The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1920-08-13
k|ONApER HELD
WITHOUT BAIL
1.-THE Crank" Given Hearing and
Committed to Jail.
FEAR THE CHILD is DEAD
State Police Virtually Abandon Hope
of Finding BIakeIy coughIin Alive
kidnaper Sticks to Lies.

Philadelphia, Aug. 13.-AugustC
Pasquale, The Crank" was taken tc
NorristoWn and given a hearing be
fore Magistrate O. f. Lenhart, on the
charge of kidnapping Blakely Cough
lin, accessory after the fact and ex
tortion. He was committed to iai
without bail
The commitment of PasqUale vii
not mean that the state police have
abandoned their efforts to solve the
Coughlin mystery. which since June :
has excited nationwide interest.
In the meantime, THE Crank" will
also be held on suspicion of murder
while the police exert all their efforts
to find the body of the missing bow
All hope that the child is alive has
been abandoned.
For almost two weeks THE Crank
has lied and Squirmed and used every
effort 10 get out of the responsibility
for the haby'S disappearance. Police
point to several things as being def
mite proof that the baby is no longer
alive.
First of all, they say that if the
baby had been alive when "The
Crank" secured the $4,000 ransom
placed under the trolley station at
Swedeland by George H. Coughln, the
father, he in all probability would
have returned it to its parents.
Then again they point to the fact
that at no time was The Crank" able
to send a photograph of the baby to
the parents to prove that he had
Blakely in his possession. When Mr.
Coughlin threw a camera off a Bal
timore & Ohio train by prearrange-
ment with "The Crank" no picture
was ever sent
At that time THE Crank had de-
handed that $4,000 be thrown from
the train in return for the baby. Mr..
Coughlin wasn't sure THE Crank" had
the baby, and threw off a camera in
stead, and a note asking for a photo
graph of his child. The Crank" re-
fused to send the photograph and dou-
bled his ransom demands. Ever since
his capture he has lied in every state
ment he made.
Wednesday he was given his last
chance to recover the baby and prove
his alibi that a man named "Joe" and
woman were the actual kidnapers,
and that his only part in the affair
was to write the ransom letters. He
was taken to Egg Harbor and allowed
personally to direct a search by state
police and local deputies for Joe"
and his wife. The quest was fruit
less. Late Wednesday night he was
brought back to Philadelphia, and
then taken away in an automobile.
In all local police annals there is
no record of a criminal with such
'stubbornness and determination.
Every trick known, every aftifce of
the third degree" has failed to move
him in the slightest. His story has
been proved tissue of falsehoods.
It is thought. however, that when
he once gets inside of a Jail and real
ICES that the jig is up, he will con-
fess. On this slim thread the police
are tying their hopes of a solution
of the mystery.
In the meantime other agencies
than the police are trying to solve it.
Benjamin F. Goodman, Pasquales at
torney, to whom he told the story of
the mysterious Joe" said he is still
trying to locate this elusive person.
Goodman received a letter which may
have an important bearing on the case
and which is being investigated by
the police.
The letter was signed 81. Fl. NJ"
and told Goodman that if he wanted
to find out something of value he
should look for the man and woman
who registered at Beamer's Hotel,
Trappe, Pa, on the day after the
ransom money was taken from the
Swedeland station.
Trappe is a little borough about
Rine miles from Norristown in Mont
gomery county. Goodman turned
the letter over to Detective Captain
Souder, and he in turn passed it over
TO Major Adams, head of the state
police.