The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1900-12-27
ABDUCTORS GET PAY
Millionaire Gives Up Sz5,oo0 For
Return Of Kidnapped Boy.
SCHEME A BRILLIANT SUCCESS
On Receiving the Money, Abduc-
tors Kept Faith By Safely De-
livering the Youngster.

A special from Omaha, Neb., says:
twenty-five thousand dollars in gold
was the price paid by Edward A. Cud-
ahy, the millionaire packer, for the re-
turn of his son, Edward Cudahy, Jr.,
who was abducted by a gang of kid
nappers Tuesday night.
Thursday about noon, several hours
after letter had been left at the front
yard at the Cudahy residence, another
missive was delivered to Mr.. Cudahy
at his residence. It came through the
mails and contained proposition to
return the boy safe and unharmed,
provided the sum of $25, 900 was paid
that night.
In the letter were full directions as
to where the mouey was to be left and
the assurance was given that the miss
ing boy would be allowed to return
within few hours after the cash was
paid.
A consultation vas held and the
plans were discussed for capturing the
bandits when they should make their
appearance at the rendezvous that had
been designated, but one after another
they were dropped as being impractic-
able
Finally, impelled by the strain un-
der which the entire household was
laboring, Mr.. Cudahy decided to COM
ply with the terms offered and ransom
his son.
The money was secured by trust
ed messenger, who was sworn to Sc
crecy, and was brought to the Cudahy
house. After dinner Mr.. Cudahy had
one of his horses harnessed to light
buggy, and taking the money with
him left for the designated place at
which it had been stipulated the money
was to be left.
In the buggy he carried a red Ian
tern and was alone. Leaving the house
he drove five five miles west of town
on the Sherman avenue road until he
came to white lantern that was hang
ing on short stick by the side of the
road. This was the place where he
was to leave the boys ransom, and
alighting from his buggy he deposited
the sack close by the stick bearing the
white light. Then, without seeing
any one, he returned to his home.
In the meantime the abductors of
the boy had seen the red light coming
up the road, and as soon as the buggy
had disappeared in the direction from
which it had come, they took the
money and prepared to keep faith with
the father of the boy.
The lad was bundled into a hack
and set down close by his fathers
house about 1 o'clock Friday morn
ing. Having been blindfolded all the
time, the boy was unable to say where
he had been, but as nearly as he could
estimate by the few observations he
was able to make, be thought he had
been taken about five miles south of
South Omaha.
Notwithstanding the entire police
and detective force of the city, several
Pinkertons from Chicago and half a
hundred of Mr.. Cudahy's own men
searched diligently for clew looking
to the capture of the outlaws, ever
since the return of the young man,
nothing was developed to give the least
idea of the identity of the men who
perpetrated the crime.
Young Cudahy said that he was
seized on the street by two men, who
told him he was a fugitive from
the reform school and that they were
deputy sheriffs from another county.
They placed him in closed carriage,
threw a cloth over his head and gagged
him. They then took him, according
to his judgment to lonely house in
South Omaha, where he was chained
to the floor and kept prisoner until
he was put into hack and returned
to his home. While prisoner he was
guarded by two men and provided
with food.
Young Cudahy says there were six Of
the men, but that all wore masks
whenever in his presence, and that the
only one he would attempt to identify
was one who kept guard over him
during his incarceration in the lonely
building in which he was held. he
thinks he could recognize this mans
voice, as it differed much from that of
any of the others. That the bandits
plans had been carefully laid cannot
be doubted. They had evidently ap-
pointed as a place Of meeting Mr.. Cud-
aby point near the river bank in or-
der that they might escape in boat
should officers attempt their capture.