The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-12-27

Omaha Packer rlulcted for $4,000
hv kihuan,

AL AODAAu NA9lNAK llNU
Omaha Packer rlulcted for $4,000
by kidnap.rs.
Omaha, Nef., Dec. 21.-Twenty-fve
thousand dollars in gold was the
price paid by Edward A. Cudahy, the
millionaire packer, for the return of
his son, Edward Cudahy, Jr., who was
abducted by gang of kidnappers
last Tuesday night.
Wednesday about noon, and several
hours after the letter had been left
in the front yard at the Cudahy resi-
dence, another missive was delivered
to Mr.. Cudahy there. 1t came through
the mails. and contained proposition
toN return the boy, safe and UNI
harmed, provided the sum of $4,000
was paid that night. In the letter
were full directions as to where the
money was to be left and the assur-
ance was given that the missing boy
would be allowed to return home
within a few hours of the time the
cash was received.
A consultation was held at once
and the matter gone over i'll detail.
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 impracticable.
Finally, impelled by the strain un-
der which the entire household was
laboring, lfr. Cudahy decided to COM
ply with the terms offered and ran.
som his son.
The money was secured by trust
ed messenger, who was sworn to Sc
crecy, and was brought to the Cuda-
by residence. 1t was ali in gold.
After dinner Mr.. Cudahy had one of
mis- horses harnessed to light buggy.
and, taking the money in it with him,
departed for the designated place at
which it had been stipulated it should
be left. In his buggy he carried
red lantern, and was quite alone.
Leaving the house he drove five miles
west of town on the Sherman avenue
road until he came to a white Ian
tern that was hanging on a 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 re-
turned to his home.
In the meantime the captors of the
boy had seen the red light coming
up the road, and as soon as the
buggy had disappeared again in the
direction from which it had come,
they visited the spot, took away the
money and prepared to keep faith
with the father of the boy. The lad
was bundled into q hack and set
down close by his fathers house
about l o'clock yesterday morning.
Where he had been he was unable to
say, but as nearly as he could esti-
mate by the few observations he was
able to make he thought he had been
taken about five miles south of South
Omaha.
The cunning of the gang who had
the boy in keeping and their thor
oush knowledge of the geography of
the city are evidenced in the plans
they laid. Close by the place where
Mr.. Cudahy was directed to leave the
ransom for his son the river APP
proaches the road, and it is supposed
that the men were on watch for the
millionaire and saw his red light
from a boat. AS soon as he had
driven away and they had satisfied
themselves that no others were lurk-
ing near, they probably clambered
up the bank, obtained the sack of
gold that had been left for them,
made their way to the boat again
and escaped without leaving any tell
tale footprints.
There is absolutely no clue to the
identity of the men who spirited the
young man away, although the police
have been working necessarily on the
matter ever since it was first report
ed to them.
Whether he will be able to give the
police any information that will lead
to the capture of the outlaws who
held him prisoner for over twenty
four hours remains to be seen later
on.
The boy says that he was seized
first by two men, who told him that
he was fugitive from the reform
school and that they were deputy
sheriffs from another county. They
placed him in a closed carriage and
threw baby shirt over his head,
with which they gagged him. They
then took him, according to his best
judgment, to lonely cottage west
of South Omaha, where he was
chained to the floor and there kept
a prisoner until put in hack and
returned to his home this morning.
He was at the cottage guarded by
two men and provided with sufficient
food.
Last night Mr.. Cudahy announced
he would pay $4,000 reward for the
apprehension of the abductors of his
son, $4,000 for one and $4,000 for