Evening star., 1937-07-16
HIGHWAYS SCOMBED|
FOR 3 K|DNAPERS|
Abductors of Oil Officials
Son Hunted After Free.
ing Him.
~ the Associated Press,

~ lAS AoSGCl8tSO TIe8B.
9APULPA, Okla. July l6.-Posse-
men stood watch on blockaded hish-
ways today for Roy Pete" Traxler.
the Southwest's No. / bad man, be-
heved fleeing northward after releas-
ing the kidnapped son Of q wealthy New
York oil man.
The youth, 21-year-old Baird H.
Markham, son Of Gen. Baird Mark
ham, an oficial Of the American
Petroleum Institute, was seized near
Ada, Okla. Traxler, his left arm shat
tered by = bullet, and two companions,
all escaped Texas convicts, took young
Markham's automobile and forced him
to accompany them.
Held Eight Hours Is Minutes.
Markham was released near here
after eight hours and IS minutes, dur
ing which time he said the men criss-
crossed through the country, lodging
posse from which they had escaped
by abandoning their own car and TAX
Ing to the woods only shortly before.
Markham, Yale student, Is work.
Ing for an oil company for experience
during the Summer. His family for
merly lived in Oklahoma City.
Young Markham said all three men
admitted they were fugitives from the
Texas Prison Farm at Huntsville. Be-
sides Traxler, he identified q second
man a. Charles Chapman. Chapman
was wounded In the shoulder, Mark
ham said.
Prison Break July 8.
The third man, Markham said, was
referred to as Fred" Fred Tmdol Of
Jasper. Tex. was one of the nine men
who. with Traxler and Chapman, es-
capped the farm amid gunfire July 8.
-Four Of the nine were rtcaptured, one
Killed and q guard was wounded.
Pred" was not wounded.
They discussed tieing me to a tree, I"
Markham said here today. But then
they decided II they dumped me out
1ar enough from town they would be
safe.
They finally decided to let me out
OF the car near Sapulpa. They seemed
to think they could get to Tulsa before
police would be notified"
They weren't interested in me-" he
said. 1T was my car they wanted.
They soon admitted their identity.
All said they were escaped convicts
from the Texas Prison Farm.
They decided at first they couldn't
let me 60 because of the ouicknexs
with which I would notify police.
Then they decided that if 1 was with
them, the police wouldn't shoot,
should they encounter any.
Traxler was driving. He was
wounded in the arm. Chapman was
shot in the shoulder. I directed them
through Seminole, then We waited
until dark.
After that We circled toward Bris-
ton and then came toward Sapulpa.
They said they wouldn't waste any
time at all shooting If officers stopped
them. although 1t wasn't quite clear
what would happen to me In that
event. However, they seemed sure the
police wouldn't flre on them with me
in the car.
Great" to Be Free.
They talked about how great it
was to be out Of prison and said be-
ing caught was = matter of life and
death with them.
When they first stopped me they
told me they wouldn't hurt me. I'm
al right. feel flne"
Markham said the three men
blocked 4 road to halt him as he drove
near steedman, Okla, toward an oil
well test.
Markham will be 4 Junior at Yale
next Fall.
His father was formerly adjutant
general of the Oklahoma National
Guard. Later he became controller
of the Continental Oil Co. in Ponca
City, Okla. Gen. Markham at present
Is vacationing IN Nisswa, MINI.
Young Markham is working as 4
scout for the w. A. Delaney Petroleum
Co.. An Independent company.
Besides his parents. young Mark
ham has sister, Jewell Marie Mark
ham. IS, who lives with the parents
In New York City.
F, b I. JOINS HINT