Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-08-05
BELIEVES PRISONER
IS CHILD K|DNAPPER
Crafty Officials Nab 9Th e
Crank" Who Probably Wrote
the Letters Asking $4,000
Ransom for COugi1lin Child

Philadelphia, Aug. 4.-Postal inspectors
announced to-day that II search Of the
house where "'The Crank" under arrest
in connection with the kidnapping o: The
thirteen months old ron of Mr.. and Mrs
George II. 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 baby or connect "The Crank" with
the actual kidnapping, George A. Leonard.
chief postal inspector, said ne was not at
liberty to reveal. The inspector added that
the man under arrest, who the Pennsyl-
vania State police and the postal au-
thoritics say they believe is the man
wanted. is we'll to do and prominent in
t,s community whcrs he said ne lived.
1t was reported tonight tha: he was a
resident OF New Gretna, n. j., where he
recently purchased house and an auto
mobile. HLy name is said 10 indicate tnat
"a was foreign born.
CHILD MAY BE IN +rfILGjo.r .r:PHlA
Lconarh declared Re believes the cr.ld
Is in charge Of persons N =, iladelyhis-
who do not know it is the kidnapped baby.
-csil a,thortiec complete their exarni-
nation % the prisoner and if.ve5t.gate the
s,Sry he tel!s. hi, name will not be made
public nor with the piace whsre lac s being
neid be revealed. He was arrested II; Esg &
FTafho-. ". j., Monday and is believed to
be under detention in scIth jersey
town
To the ;;ublic the prisoner IL kno IN as
"Ths Crank" because he Is suspected II
being the man who wrote l.ttcrs signed
The Crank 20 Coughlm demanding sl2.
600 fer the return of the child.
| Postal Inspector Leonard confirmed the
d,nmatic story oe the methods used in
trapping and capturing the man suspected
| Of beilg the kidnapper. According to
Leonard, tho Coughlins recently received
moro letters demanding 1000 for the re-
turn of the child. Correspondence with
the writer was carried on through news
| paper advertisements and it was ar
ranged that Coughlin should drop the
money in n box from "a railroad train be-
| tween Camden and Atlantic City. when
| he saw white sheet flying from tree
| 10 PLAIN CLOTHESMEN USED
The Pennsylvania State police and
the postal authorities co-operated. One
hundred and ten policemen in civilian
clothes covered the railroad from Cam
den to Atlantic City, a distance OF SO
miles. The distance was divided into
| sections and each section numbered
Coughlin was given map showing
! the sections and was instructed tc
display from the car window the mum.
ber of the section when he threw ou'
the box. He boarded the train, saw
the white sheet a short distance from
Egg Harbo-, threw out the box ant
displayed the figures IS which were
seen by State policemen along the
railroad
They Immediately went to that section
A man was observed coming from tn
woods pick up something from the track
and disappear. He was traced through tn
timber and captured in Egg Harboi
Bloodhounds were put on the trail t
prove the man was the right one and the
carried the scent to the spot where he wa
captured. State policemen. who travele
on n special train preceding the regula
train also figured in the capture.
The prisoner, Chief Leonard said. ha
more than 800 in his clothes. He
described as man Of good education.