The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-05
FIND No TRACE OF
 BLAkELY COUGHL|N
Man Held for Kidnapping Is Prominent, But Identity
 Is Withheld
By Associated Press


 Philadelphia. August 4s--Postal inspec- tors announced today that a search of the house where "the crank under ar- rest in connection with the kidnaping of the thirteen-months-ol son of Mir. and Mrs George H. Coughlin of Norristown, Pa, said he resided revealed no trace of the missing child What else was found in the place that might lead to the recovery of the boy or connect The Crank with the actual ki6napins George A. Leonard, chief postal inspec- tor. said he was not at liberty to re- veal. The inspector added that the maa under arrest. who tho. Pennsyl- vanis state polioe and the postal author ities say they believe is the man wanted. is well-to-do and prominent in the com munity where he said he lived. Leon ard declared he believes the child is in charge Of persons in Philadelphia. who do not know it is the Kidnapped baby. Until the authorities complete their eI- animation of the prisoner and investl- gating the story, his name will not be made public and the place where he is being held will not be revealed. He was arrested in Egg Harbor N. J., Monday and is believed to be under detention in south Jersey town.
 TO the public the person is known as "The Crank because he is suspected of being the man who wrote letters signed The Crank to Coughlin de- manding sl20o0 for the return of the child coughlin placed the money where the baby was taken from it's crib on the second floor of the Coughln home by means of ladder.
 The money disappeared without any clue to the child being revealed,
 CONFIRM STORY OF CAPTURE
 Postal Inspector Leonard confirmed the dramatic story of the methods used in trapping and capturing the man su- spected = being the kidnaper Ac- cording to Leonard. the Coughlins re- gently received more letters demanding SIG. 900 for the return of the child. correspondence with the writer was carried on through newspaper adVer- tisements and it was arranged that Coughlin should drop the money in box from railroad train between Camden and Atlantic City when he saw a white sheet flying from tree
 The Pennsylvania state police and the postal authorities cooperated. One hundred and ten policemen in civilian clothes covered the railroad from Camden to Atlantic City, distance of fifty-six miles. The distance was divided into sections and each section numbered Coughlin was given map showing the sections and was in- structed to display from the car win dow the number of the section when he threw out the box. He boarded the train. saw the white sheet a short dis tance from Egg Harbor threw out the box and displayed ths figures thirteen, which were seen by state policemen along the railroad. They immediately went, to the section. A man was ob- served to come from the woods. pick up something from the tracks and disap- near. He was traced through the tim Der and captured in Egg Harbor. Bloodhounds were put on the tran to prove the man was the right one and they carried the scent to the spot where he was captured. state policemen, whc travelled on a special train preceding the regular train, also figured In the capture.
 The prisoner. Leonard said, had nor: than s100 on his person.