El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-07-13
BANDITS OFFER
To BUY TRUCK
Driver 0utwits Bandits and
Saves Truck; Outlaws
Probably Smugglers.

Drivers delivering new trucks IN
der their own power usually have
/ trouble enough in coaxing their
| charges 20 destination. especially in
regions where roads exist more in
name than in fact, and in long trips
J over country with which they are un-
acquainted, but It is doubtful If any
other driver has ever experienced the
thrills and dangers reported by Law
renee Broyles, a truck dealer of FL
Paso, in an attempted delivery from
that city 10 Maria. Tex.
Broyles recently left here in an In
diana truck, equipped with Goodyear
/ solid tires, which he intended TO drive
. TO Maria After having covered 125
lonely miles he was suddenly set upon
by hand Of four masked mandits.
who searched him thoroughly, but re-
turned a roll OF money TO him when
satisfied that he was unarmed- They
compelled him 10 alter his course and
head toward the Rio Grande. the OBJ
ject OF the bandits evidently being
TO take over the truck at some con-
venient point
Wanted TO Buy.
From their conversation among
themselves, BrOyles was convinced
that they wished TO use his truck in
err. They were lavishly supplied with
money and offered $4,000 for the truck.
with a liberal sum for his services as
its driver temptingly shaking the
money before his eyes, but Broyles.
fearing foul play when once across
the river. rejected their offers.
After driving about 40 miles he
made the decision that If he was
living his last day he would end
dt in the good old United States and
msrHa H-.n- H.s
first opportunity. This soon came,
and seeing an arroyo, or depression.
ahead, with a pit Of sand at its bottom.
he plunged the truck into IT., the inn
pact deeply imbedding 90 in the sand
Badly Beaten.
The bandits. in @ rage at being out
witted by the driver beat and kicked
him so numerically that he begged
them TO shoot him and end his misery.
we have no bullet TO waste on Grin
gos.' was the tauntinS reply They
compelled him 10 walk mile 70 a
windmill and climb 20 the TOP OF a
large galvanized water tank about 90
feet high When he reached the TOP,
one Of the bandits, who had followed
him I'D the ladder. pushed him head
remark That VIII settle you, /
guess
Then began a battle in ten feet Of
water TO reach a feed pipe about five
feet above the water After several
futile attempts TO grasp IT,. during
which his strength was fast ebbing
away. the last hUrtle of which he felt
himself capable. resulted i'm victory
After dragging himself up 10 a hori-
zontaI section Of the pipe he was able
TO peer out over the top. and satisfy
ing himself that his assailauts had re-
treated. climbed down over the brim.
and headed for the north
After several days Of wandering.
during which he several times fell uu-
conscious. with the blazing sun beat
ing down ON his bruised body, he
came 10 a railroad. Fortunately a sta
ton was not far ANY and the first
train was boarded for Fl PssO-
a few DAYS later he left for the
scene Of his narrowing experience and
found that the bandits had been uu-
able 10 extricate the truck from its
bed Of sand. Broyles. however with
the several men whom he took with
him. salvaged it and completed its de-
livery as originally planned.
The truck driven by Broyles was
one sold by the Elliott-Garrett COM
pany OF this city. by whom Broyles
was employed Although subjected tu
extraordinary rough treatment for a
time the company suffered no loss as
regards the condition of the truck
which withstood the buffets in adj
mirable manner.