Show COAST KIDNAPER TAKES OWN LIFE SALEM Ore Dec 30 UP UP- UP Robert Thomas 18 lay dead today after a night of at terror in which he a young oung Silverton Ore couple forced them at gun gunpoint gunpoint gunpoint point to drive him to Salem swallowed swallowed swallowed lowed poison and then held up the sheriffs sheriff's office ottice Thomas died at a Salem hospital shortly before midnight from the effects of the poison Climbs Into Car Thomas accosted Joseph ErpeldIng Erpelding Erpelding ing 23 Silverton and Velma Hopper Hopper Hop Hop- per 21 Mt Angel in a parked car near a Silverton theater Waving a large army revolver he climbed into the car and ordered Erpelding to drive to Salem Ordering Erpelding to halt near the old Salem courthouse Thomas swallowed some pills he took from his pocket washed them down with witha a small bottle of water and then strode toward the sheriffs sheriff's office Erpelding and the girl ran to the police station Charges Desk Still brandishing the gun Thomas charged wildly toward the desk of at Deputy Sheriff Sherif Wayne Vayne Parker and shouted Im Tm going to die in about 10 minutes and nd you might as well go with me Parker succeeded In diverting Thomas' Thomas attention produced a gun gunot of ot his own and ordered the youth to disarm Thomas fled down the hallway and disappeared Officers found him a few moments moments moments mo mo- ments later violently ill on the city hall steps a few feet from the police station Attempts to revive him at the hospital failed A note in his pocket indicated he had planned the spectacular suicide for some time In the note he admitted several lesser crimes around Silver Silverton ton A physician who cared for him said he may have been affected by an old head injury the scar of which still showed |