The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-09-28
DETECTIVE HAS
NARROW ESCAPE;
LIFE 1T STAKE
Special Agent of the Short
Line Is Captured and Tor
tured by Two Box
Car Thieves.
PLANNED TO KILL HIM,
BUT CHANGED MIND
Captors Finally Frightened
Away by Arrival of Train
and the Officer Is
Rescued.

The torture of railroad detective
for three hours near McCammon, Idaho,
by two tramps and his thrilling escape,
though bound and gagged, is related
graphically by D. +. Collett, secretary
Utah, who returned last night from
McCammon. Will Knowles, special
agent for the Oregon Short Line. was
the victim of the attack of the tramps.
On Thursday night, a box car on
siding at McCammon was broken into
by tramps and a large quantity of
merchandise, intended for McCammon
stores, was stolen Knowles was as
signed TO the case and on Friday aft
ernoon he went to an open-air camp
often used by tramps about i quarter
of mile from the McCammon sta
tion. The weeds were tall aud it oc-
CURED to the officer that the mercban-
disc might be hidden among them. AS
he was tramping through the dense
growth n face suddenly appeared, ris-
ing out of the waving weeds. 1t was
followed by 4 gun leveled nt the officer.
Another face and another gun ap-
peared. The tramps had the "drop'
on the officer and he complied with
the peremptory order to throw up his
hands.
Threat Made to Kill.
The captors marched the detective to
a clump of willows that edged a creek
not far distant.
''We we been looking for you for a
long time,' one of the tramps said,
"and now we're going to kill you.
From pile OF refuse the tramps
found a number of rags. Some of
these were stuffed in the railroad mans
mouth, forming an effective gag. Other
rags tied together formed thongs with
which they bound the luckless officer
hand and foot. Then they searched
him, securing his gun and ammunition,
his watch, and $21 in cash.
The railroad man was then rolled to
the bank Of the creek, and the trsmps
set down beside him and discussed his
fate. With fiendish cruelty the rob-
bers argued about the best way to kill
their victim. One was for shooting
him and the two discussed the best To-
cation for a burying place.
"We're going to kill you all right
said one Of the robbers, addressing
Knowles, "but we want to torture you
a while first"
Detective Shows Nerve.
Then they both laughed and poked
Knowles in the ribs with their guns
and chaffed him about being a great
detective. Finally Knowles was able
to work the gag partially out Of the
corner Of his mouth.
"Don't be cowards," he said. eco
ahead and kill me, I'm not afraid to
die But quit torturing me-"
The robbers showed the gag back
into his mouth and fastened 1t moro
securely. Then they continued to dis
cuss a way of killing their victim. One
of them said;
"Let's throw him in the creek. He
is tied so tightly that he ont be able
to get out. He will drown quickly
and no one will find his body"
This fate for Knowles was approved
by the other tramp, and they paused
to permit the officer to contemplate
such an end. For three hours they
continued to torture him. They left
burriodly and disappeared over the
brow OF nearby hill when they heard
The westbound train approaching
Knowles perceived an opportunity TO
escape from his fiendish torturers and
nc started to roll toward the tracks
nnndred yards distant. Over and over
le went down slight grade toward
.he track,
Discovery Is Made.
AS the train whistled for Mccain.
non passenger glanced casually out
If the window. His attention was at
rncted by strange-appearing bundle
:oming tumbling toward the track AS
he train slowed down for the station
le noticed that the bundle was a man
olling slowly toward the railroad
rack When the train came to stop
he passenger told the conductor and
everaI passengers and the members of
he train crew walked back,
beside the track they found