Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-05
ASKS IMMUNITY IN
EXCHANGE FOR BABY
THE Crank" Bartering to Sur
render Coughlin Child if Guar
anteed Freedom.
Nv Associated Press TO Every Evening


Philadelphia, Aug 5-"The Crank,
disclosed as August Pascol, of NewGretna.
n. J., refuses To reveal the whereabouts
of little Blakely Couehlin unless he is
granted immunity in the kidnapping.
He is bartering now to exchange the
child. stolen from his parents home in
Norristown on June 2 for his sfreedom. He
is said 20 have gone SO far as to admit the
fifteen months old baby is hidden in
Atlantic City.
Important developments in the case
are expected following the disclosure
early today that "The Crank's" name is
August Pascol. Of French and Italian
extraction. who recently lived in this
city and since last week in New Gretna.
y. j.
An air OF anticipation surrounds the
home Of George III Coughlin, the missing
child 8 father. on the Plymouth Boulevard,
outside of Norristown.
A woman. long suspected as having
part IN the kidnapping looms mp afresh
today. An acquaintance of Pascols during
the six weeks following the kidnapping
that he occupied a room in house here,
saws he knows paseol had woman friend
The state police and postal agents are
now on her track and believe she has the
child
Pascol is still being grilled by the state
police He was taken to New Gretna after
his capture Monday near Egg Harbor.
This was admitted today by United States
Attorney McAvoy.
Passed. is the right man and he was in
New Gretna after his capture" said the
federal official. Il can say nothing moro
at present
Pascol only recently bought farm at
New Gretna from William Gregory and
drove from this city in motor car last
Thursday to take possession. according
to W III Kelley, railroad agent, at Tuck
erton, n j., near New Gretns.
Pascol took three or four rifles and
quantity of liquor to the New Jersey farm.
when he moved there last Thursday ac-
cording TO Kelley.
He removed the rifles quickly from the
motor car into the farm house and he did
not appear to want any one to see them,
Kelley stated "One of my men who was
helping the Gregorys TO move spied the
rifles, and Pascol motioned him away from
the car He offered him a drink of gin.
which my man said he refused. He un der
stood Pascol took several quarts of whis-
ky and gin to the farm.
eve helped to move Gregory from
his farm, continued Kelley. "and we saw
both the Gregorys and this man. | was
not especially attracted TO him until
Monday, the day he was arrested. I!e
came to the station early in the morning,
long before the train for Philadelphia was
due to leave.
'fHe sat in the waiting room and j
should say he had a good case of nerves.
In his excitement he would drum his
fingers, making loud noise, so loud, in
fact, peered through the wicket at him
several times.
Pascol, the police learned, opened an
account with q Philadelphia bank on
June 81, four days after the father of the
kidnapped child had placed sl2 0CO In
hiding place near his home The mysteri-
Gus letter signed The Crank" had direct
ed that this be done as a preliminary to
the return of the child.
The first deposit was 81, 600 Later
large sums were added. On Monday
morning, before his arrest, Pascol paid
the balance due on his new home in New
Gretna with certified check of the
Philadelphia bank.
Pascol is described by the lodging house
keeper with whom he lived in this city for
six weeks rs being very agreeable.
He came to me early in June, he
said. He was a good looking man and
we'll dressed. There was nothing about
him to excite suspicion. He did not seem
to be bad man, though he got drunk oc-
casionally"