The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-08-13
BOCND.
James Campbell Has m Experiencp
With RObbers


San Francisco, Aug. 9-James Camp-
bell, the millionaire sugar planter who
m~ysteriouSly dropped out of sight for
two days this week. saws he was i'm
prisoned and robbed by Oliver VIM
throp, who attempted TO secure the
capitalists signature to a $4,000 check
as h price Of his release. Winthrop.
who was tried and acquitted last year
of imprisoning Il woman In Laurel Hill
cemetery, of which he was assistant
superintendent. has disappcared, No
trace ear be found of his accomDlicc.
Campbell says Winthrop decoyed him
to his house on Il slight pretcXt. Sud
denly. Le said, Il masked man rushed
into the room. and pointing a revolver
at Campbclls head. ordered him to
throw UP his hands. Campbell SAWS he
leap"d at his assailant and fellcd him
TO h floor. The man was daZcd. al
most stunned, but dwelling his rcvol-
yer again AT Campbell, fired. The mil
ilonalre says the bullet 2raZcd his
temple and passed through his hat into
the wall. Campbell sprang at the man
again, but before he could reach him
he was knocked down by Winthrop.
who struck him over the head with
some heavy instrument. The two men
then pOunced on Campbell and bound.
handcuficd and gagged him. They
lifted him from the floor to a bed. and
strapped him to it. His feet and hands
We're tied 10 the four corners of the
bed, and a chain was passed over his
body and fastened to staples driven in
the floor. Captain of Detectives Lees,
i'm his investigation aftcrward, found
evidence of this. The cords were
passed around Campbelrs body and
drawn so tight that he could not move.
For hours Campbell was kept in this
position. the gag being in his mouth
all the time. on Tuesday morning the
gag was removed with the caution that
he would be killed if he made any
noise. He was told that he would
have 10 sign Il check or order for 500
ODO before he would be released. He
was shown n document. which they
asked him to sign. and he was also
ordered to write Il note to his wife,
asking her 10 cash the check, and to
give the money 10 the bearer without
asking any questions.
Campbell SAYS he refused to even
read the paper, telling his captors that
he did not care what they did to him.
He said he was IN old man, and did
not have a great while TO live anyway,
and that they could kill him before he
would agree to such an outrage. He,
did not care much for the $4,000, he
said, but he would not be blackmailed
or robbed. His captorS replied that
they would keep him strapped to the
bed. as he was, until he did sign the
order. Tuesday passed with no change
in the situation. either Winthrop or
the masked man guarding Campbell
constantly. They offered him drink
and food and announced their willing
ness to give him anything he wanted,
but he refused everything for fear
they intended to poison hin. He was
given every attention, but was kept
strapped to the bed all the time and
no opportunity for escape was allowed.
When Campbell was tirse seized and
thrown on the bed he a y Winthrop
took 1905 in coin from his pocket and
kept it. the younger man, as far as
Campbell knows. did not get any of
his money. When the newspapers
published the fact that Campbell had
disappeared. the millionaire says that
his captors became frightened, and
after dark released him. The police
have Il description of Winthrop's con
fedcrate, but no clue to bis where
aboutS.