2 Gunmen Abduct 3 Officers

COLLISON, TOLLEY, HAMILTON, VANDERPOOL, ANDERSON, MILLER, BRENNAN, HANKEY

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 10/12/2007 at 08:13:52

Oakland Tribune; Oakland, California; August 16, 1964

2 Gunmen Surrender After Abducting 3 Police Officers

EMMETSBURG, Iowa - Two young gunmen, armed with three abducted officers' guns and vowing not to be taken alive, created five hours of tension for Emmetsburg residents Saturday before surrendering meekly.

Frank Collison and Raymond (Trucker) Tolley, both 23, and formerly of Richmond, Va., had abducted the officers at Laurens earlier Saturday and later released them unharmed here.

This northwest Iowa town of about 4,000 persons was sealed off by heavily armed officers, firemen and National Guardmen while the community was searched.

Sheriff Richard Miller went on radio to warn residents to stay at home or in their place of business.

Collison and Tolley were stopped by three officers - Deputy Sheriff Don Hamilton of Pocahontas, Laurens Police Chief Chester Vanderpool and Pocahontas policeman Curtis Anderson in Laurens, 28 miles south of here, for questioning about breakins at two other service stations.

"All of a sudden Frank (Collison) pulled out a gun and pointed it at three officers," said Dennis Ahlers, 28, who witnessed the abduction.

"Then Trucker took the officers' guns away from them. After that the two gunmen got in the rear seat of Hamilton's car, ordered the three officers into the front seat and then drove away."

The gunmen released the officers here after getting assurances from other officers they would withdraw from the area where Tolley and Collison were surrounded.

The two men fled on foot after arming themselves with the officers' service revolvers and 48 rounds of ammunition.

Emmetsburg Policemen Adrian Brennan and Orval Hankey found the men in a hog house on a farm at the west edge of town.

Although Collison and Tolley still were armed, no shots were fired as they surrendered, Miller said.

Collison and Tolley said they decided to give up after "sobering up" while hiding in the hog barn for two hours. They said they had been drinking last night.

The men were brought to the county jail here. No charges were filed immediately.