The Washington times., 1920-11-14
Mrs. George H. Coughlin,
Baby Blakely's Mother.
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II kidnapping was the real purpose Of his
midnight errand he would have realized
that his only booty was the child, and that
the safety Of the little one was Of prime
importance for the subsequent develop
ment OF his scheme of ransom.
II 1t was as q kidnaper that the man
entered the house and left the house with
q live child in his hands he would have
followed the plans he had already mapped
out and gone to the place where he meant
to keep the child in hiding. He would not
have wandered aimlessly on side road
and then travelled on to the river bank
and sat there until daylight, holding the
dead body in his lap, as he claims.
Furthermore, the police declare that 1t
Is not credible that a kidnapper would have
arrived on the scene with no blanket, bag
or receptacle to conceal the child in. Ac-
cording to Pasquales confession, 1t was
by accident that he came across the old
overcoat belonging to one Of the workmen
in the house nearby, where he found the
ladder, and which he used to cover the little
one. It is true that Pasquale had with him
that night yellow imitation leather grip,
enough to hold the child. What has be-
come Of that yellow grip is a mystery
which PasQuale refuses to explain.
That the man did have the overcoat and
had a babysin It on the night of the kid
naping seems somewhat substantiated by
the statement OF a woman who lives near
the city line, who declares that she saw
man who carried a baby wrapped in a
coat pass her house, 1t was beautiful
moonlight night
II the police theory Is correct Pasquale
crept into the Coughlin house bent upon
burglary alone. Surprised and discon-
certed by the cry of the little one he
seized 1t and strangled 1t. Making his es-
cape before the parents .of the little one
In the next room could intercept him, he
took the infant along with him, perhaps
not knowing at that instant whether the
child was really dead or merely tempo
rarily stified into quietude. Having safe
ly gotten away from the premises he found
that the child was really dead. He had
bungled the job. He had secured no valu-
ables and the child was dead.
Pasquale sat down in the darkness and
thought the situation over, and as dawn
approached concluded that perhaps he
could salvage something out Of the situa-
tion after all. He would dispose of the
remains. OF the little one, destroy its
clothes and try to wiring a ransom from
the distracted parents, who would not
know that the little one no longer lived.
This is the theory OF some Of the detec-
tives. They believe that Pasquale's cir
cumstantial story about the stepladder
and the vision of mother and child and the
plans to return and kidnap the little one
and the accidental smothering Of the boy,
as given In his last confession, are all
fiction. They are convinced that little
Blakely was strangled in his own crib to
stiie his cries because he had alarmed
the prowler intent on burglary only.
: But Mrs. Coughlin does not accept this
analysis. She thinks that her child was
stolen In a deliberate and perhaps ex-
tremely well planned KIDNAPPING plot She
agrees with the police that the story of
the accidental stranglng in the overcoat is
highly unlikely and she refuses to believe
It.
Is little Blakely alive after all?
Perhaps Pasquale is much more clever
scoundrel than has been supposed. When
he planned his second scheme for getting
his hands on the ransom money without
risking being caught he worked out the de-
tails very cleverly. Mr. Coughlin was in
structed to get on fast express train and
ride along, keeping his eyes fixed on the
countryside until he should see a figure
waving q white sheet. At that moment
and at that point Mr. Coughlin was to
throw out Of the window of the rushing
train the package with the money. well
conceived plan and almost too intelligent
for q crazy man. And he would have es.
capped again had not the Pennsylvania po-
Nee sprung surprise which he could