, 1900-12-21

Omaha, Dec. 20.-Twenty-ive thou
sand dollars in gold vas the price paid
by Edward A. Cudahy. the millionaire
packer. for the return of his son. Ed
ward Cudahy, Jr., who was abducted
by a gang of kidnapers last Thursday
night.
Yesterday about noon. and several
hours after the letter had been left
in the front yard of the Cudahy resi-,
dence, another missive was delivered
to Mr.. Cudahy az his residence. 1t
came through the mails and contained
a proposition to return the boy. safe
and unframed, provided the sun of
S25, 900 was paid hat night. In the
letter were full directions as to where
the none was to be left and the assur-
ance was given that the missing boy
would be allowed to return home with
in a few hours of the time the cash was
received.
A consultation was held at once and
the matter gone over in detail. Plans
were discussed for capturing the ban
dts when they should make their ap-
pearance at the rendezvous that had
been designated, but one after anoth-
er they We're dropped as being imprac-
ticable.
Finally, impelled by the strain under
which the entire household was labor
ing. Mr.. Cudahy decided to comply
with the terms offered and ransome
his son.
Left the Money at the Spot.
| ed messenger. who was sworn to Sc.
crecy, and was brought to the Cudahy
residence. 1t was all in gold. After din
ner Mr.. Cudahy had one of his horses
hitched to a light buggy, and, taking
the money in it with him. left for the
designated place at which it had been
stipulated it should be left. In his bug
gy he carried a 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 lantern that was hanging
on a short stick by the side of the road.
This was the place where the ransom
was to be left, and alighting from his
buggy, he deosited 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 visit
ed the spot. took away the money and
prepared to keep faith with the father
of the boy.
The Boy Reaches Home.
The lad was bundled into a hack and
set down close by his fathers house
about / o'clock this morning. Where
he had been he was unable to say, but
as nearly as he could estimate 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 thorough
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 ran
som for his son the river approaches
the road, and it is supposed that the
men were on the watch for the mil
lionaire and saw the red light from a
boat. AS soon as he had driven away
and they had satisfied themselves that
no others were lurking near, they PROB
ably 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 n tell
tale footprints.
No Clue to the cuIprits.
There is absolutely no clue to the
identity of the men who spirited the
young nan away, although the police
have been working necessarily on the
matter ever since it was first reported
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 nriSOre or for over twenty-fOur