THE MICHIGAN DAILY FRIDAY, MAY 13, 1932
(By The Associated Press)
Today's developments answered a question that had puzzled
the nation since Tuesday night, March l-"Is the Lindbergh baby
alive or dead ?"
A brisk wind whistled through the clear night outside the Sour-
land Mountain estate of the famous flier as Mrs. Lindbergh, assisted
by Betty Gow, the nursemaid, put her 20-months-old son, to bed at
7:30 o'clock.
Mrs. Lindbergh last saw the baby in his crib with Miss Gow
bending over him. Then she went downstairs. Half an hour later
the nursemaid stopped on her way to the kitchen to say the child
had gone to sleep.
Getting ready for bed, Mrs. Lindbergh found she had left her
toothpaste in the baby's bathroom and went in and got it, without
turning on the light._
At 10:30 o'clock Miss Gow ran into her mistress' room and
asked if Colonel Lindbergh had taken the baby. When the mother
was unable to answer the nursemaid, followed by Mrs. Lindbergh,
ran down to ask the father himself.
When Miss Gow told him his only child was missing a grim
expression came over his face. Running to a closet, he seized his
rifle and disappeared in the darkness outside the house.
After a brief search of the estate, Colonel Lindbergh called the
police-a call that set into motion the greatest manhunt the nation
ever had witnessed, a hunt,'that was followed closely for weeks by
kings and presidents, and millions of citizens around the world.
When police arrived these facts were discovered:
There were muddy tracks on the window sill and pieces of mud
on the nursery floor.
A ransom note, the contents of which were not officially re-
vealed, was pinned to the window sill.
Footprints that started under the window led away from the
house and finally disappeared in the dead weeds and leaves of the
winter-locked fields.
A ladder, obviously home made and in three crude sections,
found 70 feet from the house.
A chisel found near the ladder.
Entrance had been gained through a nursery window with a
wooden shutter which was unlocked because it had become warped.
Within an hour the news that the curly-haired boy had disap-
peared went around the world.
By morning international machinery for the hunt was well
organized. President* Hoover personally directed federal men to
take the trail. Canada and Mexico offered aid. Police everywhere
spread their nets. Birdmen, friends of the "Lone Eagle" organized
to search from the sky.
The next afternoon Lindbergh let it be known he was ready to
meet ransom. demands. He cleared his grounds of outsiders, but
kept the troopers, who established headquarters in his garage.
The following day there still was NO word, though hundreds
had been questioned, and Colonel and Mrs. Lindbergh issued'a radio'
appeal for word from the kidnappers.
Governor A. Harry Moore, of New Jersey, called the police
heads of a dozen cities into conference Saturday, March 5. President
Hoover sent a representative.
Col. Henry Breckenridge, Lindbergh's counsel and close friend,'
became closely connected with the father's private and independent
efforts to deal with the kidnappers. He employed one of the most
famous detectives ever on the New York city police force to aid him.
On Friday night Henry (Red) Johnson, seaman friend of Miss
Gow, was arrested in Hartford, Conn. Later he was taken to New-
ark, N.J., and after questioning him until March 12, police announced
their conviction he had NO connection with the kidnapping. He was
kept in jail, however, on a charge that he had entered the country
illegally.
Late Saturday night, four days after the child had been stolen,
the colonel authorized Salvatore Spitale and Irving Bitz, both known
as underworld characters, to act as his agents in negotiating with the
kidnappers.
On Sunday The Associated Press learned that two communica-
tions had been received by Lindbergh from the abductors. They
were in the same writing and on the same paper as the first note
on the window sill.'
On Saturday, March 12, INorris Rosner, undercover man in the,
Lindberghs private search, said he had definite knowledge the baby
was alive and would be returned.
The following day, Sunday, a flurry. of excitement was churned
up by-the detention of four persons and a baby at Crossville, Tenn.,
but examination of a telephoto picture of the child convinced the
Lindberghs that he was not their son.
Police clues appeared and faded with remarkable speed. Ont
Tuesday, March 15, two weeks after the kidnapping, the authorities'
admitted they were without concrete information as to the where-
abouts of the missing infant or the identity of his abductors.
On March 25 it developed that three self-appointed negotiators
residing at Norfolk, Va., were active in the hunt for the baby. They I
believed they were in contact with the kidnappers and were hopeful'
of results. They were Rev. H. Dobsen-Peacock, Rear Admiral Guy
H. Burrage and John Hugh Curtis, boat manufacturer.
No developments of an important 'nature occurred, however,
until April 11, when Col. Lindbergh announced that he had paid a
ransom of $50,000 but that the baby had not returned. The negotia-
tions in this case were carried on by John F. Condon, an instructor'
at F'ordham university who had maintained contact with a series of
newspaper advertisements signed "Jafsie". Condon tossed 'the money,
over a cemetery wall, according to instructions from a man purport-
ing to represent the kidnappers, and received in return directions for
finding the child. Col Lindbergh followed these directions but did
not find a boat upon which the baby was supposed to be held by two
woien.
When it appeared conclusive that he had been double-crossed
Col. Lindbergh notified the treasury department of the United
States, which circularized the serial numbers of the currency paid
to the supposed kidnappers' representative. A new effort to make
"contacts" was at once begun. The Norfolk negotiators retained
their confidence.
A magnesium flare lighted early on the morning of April 16 at
the Lindbergh home was believed to be of significance until it was
officially announced that a state trooper had found the flare, sup-
posed it was a "dud"and tested it.
A series of cruises by the Marcon, with Curtis aboard, was
revealed on April 25. These cruises were believed significant, but
apparently there were no definite developments.
Salvadore Spitale and Irving Bitz, the underworld characters
appointed by Lindbergh to act for him, announced on April 27 that
they had withdrawn from the case on account of the payment of the
$50,000 ransom. They believed the money to have been paid to
fakirs.
On April 28 the Norfolk negotiators announced they believed1
they had "cleared away a number of obstacles."
The following night a mysterious message was broadcast by
radio to Harry Fleischer, Detroit gangster, who had been sought in
I connection with the Lindbergh investigations. The name of Hehry
A. Uterhart, attorney, was mentioned. A "contact" evidently was
being attempted.
TO, OPEN FESTIVAL
Choral Union Society Rehearses
Every Night Preparing
for Program.
In preparation for the 1932 May
Festival which will take place next
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and
Saturday in Hill auditorium, the
University Choral Union society un-
der the direction of Earl V. Moore
is working doubly hard for the un-
usual number of choral works
which are to be presented at the
annual affair.
Rehearsals for the organization
are being held practically every
night and day with the assistance
of the University Symphony orches-
tra and next week will finish pre-
parations with rehearsals with the
Chicago Symphony and the soloists.
Haydn's "Creation" will open the
May Festival program next Wed-
nesday night with the full member-
ship of the society taking part as
well as Ruth Rodgers, Frederick
Jagel and Chase Baromeo, who will
be the soloist. This offering will com-
memorate the 200th anniversary of
the composer.
Gustav Holst's "Choral Fantasia"
will be the second program of the
Choral Union with the composer
acting as guest conductor. The chil-
dren's choruses led by Juva Higbee
will give "The Spider and the Fly"
on Friday afternoon.
The outstanding choral work of
the event will be Rimsky-Korsak-
off's "The Story of the Invisible
City of Kitesh" on Saturday night.
The rendering of this work, which
will be in English, is the American
premiere for the opera. Both Chi-
cago Civic and Metropolitan Opera
companies will have representa-
tives at the performance to view
the production as both are inter-
ested in producing it on their re-
pertoires next season. Chase Baro-
meo, Frederick Jagel NeBson Eddy,
and Juliette Lippe will b^ the feat-
ured soloists on the pr(,rram.
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NOTICE!
All Crew Me"bers, Supervisors,
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through the courtesy of the National
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I
111
III
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IMM M Y ' Y - - I O --.--- - I w
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LAST TIMES TODAY!
DONALD HENDERSON
CLARKES STORY!
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LEWAYRES
MAE CLARKE-UNA.
ANDY DEVINE-JOHN
MERKEL
HNALLDAY
STARTING SATURDAY
iARROWSMITH"
RONALD COLMAN-HELEN HAYES
Sinclair Lewis Great Story
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are now operating
SYLVAN GAENS
SAND LAKE-IRISH HILLS
On U. S. 112-28 miles from Ann Arbor
MICHIGAN'S MOST BEAUTIFUL DANCE PALACE
GRAND OPENING
May 14th and 15th
Del and Ray will appear in person with their famous 13-piece Orchestra
ALL-STAR STAGE AND RADIO STARS
She wanted a lizjbMabd to
make love . . Biut he was
too busy makinig history
. and WHAT"? history!
TO BE
FA M' U S'.
The Talkie of the Town
with
Id
DOUGLAS
AIRBANKS,
Mary Brain
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tI Vnf"'I T T o r ic ' A V Y A "TT1-%- llrl A x W c7"Vu'- .% fii I I