An excerpt from the book, “Some Gave All,” available on Amazon
By Mike Simmons
In the extreme northwestern corner lies the town of Century, about 40 miles north of Pensacola. From the north flows the lazy Conecuh River, which meanders, south 230 miles from Union Springs, Alabama to the Gulf of Mexico. As the river enters northwest Florida, its name is changed to the Escambia River, the same name as the county it flows alongside.
The first town the river passes in Florida is called “Century,” which lies on the Florida/Alabama line. The community of Bluff Springs lies 3.8 miles south of Century on the west bank of the Escambia River.
Today, Bluff Springs is only a neighborhood today. In the late 1800s, however, it was a growing riverfront town. From 1890-1895, the town was mentioned 864 times in the Pensacola papers. It had three churches, numerous shops, a train depot, a hotel, a post office, and even a private academy for advanced teaching of children. It was inhabited by musicians, poets, a judge, four voting delegates, a campground, and over 500 inhabitants.
Forty-two-year-old Daniel Douglas was a prominent citizen of Bluff Springs. Shortly after moving to the community in 1890, he built a huge fine house for his family. Two years later, he was chosen as an inspector for the upcoming county election. It was said that Douglas was one of the primary reasons that Bluff Springs had enjoyed such a building boom. In the short time he had lived there, he was known as one of the leading citizens.
He was soon elected Marshal. His job was to enforce the law, but he felt it was most important to maintain the peace. Even though he carried a rifle, he usually didn’t wear a sidearm. He didn’t feel he needed to. To carry out his duties, the best thing he could do was get to know the people, and that is just what he did. The town knew him and he knew the town. He was part of it.
On May 22, 1893, Marshal Douglas was notified, probably by Thomas Boutwell, that there was a law violator inside the local general store, Hughes and Co. The marshal had been there many times.
He knew the owner well. In fact, the marshal’s son worked there. Then he and Boutwell walked to the store and approached the man in question, George Thomas. Now, the marshal and Thomas knew each other. To be fair, Marshal Douglas wanted to make sure Thomas was the right man. After all, the accusation was a minor city ordinance, not anything major.
When he was sure, Douglas placed Thomas under arrest. Now, George Thomas was a local man. He had friends and family in town. The charge was likely a minor thing, and the marshal felt certain he could clear it up easily. Thomas displayed no resistance. There was no need to place cuffs on the man and embarrass him. They left the store in a civil manner and began walking to the jail. When they walked outside and made their way to the jail, they walked past a crowd.
That’s when Thomas suddenly stopped. He declared, “I have done nothing wrong!” and refused to go with them. Marshal Douglas started toward the suspect to take custody of him.
Thomas stepped back and warned the lawman to stay back, but the marshal kept coming. Then, in one motion, he grabbed the marshal’s Winchester rifle and shot him in the heart. When Boutwell saw the Marshal go down, he…fled! The crowd dispersed as Thomas reloaded and shot at Boutwell, but missed.
Then he aimed at the wounded marshal and shot him again. He faced the crowd of now scattering people and fired two or three shots in their direction, then ran. Marshal Douglas’ son, who witnessed the entire incident, retrieved his pistol, aimed, and shot at the killer. Thomas did not stop but kept running.
The consensus was that he headed into the Escambia River Swamp. When such an incident occurs in a small, close-knit community, it sends such a shock that everyone and everything stops. But…then the hunt began. While the women grabbed the children and locked themselves inside, the men went home, armed themselves, and put extra ammo in their pockets. Then, as a small army, they set out to catch a killer. The killer of a lawman…and a friend.
In the mind of each man, I imagine a battle was going on as to what they would do if they caught the fugitive. Would they do the right thing and bring him in, or would they do the ‘other’ right thing and kill him on the spot? In any case, if he tried to shoot, they would be free to kill him.
Escambia County Sheriff Joseph Wilkins was in Pensacola, about 35 miles south. As soon as he was notified, he boarded the next train headed for Bluff Springs. He also made up notices about the murder and sent them out to every town, every community, every store, and every business in the area.
In addition, reward money came pouring in. People from Bluff Springs, Pensacola, and the surrounding towns collected money. Even the governor of Florida sent money as a reward for Thomas’ capture. From different sources, there was close to a total of $500 offered, which amounts to $18,000 in 2024.
Soon, more trouble surfaced. The friends and family of George Thomas soon became the target of many accusations and threats. Did they know where the killer went? Did they know where he was hiding?
Were they hiding him? The bitterness grew to such a height that more deputies were brought in by express train to keep the peace. They kept the peace, but they couldn’t do anything about the emotions.
A massive manhunt followed, not only from townspeople, but also from neighboring towns, counties, and even states. Deputies, hound dogs, hunters, and even businessmen were on the trail of the killer. News accounts poured in, reporting that his capture was certain. But, each time, it didn’t happen. Then the sightings began. He was seen in north Santa Rosa County, on the other side of the Escambia River.
Nothing. Then he was reported to have been in New Orleans. Nothing. A year later, he was reported to have been caught in Laurel, Mississippi, and again in 1896. In 1897, he was sighted in Valdosta, Georgia, and another Georgia sighting the next year. However, he was never captured. What happened to George Thomas? For one thing, the Escambia River Swamp is big. Correction, it’s vast! It consists of over 35,000 acres of dense, muddy underbrush – on both sides of the river. It is a common occurrence for a person to get lost in it. Also, the Escambia River is deep and full of trees and snags, making it a deadly trap if someone falls into it. Then there are the gators, poisonous snakes, and wild boars that roam freely, always looking for something to eat.
Remember, George Thomas had many family members and friends who would hide him out, which may have been what happened. Maybe he changed his name and appearance. Maybe he grew a beard. Maybe he moved away and began living elsewhere. Meanwhile, the murder of Marshal Douglas set Bluff Springs in another direction. A string of murders sprang up in town. First was Mason Smith, then George Toler, then McMillan, then Johnson, all within two years’ time. With only 500 people living in town, the killing of five men in two years did what one would suppose.
It gave the town a reputation as a wild, killing town. Maybe it was because a marshal had been murdered, or maybe it was because they no longer had a lawman who could keep a lid on things. Doesn’t matter, because folks started leaving. It was the end of a once-thriving community. By all accounts, Marshal Douglas was truly a town leader. He was buried in Crary Memorial Cemetery in nearby Century, Florida.
He was survived by his wife and seven children. Marshal, thank you for your service.