The Saint Paul globe., 1901-02-03
KIDNAPING OF YOUNG CUDAHY
WAS DONE ON PLANs FIVE
YEARS OLD
SO SAYS SALTWATER CONVICT
ADELEE2T LAWTON, SENT UP
FROM WINONA IN 1897
FOR MURDER
he SAYS If IIE IS PARD0NED
He Can Capture the Guilty, Get the
Reward and Save His Aged
Parents and In
Wild Wife.

The Cudahy kidnapping case has come
10 me again after a four weeks Sleep
and this time at the state prison at Stflfs.
water. A convict, by name Ade1bert Law,
ton, told story to a Globe reporter
that may develop into something tangi-
| bic.
LaWton- comes from. Wnona, or. more
properly, from Witoka, which was his
birthplace. He was committed to the
prison III 1897 for manslaugh hter in the
HFSt degree, and now he wants his SEN
tence commuted so that he can show
Ehere the kiGnapers of Edward A. Cud-
any Jr., OF Omaha, are and get a portion
OF the reward. He is satisfied with a por
uon, for he is willing to give the state
one-third of it.
The convict is man of medium height
ana weight, light in complexion and good
looking. He is naturally bright and eau
tous The captain explained what was
wanted, and then Lawton was directly
asked if he knew anything about the
Cudahy case.
HE WANTS THE REWARD.
Yes, do he said, "but 1 do not like
! 10 talk about it. 1t would be very foolish
IN me to tell you all 1 know, when [
could go about it in a much more sys-
tematic manner. l have an attorney. and
there is such a thing as the board of
understand
oner of a reward is a standing Offer
Now L am prisoner and have many
years to serve yet, and you may as well
know first as last that l am looking out
for No. Il
Then considerable sparring followed
with view to convincing the prisoner
that his SUI picions We're unfounded and
that 1T would help him to obtain a COM
mutation of his sentence if he disclosed
what lie knew. An offer was made to
him wherein a statement should be kept
on record Al the prison telling CT any dis
closure he should make and recommend
ing that he receive due credit therefor.
He said:
PLANS MADE FIVE YEARS AGO.
That is all very we'll but there is
plenty of time to consider this matter,
and there is no use blunde.ing about
things. III make you brief statement,
but will not disclose the names. You can
! not do anything then. In a couple of
weeks l shall have the opportunity of
writing to the board of pardons and I
! Will tell enough to show that l mean
business. ses
''As far as this kidnapping is concerned
it will probably surprise you to learn
that it was carried out according 70 plans
made five years ago. I was in Omaha
at that time. 1t was either July 10 or
II that the deal was fixed up. Two men.
one of whom l had known a number Of
years and the other only short time,
made the proposition, and 1 at first
thought it would be a good scheme, but
backed out at the last, thinking the
boy was too young.
I'VE planned to do rhe job just the
way Il was done. We rented the same
house and had letters written out al
ready to-send to Edward A. Cudahy. the
packer. The plan was to get $4,000 in
gold from him and then conceal it for q
year and lay low. We also determined to
have CuG2hy drive out on the Sherman
avenue road with a red light IN his buggy
and stop when he should see a white
light and then deposit the money.
when I read the story of the kid
/ uaping in the papers 1 knew in minute
VINO had ca ried it through and know
2ow where the kidnapers are, and. il
given my liberty, could land them in five
days"
"Where was the house where young
Culahy was kept?" was asked Of the
convict.
How should I know SO 1nu h about
that? The only reason 7 knew that is
the fact that ! have seen a Ticture Of it
in q paper [ can rem mber pace
after having once been the, e / WIS in
| Omaha about tao months. I wa intro
| duce1 to one of my partners in that
town.
TO YOU know Pat Crowc?" was the
next question.
Yes
'4Iow long have you known him and
whore Gid you first meet him.
go, number CT yeIrs. ! cannot re-
member The time. l think it was in
Milwaukee tat I met him first and
! have seen him in Omaha, but you mu t
| not bank too much Gu that. / have
rot said anything about Pat Grove OF
! any one else
81 have an attorney, Senator Fitz-
patrick of Wirona. All pris one;s hive
| an cppol tunitY of commune aGng W. tn
| the board OF pGrdors at the proper tin e.
shall epdcavor to convince the mem
| be~s that ] know something about the
! case l Ia nix that Gov Van Slnt VIII
| believe ne He has known me evar
s!rcc I was a little bay My sentence
was given to ne in 1887. 1 got fifteen
years and four months. I shall ask to
! have my sentence Computcd on tha
/ grounds first. that nv wife, wh3 is liv-
/ ing in Omaha, is in poor heath; second,
that it was not proven in the trial that
/ I killed Milton Cook: and. til I'd that I
can locate the kidnapers-'
''What is your wife's ran-e?' was
| asked.
Mrs. B. Lawton, she gener ally signs
her name"
Arc your parents livng?'
- eS, IN WltOh1, near w II Jllst iiN u
in one or the other place n2arly all the
| time. Their names are AlonZo Lawton
and Give Lawton. Whn I worked in
! town it was at H. Willis"
The prisoner ;ater said that it would
be terrible thing for him If he could
! net have his sentence oonmu.ed. His
Parents Were old and they wee suff II ing
/ agcnies because of his impTi onmcnt and
he wanted to comfort them in taeir old
age. Last Of al. he added tat if his
/ sentence should be commit d, he would
take cut rapers as private Gttectyc. If
his attorney thought it best and locate
| the kiGnarcr5 in that manner.
I.awton was convicted of killing Nil
ton Cook, rear W;ncna. He and the de-
ceased ard Benjamin r. Brown and
! Stephen Earauch won't cut on or Of the
roads L ea6ing from Winora and att mpt-
cd to to;d up a farmer, Ruehnann. by
name, and, in the scuff1e tilatl ersued.
Cook was shot, presumably by the pris-
orer.
n C!,aniIryzne ECLIPSE.
oc11,Ie he ;,,oDort- II, 1C0o Sc