Complex sentence: Facing defeat, the New York City detectives rang up Sheriff Athorne of York County, who motored out to Leavitt on his dory, who told the Sheriff that some New Yorkers were trying to kidnap him, and that if they tried again he would shoot them.
Split into simpler sentences: Facing defeat, the New York City detectives rang up Sheriff Athorne of York County, who motored out to Leavitt on his dory. The fugitive Leavitt told the sheriff that some New Yorkers were trying to kidnap him, and that if they tried again he would shoot them.