Part 1
On September 26,1944,Patrolman Loren Squire attempted to stop a vehicle traveling 50 miles per hour through Toquerville. It was almost 10:00 p.m. and the red spotlight of his patrol car completely illuminated the interior of the speeding vehicle;however,the driver did not slow. Patrolman Squire then activated the siren and still the driver did not respond. Pulling alongside the vehicle,Patrolman Squire crowded the vehicle off the oil and onto the gravel shoulder of the road. The vehicle began to slow,so Patrolman Squires dropped back to approach from behind. Immediately the driver stepped on the gas and whirled onto a side alley near the old rock building at the south end of Toquerville. Coming to the end of the road,the vehicle crashed into a fence before it could stop.
Patrolman Squire had already drawn his revolver and took cover across the hood of his vehicle. The suspect vehicle was still running,but with the lights out. Patrolman Squire could barely make out the face of the suspect. Patrolman Squire said,“What are you doing there,Bud?” Almost immediately Loren saw a flash and heard the thud of a bullet next to his head. Less than 30 feet separated Patrolman Squire from his attacker. Immediately after the shot,Loren heard the wires on a barbwire fence squeaking as if someone was crawling through them. Loren ran to the north comer of the rock building,but was unable to see anyone. Suddenly the hair on the back of his neck began to rise. Loren did not know exactly where the suspect was hiding. He would later recall,“For the first time I felt a chill of fright.” He looked quickly over his shoulder,but could not hear or see anyone.
Within minutes,several town members arrived to see what all the noise was about. Harvey Theobald,who lived a block west of the scene,had witnessed the chase through town,had heard the crash and then a shot fired. Right after the shot,he heard someone crashing through the orchard behind his house. Fearing that someone had shot Patrolman Squire,he ran to his car and started it. Just as he turned on the lights,a man hit the fence with such force that it tore out the staples on several posts in both directions. The man flipped head over heels,through the fence and into a ditch of water. Harvey watched him climb out of the ditch,cross a street,go over another fence,and continue running through another orchard.
Patrolman Squire went to a neighbor’s house and phoned Washington County Sheriff Antone Prince and Utah Highway Patrolman “Blondie”Porter. A search of the suspect’s vehicle revealed two canvas bags,each packed with canned tuna,crackers,candy bars and a loaded pistol. There was also a loaded revolver in the glove compartment. In the back seat was a shoebox with $180 in silver coins. Evidently,the suspect had broken into a clothing store,because there were several new suits with the tags still on them,extra coats,several pairs of shoes,and fifty pair of socks,as well as other clothing.
Next week:The manhunt continues.
