LIVING HISTORY
A rustic sign from the fish camp can be seen at the St. Lucie County Regional History Center in Fort Pierce. Pruitt sometimes called it a “Fishin’ Farm” and
sometimes a “Ranch.”
served with Company H, 26th Infantry Regiment of Georgia
as a private in the Confederate Army and surrendered at the
Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia in April 1865.
His paternal-grandfather William Layfayette Henderson
was a private in Company B of the 35th Infantry Regiment of
Georgia. Tax rolls show this grandfather had more than 490
acres of land in Ware County in 1871 and had taken an oath
of allegiance to the United States as part of the “restoration”
of the “rebel states.” William’s father, Capt. John Smith Henderson,
was a private with the U.S. Army in the Indian Wars.
At least two of Carroll’s other great-grandfathers, Duncan
Greenberry Carmichael and William Thomas James, had also
been privates in the Confederate Army.
According to the obituary from Yates Funeral Home in Fort
Pierce, Carroll Henderson had been a technician, fifth grade,
with Headquarters and Service Company, 82nd Combat Battalion,
Third Army. Wounded in both Belgium and Germany,
he had three Bronze Stars with campaign ribbons in the European,
MARY DODGE
Port St. Lucie Magazine 39
African and Mideastern theaters.
TROUBLE EXPECTED
Burt had previously reported to authorities that he was
expecting trouble from his brother-in-law Caroll, whom he
described as a “mental case” as the result of his service. He
also said he was concerned about problems with his motherin
law, whom he called a “narcotics addict” once in a “federal
correctional institution in Kentucky.”
Sheriff’s officials said Burt, accompanied by his son Burt
Jr., 18, came into Fort Pierce, gave up voluntarily and described
the events of that evening to deputies and reporters.
He appeared badly beaten about the face and said he was
suffering from injuries to his back due to a scuffle leading
up to the shootings.
As described in the news story, “He said he fled and hid
himself in the brush near the camp after Henderson and his
mother had beaten him severely, choked him almost into
unconsciousness and threatened to kill him. He said he managed
to crawl away and hide when (Carroll) Henderson left
to get an axe, saying he was going to cut off Pruitt’s head.”
Burt said he heard his brother-in-law, say, during the scuffle,
“I’m going to kill him,” to which Sue Henderson replied,
“That’s what I brought you down here for.”
The fight had been
early Wednesday
morning. Cora Leigh
was released from jail,
but Burt remained
there on a first-degree
murder warrant until
the inquest Friday
morning in front of
Justice of the Peace
P.C. Eldred in Fort
Pierce. The coroner’s
jury of five men found
Burt blameless in what
was classed as “justifiable
homicide” in
self-defense.
He was released
from jail and Deputy
Edgar Brown said it
was possible the state
This photo appeared in a 1970 story about
attorney could present
Burt Pruitt that appeared in the Palm Beach
the case to the grand
Post-Times.
jury, but there was no indication this action would be taken.
That settled, at least legally, Burt could return to running
his fishing camp, described in a July 27, 1952, Fort Pierce News
Tribune outdoor column by Bob Enns, then sports editor and
later editor, as “one of the most unique fishing setups of
anyone in these parts.” The reason was its easy access to both
fresh and saltwater fishing. Enns said bass and bream thrived
upstream and downstream was a haven for “gigantic” snook,
tarpon, jewfish and all sorts of saltwater bottom fish.
Enns talked of seeing roseate spoonbills, “once thought
extinct,” feeding along the banks. These, by the way, can now
regularly be seen throughout the Treasure Coast.
Enns also wrote, “Believe it or not, and we saw this with our
own eyes, Pruitt regularly feeds five ’gators at his dock and
even calls them by name. We saw one six-footer called ‘Mike’
obey Pruitt’s command to quit chasing a smaller saurian.”
In 1970, Snellings wrote that “At one time, Pruitt’s Fishing
Ranch was one of the most famous fishing places in the country.
Such people as Perry Como, Ted Williams, Jack Nicklaus >>