The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1906-07-24
Fate of Little Cecil Britain
Still Remains UnsOlved.
DRAPER SURE OF KIDNAPPING
Sheriff Taylor Returned Saturday Be-
lieving Child Lies Dead in
Mountain Fastness.

The fate of the lost child, Cecil
Britain, remains unsolved, and an
other mountain mystery equal to that
of the disappearance of the Miller
child and old man Woodward is yelled
in the wilderness aud solitude of the
bramble-clad canyons of the tollgate
district.
Saturday, Sheriff Taylor came down
ard while here had nothing new to
divulge in the way of information
save that he met clairvoyant who
was going in to find the child. The
lady was firm in the belief that she
could go to the exact spot where the
child, according to her prediction
lay dead three miles south from the
toIlagte. She went so far as to inform
the sheriff that she would find the
child lying on his back, with its legs
drawn up, and that one of the legs
had bloodstained wound on it.
Sheriff Taylor believes the little
boy lies dead on the mountain in the
vicinity of the tollgate, the distance
from which being only as far as the
boy would travel from $50 p. M, the
time he was lost, until darkness over
took him. The sherif's theory is
that the child being SO thinly clad,
chilled to death during the first night.
He believes the bloodhounds followed
the scent of the father and uncle of
the child.
To the contrary Of the sherif's
theory, Harry Draper, who had his
bloodhounds on tthe hunt, emphatic
ally believes the child was kidnapped,
and gives the Spokesman Review the
following:
"My opinion is that the little fellow
originally lost his way" Mr.. Draper
added, when asked for bis theory of
the case which has aroused interest
throughout the Pacific northwest,
"but believe that afterward the boy
was picked up by someone familiar
with the local conditions, who felt
certain that reward would be
offered.
"There was nothing difficult about
turning that kind of trick, and as
the person or persons had considerable
headway it was easy to get into the
heavy timber and remain there dur
ing the day time. travelling only at
night. am satisfied in my own mind
that it is not the work OF tramps"
eve got the dogs out at / 1 O'Clock
the following morning." Mr.. Draper
said, III describing the case, land af-
ter going quarter of mile we took
up the child's trail, showing that he
had wandered around in the burned
ovei land on the side of the hill. We
must have followed that trail five or
six miles, all in an open country, and
brought up on the bank of a creek. 1t
was impossible to get the dogs away
from the waters edge, so am of the
opinion that the boy was picked up
there.
shortly after daybreak the follow
lug morning, Thursday, July 10,
went back over the burned district and
the dogs again picked up the trail of
the child. showed to Mr.. Britain,
who, with Sheriff Taylor of Pendleton,
accompanied us on the chase and after
going around in circles for while,
we brought up at the forest edge,
where we lost the scent. The dogs,
however, changed to the mans trail
and we followed that for a while, say
for mile aud half or two miles,
through the brush to the main road,
where it was lost in the b eavy dust,
broken by traffic.
It was remarkable that the dogs
picked up the mans trail where they
lost the scent of the boy and on this
base my opinion that the child was
picked up and carried away.
''The Walla Walla hounds took up
our trail Thursday morning and they
were about an hour behind us when
we came to standstill at the timber.
Probably ought to mention also
that when we came to the forest we
found fresh horse trail, but 1t was
lost in the woods.
MY theory is that the boy was lost
Thursday and was cached in the brush
aud could not find the way ont. The
following day when the ranohers and
authorities started to offer rewards,
which have been incr eased TO $1,000,
it is my opinion that someone who was
familiar with the entire situation went
out aud grabbed the child.
II believe that 1t is a money PROPOSE
ton all round, and that the child has
been passed on to some of the ex.con-
victs who are known to make their
haunts in the Blue mountains.
More than 100 persons assisted in
the search for the child and If he was
anywhere in the district we certainly
would have found him. Moreover. /
bell eve the boy is alive.