Douglas Daily Dispatch

LONE PINE, Calif., Aug. 24 (AP)—A plane in which Henry Billingsley abducted his two young sons at Bishop today, threatening to kill them and himself by wrecking it, was found undamaged in the bed of Dry lake four miles from here late today, and Billingsley, evidently by pre-arrangement, had fled in an automobile or truck with the boys.

Billingsley is believed to have gone toward Los Angeles, some 90 miles south of here, since the main highway from here leads north back to Bishop from which he fled. Automobile tracks from near the plane, which was sighted by a searching plane, showed how Billingsley had escaped.

It was not considered likely that an automobile would have been near the lake where Billingsley could commandeer it by chance, and it was assumed that he had a machine hidden there for use.

Billingsley's wife, Rachel, told authorities her husband, "nervous and desperate," arrived at her home shortly before 10 a. m., and forcibly removed the children, Junior, 5, and Gene, 8. As he drove away in an automobile, she said, he called back that he intended to take them up in an airplane and "kill everybody."

She said she believed he was armed.

Officials at the airport reported that Billingsley drove up at 10 a. m. and requested an airplane and pilot for a short flight. A pilot warmed up the motors, and Billingsley and the children installed themselves in the plane, a large Monocoupe. The pilot stepped out for a moment, and Billingsley leaped to the controls and zoomed the ship off the ground, disappearing westward.

Pursuit was forestalled because no other airplanes were available.

Pilots said Billingsley had flown an airplane only twice before and never alone.

The Billingsleys separated a year ago. Billingsley remaining at their former home at Lone Pine, near Bishop, and his wife bringing the four children here. A court order later gave her custody of the children.