Omaha daily bee., 1905-10-08


lowing carefully the Instructions contained
in the note, but there was never a minute
when 1 doubted that would find the signal
just as 1t was described and that tNe money
would reach the men for whom it was in
tended.
81 guess l had driven about five miles
when 1 caught sight of the lantern. The
spot was a lonely one in the midst of a
wood about mile in extent, and about
two-thirds of the way up a hill The
lantern was right at the edge of the road;
just a plain commonplace lantern such as
8 brakeman carries, and it was swung on
a stick planted upright in the ground.
There were some black and white ribbons
tied on to the stick as 1t had been stated
in the note there would be. 1 alighted
from the wagon, took the bag of gold
from the place under the seat and left it
there close to the stick in plain view, as
there was no grass or at least none tall
enough TO reach to the top of the sack.
didn't stay there a minute, but turned the
team around at once and drove away.
| Confident Outlaws Would Keep Faith.
There was only the bicycle and a soli-
| tary farmer driving team in sight during
| the trip out to the lantern and back home.
| The rider, 1 said before, I saw on the
way out The farmer was passed when
| was returning home. He was jogging
! along paying no attention to anyone, and
for that reason paid little attention to
| him. 1t would be hard to tell what I was
| thinking about during the drive back. any
more than to say that my thoughts, natur-
! ALLY, were on my sons return. wondered
how long the abductors would be in bring
1 la1
doubt that they would use all possible
dispatch because they obviously wouldn't
want him with them any longer than they
had to have him after the receipt of the
ransom. Then, too, another circumstance
that treasured me was that had placed
! note in the sack with the gold, containing
the instructions to send my son back that
night.
IT don't recall the words of the note,
but the message was to the effect that
had promptly complied with their demands
in regard to producing the money asked
Of me and that 1 expected them to comply
as promptly to my request to bring back
my son that night. I felt that they would
do this The request was placed with the
note written to me-the one which they
asked to be returned. They were both In
the sack. didn't stay up after returned
home, because l. felt pretty sure that Eddie
would be home very soon. Consequently We
were expecting him when he walked into
the house early in the morning"
COmmend's Bees Enterprise.
Mr.. Cudahy was not averse to telling the
details OF the drive and he joked over the
persistency Of the reporters who had Wis
tied him during the day. many of them
being special correspondents of eastern
newspapers He said The Bee had pub
llshed nothing but the facts in connection
with the case ever since the discovery that
young Cudahy was missing. The story
printed in the noon extra, the second day,
giving exclusive details regarding the pay
ment of the ransom was correct in the
main, being in error only few incidentials.
'As far as the story in the main is con-
cerned," said Mr.. Cudahy, lit Is absolutely
correct and The Bee showed cOmendable
enterprise"
What the Boy Told.
Eddie Cudahy told the story Of his alb
duction to a reporter for The Bee the morn
ing OF the day that he was returned, De-
cember 20. Later the published interview
was confirmed in a typewriter statement
by NJ. L. Sears and indirectly by Mr..
Cudahy himself. when he commended The
Bee for telling Jnly the truth concerning
the whole AFFAIR. Eddie Cudahy was re-
ported follows:
1T happened while I was on my way
home from Captain Rustin's. 1t was abou;
o'clock, should Judge, and very dark.
Just as I got in front OF General Gown $
residence-Ss2 South Thirty-seventh street
two doors from home, two men sprang IN
front Of me and thrust pistols in my face.
don't know where they came from.
didn't see them until they stood within
three feet Of me and had me covered with
their revoIvers One OF them said:
4 am the sheriff OF Sarpy county, and !
want you You are Eddie MCGEE. and you
, have stolen 500 from your aunt. Come
with US. Don't make any outcry, foe II
won't do any good
We'll. l supposed It was simply a case OF
mistaken Identity. and that all would ne
cleared up In few minutes, so / went with
them without a struggle.
AT the corner OF Thirty -seventh and
Jackson streets they loaded me into an
open buggy that was standing there then
climbed in themselves and made me sit be-
tween them on their knees. We drove away
very leisurely southwark on Thlrty-seventh
street.
''All this time was talking to them. try
ing TO convince them that they had the
wrong person. that my name wasn't Eddie
MCGEE and that / had not stolen 500 from
my aunt, but they paid no attention TO me
When they deigned TO make any reply al
all they merely grunted- II didn't occur &C
| me 20 study their faces closely. a fact
p which soon had occasion to regret, bui