Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-10
CRANK" CHARGES
MAN AND W|FEHAVE.
COUGHL|N BABY
l.
Police Hot on Trail of ''Joe, "
Alleged Pal of Man
Arrested.

PHILADELPHIA. August 10.-De-
tectives today were searching for
Joseph Damachuck and his wife,
quale, 1.-THE Crank" as the kidnapers
of Blakely Coughlin. In his alleged
confession Pasquale is reported to
have said that a man named Joe"
and his wife were the abductors.
Benjamin F. Goodman, Pasquale's at
torney, declares he has identified
Joe" as Damachuck and that the
police are hot on his trail"
Despite PaSQuale'S denial that he
had anything to do with the kid
naping. some authorities working on
the case express the opinion that he
was the actual abductor. He is said
to have admitted he has a wife and
daughter. but has not seen them
prison several years ago. They also
are being sought by the police. A
deputy warden of the Trenton prison
yesterday identified Pasquale as a
prisoner who escaped from that in
stitution in 1916.
Still Says Babe Is Alive.
Continued questioning has failed
ton from Pasquale since he made
his alleged confession last week. He
still maintains the missing child is
alive. notwithstanding that in some
of the letters written by THE Crank"
to George H. Coughlin, the father.
him unless his demands for ransom
were met. The prisoner, according
to Maj. Lynn G. Adams, head of the
Pennsylvania state police, admits
making the threats. but said it was
done for effect" Major Adams de-
VT
of Pasquale's confession was true. He
added that he expected results within
a week.
In one of his letters 1.-The Crank"
said he had kidnapped boy two years
ago. adding:
.They didn't come across and the
kids in a hole in the ground now.
and yours is going in alongside of
him if you don't come across"
ChiId's Father Meets Demand.
Shortly after this letter was re-
ceived Mr. Coughlin placed $4,000
under a trolley station outside of
Norristown in response to 'The
Crank's" demands. The money dis
appeared. but nothing has been heard
of the child's whereabouts. Pasquale
Is said by the authorities to have ad-
mitted he got one-third of the money,
the remainder going to his pals, Joe"
and his wife.
MAI. Lynn q. Adams, head or the
Pennsylvania state police, declared
last night he is confident the child
will be recovered within a week.
More than 100 of his men, in addition
to the local police and postal inspec-
tors. are engaged in Investigating all
possible clues.
The parents continue to receive let
tiers demanding ransom for the return
of the child, some of them signed
1.-THE Crank" but the police and post
al authorities believe they are from
persons who know nothing of the
baby's whereabouts. A comparison of
these letters with those admitted to
have been sent by Pasquale show that
the original crank" letters had a dis
tinctive phraseology and other char
acteristics which are missing from the
letters received since the capture of
PasQuale.
Youngstown Omcers Watchful.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, August TO-
On information received last night
that Baby Coughlin might be brough,
in this direction, police and sheriff s
posse guarded roads into Youngs-
town and through Mahoning county
Police here were notified by Beaver
Falls, Pa, police that farmers near
Darlington. Pa, reported that a man
and woman, with baby said to
answer the kidnapped child's descrip-
ton, passed through Darlington in
an automobile. Suspicion was aroused
by the nervousness of the man and
woman when persons approached the
car.