| Show ich Sportsman Slugs Kidnaper b o. o Make Escape I Staggers to Friends Friend's Home in CI Cleveland veland Was Abducted Abducted Abducted Ab Ab- Ab- Ab ducted in N. N Y I I TELLS OF IMPRISONMENT I I I Life Threatened by Extortionists Extortionists Extortionists Extor Extor- I I He Says 1 j By fly y Associated Pre s j i I CLEVELAND D Feb 16 16 After After a spectacular escape SC from kidnapers who sho had kept him prisoner his life in danger since last Thursday Harr Harry PhI If II lagden 45 15 wealthy eastern castern sportsman staggered d early today into into the home of oC a friend in Cleveland lie He was suffering from Crom knockout drops rough treatment and Cati fatigue ue Blagden prominent in New York and Washington society had been held for Cor ransom since last Thursday when he was from a cottage cot cot- tage at Saranac Lake N. N Y V. Relatives had feared he was murdered lIe He said he was brought to Cleveland Cleveland Cleve Clove land by his kidnapers after aCter many hours of traveling and probably two I days days' imprisonment in a windowless room above e a garage which he believed believed be was in Albany N N. Y All of oC the time his his' life lICe was in danger and once the abductors threatened to kill him Shortly after their arrival in Cleveland Clove Cleve land Jand two of the kidnapers known I only as Jim and Zeke went into a house to eat cat leaving Blagden lying 1 in the back of oC the truck under guard of a third man called Curly Curl KNOCKS GUARD DOWN DOW I Blagden feigned sleep he told police police po po- po lice later and when Curly relaxed I his vigilance the sportsman sumI summoned sum sum- I all his remaining strength and knocked the guard to the floor noor with a ablow ablow fi blow to the stomach Wresting a revolver from Curlys Curly's hand Blagden struck him with it several soy sev eral ral times and then ran until breath breath- less lIe He said he c had no idea in what city he was until he inquired of a I passerby passer Then exhausted exhaust d from his harrowing I experiences he went to I the home of his friend Claude J. J I Peck and summoned police v There he was He said he was preparing I to retire for the night in the Saranac Lake cottage when he heard a knock at the rear door Answering It it he was confronted by a 3 man who asked to use the telephone Blagden admitted him and started I to enter another room Wait Waita a minute min mm- ute the man said and Blagden turned to find himself looking into the muzzle of a revolver MARCHED UI HILL Despite the cold weather the captor cap tor refused to allow his prisoner oner to get an overcoat and marched him up upa a hill behind the cottage where whore thc they were joined by another man I You arc are being they told him Step along lively The prisoner was forced into an expensive sedan in which a driver was waiting The They drove several hours he said and then stopped in a awood wood wooded cd section where sandwiches and beer were produced from a basket basket bas bas- ket Im not very cr hungry Blagden told his captors You cat cal and drink anyway anway one of them threatened or well we'll kill you OU right now Blagden said he ate a sandwich and drank some of ot the beer There must have been knockout drops in the I beer he told the detectives for tor he felt himself losing consciousness When he recovered his senses he was in a windowless room Although he believed ed he was in Albany he said he be was not certain There were eight men in the room I Blagden said he lay for several I Con Continued l ur o on n Pare Page Two KIDNAP VICTIM MAKES ESCAPE I I Continued d from ln Page Pace e One hours pretending unconsciousness and listening to the conversation One of the men finally expressed the belief belie the prisoner was dead Then another shook him and Blagden opened his eyes Is the paper right richt one of or the abductors inquired Are Arc you ou a mil mil- sportsman I No replied Blagden Im a a. a school teacher The kidnaper gave an exclamation of disgust and then asked Could your friends raise 1000 The sportsman told them his friends I could raise a little more than that if they hey had to Then the kidnapers made him write the letter demanding 1000 ransom which was received by his brother Thomas under a Utica N. N Y post post- mark Thomas Blagden when the letter was received took the money to Tupper Tup Tup- per jer lake the thc rendezvous mentioned but ut the kidnapers had become afraid to o keep t the e appointment Next the prisoner was driven into the he country near Syracuse N. N Y and was kept in a farmhouse nearly two days lays At last they forced him into the he car again acain and drove to land and Blagden operates and owns a boys' boys camp amp on upper Saranac lake patron patron- zed by the sons of wealthy parents He le is one o of five brothers who won honors at Yale university At the time ime of the he was awaiting the he arrival of ol his friends Mr and Mrs E. E Roland Harriman of New NewYork York Harriman is the son of the I late ate E. E H. H Harriman famous railroad magnate |
