screams,
and realizing what he had done simply stopped caring what happened to him
and stopped steering the car, and crashed. The police officers working this
case discounted this story, pointing out that the crash occurred a half mile
away from where Daniel was shot and so Hudgins couldn't have heard him
scream. What is certain is that after Hudgins shot Daniel, he drove off in the
patrol car and within a half mile of the murder scene, wrecked the vehicle.

Not badly injured in the accident, Hudgins hid in the surrounding

brush for a while and when he heard patrol cars and bloodhounds coming
close, he moved deeper into the woods to hide. His pursuers came close but

PAGE 2

7 eee

~

The remainder of the story of bank bandits George Heroux “|
and Gerhard Puff is quickly told, but it has postscripts. Faced ~
with heavy prison sentences, Heroux managed to get hold of gay |.
a loaded automatic, and tried to blast his way out of a Flor- “7 %
da prison. He succeeded only in killing the assistant superin= “<=

tendent of the institution, and wounding two of his colleagues.
He has been charged with first degree murder.

Failing of distinction in life, Gerhard Puff won distinction
—of a sort—in death: Before walking through the little green
door at Sing Sing Prison to meet his maker, Puff spent 15
months in the Death House. And during that entire time he

didn’t have a single, solitary visitor save for officials whose duty ..
required that they talk with him! Before he died, he was known

as “The lonesomest man in the Death House.”

by REX SWEAT)
“Sheriff, Duval County, Florida...

with KEN JONES
__Six-FooT, 200-pound, good natured and efficient Patrolman
Thomas A. Robinson, Jr., of my staff, was killed a few short
months ago because he forgot to take his cap off. ‘A faint
pencil of light from a cou sle of hundred yards away, reflecting _ -
' from his cap insignia, gave a kill-crazy bandit a perfect target
and enabled him to put a bullet dead center through Robbie’s
i¢forehead,. : he —
., The man who killed Robbie was the well-known bank bandit
and kidnap artist Myron Peter Goldman, and we got him. We
didn’t have to take him to the hospital; we took his body di-
-rectly to the Jacksonville morgue. But before that tragic
night was over, there was plenty of gunfire, a blazing auto-
mobile. chase, and all members of the Duval County Patrol
and the Jacksonville Police Department, as well as every Spe-
cial Agent of the local FBI, were on the job fully armed. It
4° was a night which J acksonville and Duval County will long .
~~. remember. ~ a
To achieve real understanding of the dramatic and tragic
events which took place on the outskirts of Jacksonville very
early on the morning of December 15th, 1953, you've got to
keep a couple of thoughts firmly in mind. First, we people in
Jacksonville and Duval County are strong protagonists for
local self-government. We figure we know our problems, and
we figure we can take care of them, too. Consequently, as
sheriff of Duval County, I have a uniformed force of some 60
men, known as the Duval County Patrol, backed up by about
an equal number of other personnel. We operate 23 marked
patrol cars as well as 16 plain automobiles, and in my 22
years as sheriff, we haven’t yet run into anything we @ouldn’t
‘handle. Our performance requirements are high, and so is our
morale. We work smoothly and without friction with all other
‘law enforcement agencies. We try to help citizens, but whea
it'comes to dealing with major crime, we go in swinging!
... A second point of importance is this: Because of its loca-
_ tion, Jacksonville is the gateway to the playland of Southern. -
- Florida, Crooks and gunmen like to play, even the toughest . _
of them, and we have a pretty steady stream of top-class
aaslk see: OF


W. H. Picket@é & I. H. Hunter, induction in office 6
the latter of A rcher, pro- years ago, of the 6 one
nounced him dead within 7 was a white man.

minutes.