Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-17
ALI COUCHL|N CASH
PAID FOR RANSOM
Norristown Man Borrow d
$4,000 to Make Up Sum De-
manded by the Crank
POLICE SEARCHING AGAIN

R George II. Coughlin, father OF the
abducted Norristown baby exhausted
all his own funds, It was stated today,
In paying n S12, 1000 "ransom."
The man posing as the kidnapper. de-
manded that the money be placed in the
rear Of the little trolley waiting room
land. The claimant, styling himself
"The Crank" promised to return the
baby, Blakely, thirteen months old, soon
after the ransom was paid.
The $4,000. in "passable" demon
nations. and inclosed in a canvas bag.
was placed back Of the waiting room at
II 80 o'clock Monday night by the
hopeful father. He was accompanied
by Major Charles T. Larzelere. his
friend and counsel. Both were un-
armed.
At daybreak Tuesday Mr.. Coughlin
went out to the cache" and found the
money gone. All that day he waited
for the return of the baby. who was
stolen two weeks ago yesterday.
Mr.. Coughlin. il was said today at
Norristown, had $4,000 of his own
money as a ransom for his child. Friends
had pledged a total Of 500, 900 and ready
cash was kept in Norristown bank to
meet a demand from the abductor.
Is Not a Wealthy Man
The father. it is said. used $4,000 Of
borrowed money to meet the demand.
Friends of the Coughlins say the baby 5
father is not wealthy man.
The Coughlins' town house in Nor
ristown is said to be owned by the
missing baby's grandfather. The coun-
try home on the Sandy Hill road, it is
said, is owned by Mrs. Coughlin,
mother of the abducted child.
Major Larzelere, Coughlin's attor-
ney. commenting on the ransom which,
II Is now believed, was obtained by a
swindler. said he had not advised Mr..
Coughlin to pay the ransom. He said
he informed the father he would aid
him in every way possible. but that Mr..
Coughlin himself must make the deci-
sion on the payment.
The babys father. Major Larzelere
continued. was influenced by the case of
Charlie Ross. Of Germantown. and OF
the Whitla baby, stolen several years
ago from Sharon. Pa. In the famous
Ross case the ransom was never paid
and the child was never found. In the
Whitla case the money demanded was
paid to the abductor and the child was
returned.
Of5cials searching for The Crank
Who hoaxed the Coughlins into paying
q ransom were augmented today by
postofiice inspectors. The ransom de-
mand was made In letters.
Police, state troopers and private de
tectives also are running out clues t
the identity of The Crank.
Six Letters Received
Monday morning following the re
eeipt of the sixth and last letter from
'Hhe Crank said Mr.. Coughlin today
1--WE decided that we would deal wit
him. His final letter said positively tina
he would not furnish the proofs 70
which we had asked. He said that h
vas through with furnishing informa
tion and that unless we accepted hi
terms. we would hear no more from him
"When IL reached that point we fel
that we could never forgive ourselves
II we let the chance to get our bah,
back slip by, so we put the notice IL
the newspapers that we were ready t.
deal with the kidnapPrs. That state
ment was published in the afternoon
papers on Monday.
eat 10 30 O'Clock that night hs
called me on the telephone and iden
tilted himself as The Crank" 1t wa
the same voice which had called me
few nights before. He explained tina
he had seen the notice in the papers
and directed me to place the money a
the spot he had designated before, b.
- o'clock that night. | asked him /
he had any objection If | brought some
one with me. not police officer, an
he said mo- assured him that
would not inform the police.
Crank" Arranged Details
hn Hah
10 be returned, and he said that W
would receive him before 3 o'clock mex
day TUESDAY in a taxicab. l didn'
think much Of the plan then, and
think less Of it now.
Accompanied by this friend. too
an automobile and went TO the spc
which he had selected. II was a yer
fine place not one which | would haV
picked myself, but admirably suited fo
the purpose.
I'VE placed the money there and left
"The place was covered Tuesda
morning and the money was gone. W
waited expectantly all Tuesday morn
ing and afternoon. BY nightfall tn
strain had become intense. But We eve
waited until Wednesday noon to Civ
The Crank nearly twenty four hour
on his own proposition before we agai
called the police into the case.
The outstanding new theory Ad
vanced since the swindling is that "th
crank" was the actual kidnaper Of in
baby, but that the child had died sine
the deed was committed,
In the first demand for ransom "th
crank" asked that the money be mad
up OF FIVE. ten and twenty dollar bills
He made no demands as to the nature 0
the second ransom.
Mr. COuRhlin and Major IarZeler
made one last attempt to get snothe
communication yesterday. They Wis
tied the postofice early in the hop
that the supposed child stealer woul
send his final communication. but ther
uas nothing there Then came the de