The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-03
KIDNAPING OF YOUNG cUDAHY
WAS DcNE On PLANS FIVE
YEARS OLD
so SAYS SALTWATER CONVICT
LAWTON, SENT UP
FROM WINONA IN 1897
FOR MURDER
he SAYS If lie IS PARDoNED
He Can Capture the Guilty, Get the
Reward and Save His Aged
Parents and In
v=-id Wife.

The Cudahy kidnapping case has come
to life again after a four weeks sleep.<
and this time at the state prison at Stilf-s
water A convict, by name AdeIbert Law
ton, told d story to a Globe reporter~
that may develop into something tangi-
Bile.
Lawton- comes from. W:nona, or, more
properly, from Witoka, which was his
birthplace. He was committed to the
prison in 1897 for manslaughter in the
hrst degree, and now he wants his SEN
tence commuted so that he can show
where the kidnapers 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.
Inc convict is a man of medium height
and weight, light in complexion and good
looking. He is naturally bright and eau
tious. 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, I do" he said, ''but I do not like
to talk about it. 1t would be very foolish
in me to tell you all 1 know, when I
could go about it in a much more sys-
tematic manner. 1 have an attorney and
there is such a thing as the board Of
pardons, and, as 1 understand it. the
offer of a reward is standing offer
Now L am a prisoner and have many
years to serve yet, and you may as we'll
know first as last that 1 am looking out
for No l."
Then considerable sparring followed
with view to convincing the prisoner
that his suzpicions We're unfounded, and
that it would help him to obtain COM
mutation of his sentence If he disclosed
Eo off
him wherein a statement should be kept
on record at the prison telling Of 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 well, but there is
plenty of time to consider this matter,
and there is no use blundeying about
things. III make you a brief statement,
but will not disclose the names. You can
not do anything then. In a couple Of
weeks shall have the opportunity of
writing to the board of pardons, and I
will tell enough to show that l mean
business. t-sss,
"As far as this kidnapping is concerned
it will probably surprise you to learn
that it was carried out according TO plans
made five years ago. I was in Omaha
at that time. 1t was either July 10 or
II that the deai was fixed up. Two men.
one of whom 1 had known a number Of
years and the other only a 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 ME job just the
way It 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
geld from him and then conceal it for a
year and lay low. We also determined to
have CuG3hy drive out on the Sherman
avenue read with a red light IN his buggy
and stop when he should see a white
light and then deposit the money.
when read the story Of the kid
uaping in the papers / knew in n minute
Nflo had ca, ried it through, and know
aow where the kidnapeTs are, and. If
given my liberty, could land them in five
days"
'NYhere was the ilouse whera young
Cu:!ahy was kept?" was asked of the
convict.
How should I know SO rnu h about
that? The only reason ] knew that is
the fact that l have seen a rioture Of it
in paper. [ can remember pace
after having once been thee l WIS in
/ Omaha about tao months. I was intro
ducea to one of my partners in that
town.
70 you know Pat crowc?" was the
next question.
Yes"
glow long have you known him and
| whore cid you first meet him?
80, n number OF yelrs. ! cannot re-
member the time. l think it was in
Milwaukee tat 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"
':f have an attorney, Senator Titz-
patrick, of Win0na All pris one;s have
| an cppol tunity of communiCa aGng with
| the board OF pGrdons at the proper tin e.
| I shall endeavor to convince the mem
! be~s that ! know something about the
case. I think that Gov. Van Slnt VIII
| believe re. lie has known me ever
since / was little boy. My sentence
was given to me in 1897. l got fifteen
years and four months I shall ask to
4 have nv sentence coInputod on the
/ grounds first, that my wife, whY is Nv
ing in Omaha, is in poor heath; secend,
that it was not proven in tha trial that
I killed Milton Cook. and. til rd that
can locate the kidnaDers-
What is your wife's rane?' was
asked.
Mrs y. Lawton. she generally signs
her name"
"Arc your parents livJng?'
Yes, in WItOka, near w .n0na. iiV
in one or the other place nearly all the
time Their names are AlonZo Lawton
and Olive Lawton. Win I worked in
| town it was at II. Wills"
The prisoner ;ater said that it would
| be a terrible thing for lin If he could
net have his sentence oommu.ed. His
Parent were old and they weie suff 1ling
/ agcnies because of his impri 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 papers as a private Gt tectvc If
/ his attorney thought it best and locate
| the ki6narer5 in that manner.
Iawton was convicted of killing MI
ten Cook, rear W:ncna. He and the de-
ceased ard Benjamin r. Brown and
! Stephen Eearauch went cut on or Of the
roads l. a6ing from Winora and att mpt-
cd to to;d up farmer. Fuehnann by
nare and, in the scuff1e that ersued.
Cook was shot presumably by the pris-