The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-12-29

.--
Cudahy. Jr., who was kidnapped last
Tuesday evening, after being held
thirty six hours for a ransom of $685. 900
in gold. which the young mans father
unhesitatingly paid, has been returned
to his family and the boy and his
parents are receiving congratulations
from relatives and friends throughout
the country. Mr.. and Mrs. Cudahy feel
that they have cause for relief, not
only over the return Of their youthful
son, but also because one or possibly
more of their daughters were not in
cluded in the conspiracy which has
caused them SO much anxiety and
grief, as a statement of the c%onspira-
in their power indicated that they had
been attempting for a month to secure
possession of one of his sisters. Mr..
Cudahy has been. very reticent
throughout the affair, and up to yes
terday afternoon refused absolutely to
talk either of the kidnapping or pay
ment Of the ransom and return of his
son. All information given to the
public a been through his attorney,
Melville Sears, and the statements of
the latter have been very guarded.
Police Were Skcpticnl.
Before the real truth of the kidnap-
Ing, the return of the boy and the ex-
perience of the latter had been given
to the public the police were inclined
to doubt the story that the boy had
been spirited away. This skepticism,
however, melted away when young
Cudahy related the story of being over
powered, placed in a. closed carriage.
blindfolded, bound and carried many
miles from the city to a place, the To-
cation Of which he cannot identify. and
his father made known the details of
a long ride into the country to deposit
q. bag containing $25, 900 in gold in a
place indicated in a letter written
Wednesday to Mr.. Cudahy by the out
laws naming this condition as surety
for the return Of the boy. At 8 o'clock
Wednesday morning a horseman rode
past the Cudahy mansion and threw a
letter into the lawn. A servant noted
the action and securing the letter
found it contained the information that
Eddie Cudahy had been kidnapped, was
safe and was being held for a ransom.
Three hours later Mr.. Cudahy received
through the mails a second commune
cation detailing the conditions under
which the lad
Would BE Surrendered
to his father. Among the conditions
named was one that Mr.. Cudahy
should deposit $4,000 in gold coin on a
lonely road leading up the bank of the
Missouri river. Mr.. Cudahy called into
consultation the chief of police and his
friends and discussed plans looking
to the capture of the gang when they
should make an appearance at the
point of rendezvous named in the let
ter. The great strain on the family,
however, caused Mr.. Cudahy to aban-
don all idea of capturing the men, and
decided to at once comply with all the
demands Of the bandits. In order to
do this absolute secrecy was necessary,
and a trusted messenger was dis
patched to the bank to secure the gold.
Mr.. Cudahy held himself In readiness
and shortly after supper he entered a
light road buggy and after securing
the money started out entirely alone
for the place of meeting the kidnapers.
To identify himself he had attached to
the dashboard, of his buggy a red Ian
tern, which was one Of the conditions
of the letter. Mr.. Cudahy drove north
about five miles from the city where
he found near the road a white lantern
suspended from a short stake driven
in the ground. This signal he
Had. Been watching For,
It being named as the place for leav-
ing the money. The location Of the
lantern was neal the river bank. but
when Mr.. Cudahy arrive nobody was
in sight. He at once alighted. placed
the bag Of gold conveniently near the
stake, and without waiting for devel-.
opments secured the horses reins and
returned to the city without hearing q
sound. That the bandits were near the
spot and at once secured the valuable
package cannot be doubted, for about
4 o'clock yesterday morning the young
boy ran breathlessly up to the door of
his fathers home and rang the bell for
admission.
notwithstanding the entire police
and detective force Of. the city. several
-Pinkertons from Chicago and half a
hundred Of Mr. Cudahy's own men
have been searching diligently for q.
clue looking to the capture Of the out
laws ever since .the>return Of the young
ma nothing has developed to give the
least idea OF the identity Of the men
who perpetrated the crime. Young
tCudahy says there were six OF. the men
but all wore masks whenever in his
presence.
: r.rvns IN 1t1a.