The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1914-05-28
MINISTER TELLS0f
BEING KIDNAPPED
BEATEN, STARVED, DRUGGEr
AND HIS LIFE THREATENED,
HE ASSERTS.
WAS MISSING SINCE MARCH 81
Rev. 1. r. Patmont Had Been Held
Since His Capture Following Dry
Meeting-lnvestigatio Begun
KNOWS Guilty Persons"

81. LOUIS, May Gb.-ReV. Louis II.
Patmont, the prohibition advocate
who was kidnapped at Westville, Ill.,
on March 81 and found in an aban'
doned house near Columbia, ILL.,, Satur
day, declared here he knows the per-
sons responsible for his detention. He
was on his way to Danville, Ill.,, where
the grand jury of Vermilion county
now in session has turned aside from
all other matters to take up the inves
tigation of his kidnapping.
Held for so Days.
He said big red automobile own
ed in Danville was used in abductine
him. He declared he was drugged and
carried half conscious from one hiding
place to another for so days. lie said
he knew the owner Of the car
When he was not being transport
ed In the machine. Patmont said he
was kert in dark cellars, gagged and
his hands bound to a bar of wood un
der his knees. The abandoned build
ing In which he was found bore evil
dence of the intention of his captors
to burn the house and incinerate the
minister, the plans for which PatmonI
! says he heard his captors discuss.
Minister Tells Story.
With two months growth Of
beard, half starved and almost black
with dirt, Patmont was brought to st
Louis by Rev. John L. Brandt, pas
tor Of the First Christian church OF
st. Louis, who made a flying trip tt
'. and from Columbia by automobile az
soon as he heard that Patmont hat
been found. After a bath and a rea
meal, the first he had tasted in two
months, Patmont told his story
Patmont was positively identified
| by Rev. Brandt, a personal friend wht
has known him for years. Before be
ing brought to St. Louis he was fur
Their identified by half dozen resi-
dents of Vermilion county, anon.
them Rev. J. F. Bickel. pastor of thu
First Christian church of Danville, III
Rev. Bickel declared that an automo
bile fitting Rev. Patmont's description
Is owned by wealthy citizen of Yer
million county who was bitter agains
Patmont because of the latter's siren
uous activity in the prohibition move
| ment. ~ -
| Disappeared at WestviiIe.
Rev. Patmont disappeared after
dry meeting in which he was one O
the speakers at Westville, Ill. Exten
sive search throughout Illinois an,
| surrounding states conducted by rel
atives, county officials and private de
tectives failed to produce any clew t,
his whereabouts. Several rewards
were offered for his discovery, includ
ing one of $500 made by the saloon
men of Monroe county in which a no
antiliquor campaign was then bein,
waged.
The minister finally was given ,lp a
dead by his relatives.
Tells Of kidnapping.
| His story, told Lere, was, in part:
| while walking home from the dr.
meeting at Westville | was attacks
at the railroad tracks by gang O
four or five men. l was rendere
partly unconscious by the sandbag
with which they hit me over the hea,
and was then put on a handcar an
taken about two miles down tn
track. Here was thrown into an al
tomobile. taken about Is miles, II
what direction I do not know, an
thrown into a dark damp cellar.
For two days l was without foo
or drink. When l talked to my car
tors above they threw hot water o,
me. Later they fed me rotten bar
anas and by and by other fruit an,
sandwiches. I never saw light excep
when they opened the trap door t.
throw food to me.
siusoed Now and Then.
1.-TWO days ago 1 was removed t
this cellar. While being brought her
| was kept in the bottom Of the sam
automobile used before and slugge
every now and then with the sand
bags. was semi-conscious all tn
time A drug they forced upon m
helped to keep me dazed. The auto
MODA0 lips were always mdU0 d
high speed and during the night.
| When was put into this last Gel
lar two Of the men gagged me, tie,
my wrists to my knees with the all
Of board under my knees and thel
put gunny sack over my head. The
told me il I made any noise the
would set fire to the house. wa
cramped In such position coul'
neither sit nor lie fiat"
Patmont Greeted at DanviIle.
Danville, III. - A great thron,
greeted Rev. Louis R. Patmont. tn
dry worker kidnapped at Danville
March 81, as he alighted from a trail
in this city, accompanied by severa
Danvillians who went to Columbia
ILL.,, upon learning that he had beel
found In an abandoned frame hous
where he had been taken by his kid
nappers. Dozens of automobiles es
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