The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-24

aids, who insisted that some form of poison had caused death.
 Robert Franks, a freshman. at the private school where sons of the rich are students, left the institution short ly after o'clock after umpiring baseball game, Richard P. Williams, the athletis director, said. He started toward his home and passed a grey car standing at the curb half block away, Irving Hartman, Il, said. !. The Hartman boy said when he glanced in Roberts direction a moment later the automobile was moving away, but the boy was not in sight.
 Made Search
 Instructor Williams said he first went home and later with a pupil called, at the Franks home. About o'clock with the boys father and friend, Will Hams said, they went to the school and made a seafch.
 At 10 80 o'clock Wednesday night man who said his name was Johnson telephoned that the boy was being held for ransom and that further instruc- tions would be received. These arrived yesterday morning by special delivery letter almost at the hour the nude body of the boy was found by a workman on his way to work.
 The letter demanded a $10,000 ran som and ordered that the money be of old bills of $50 and $20 denominations.
 The letter said further instructions would be received.
 'You need fear no physical harm for him provided you live up carefully to the following instructions and such others as you may receive by future communications" the missive said making threats of death for the boy if instructions were not followed. After Boy Was Dead This letter, the authorities now be- lieve, was written after the boy was dead. The authorities today also found similarities in the letter and one of similar nature in a story in a recent magazine. The father went to the bank and withdrew the money as directed, placing it in a cigar box which he sealed. Then he waited further instruc- tions.
 These came late in the day in the form of another phone call from the man, Johnson" who instructed the father to take the money to a drug store at the corner of Sixty-third street and another street whose name Mr. Franks did not catch. The voice over the phone said a taxi would call for him. Shortly thereafter the car arrived but the driver said he had been in- structed by telephone to go, to the Franks home and did not know where he was to take his fare.
 Instructors Questioned
 Meantime, although some investiga- tors previously had thought the letter and phone calls were only intended to ceived at Sixty-third street drug store, the caller asking for Mir. Franks and proving that he knew him accurately, describing him to drug store employees. A short time after this, relatives identified the body of the boy found in the swamp as that of Robert. The boys yesterday and today. None was able to throw much light on the case, ac- cording to the police.
 Robert, described by his instructors as brilliant boy, was slight for his age. As result, they said, he took little active part in athletics, but always was interested in them and often was called to umpire a ball game or to officiate in other sports.
 The school which the boy attended was closed today, due in part to the fact that so many of the instructors were being questioned. Roberts com panions came as usual most of them in limousines and in charge of the fam fly chauffeur, only to return to their homes.
 A note addressed to the police and bearing the initials of Robert Franks asking the police to rescue him quickly was found tonight about block from where the body was discovered, but it is believed by the police to have been placed there after the body was found by some one who read of the case.
 Dear officers the note read, find me quick. Am in danger. Find me quick"
 A new theory was injected into the case tonight when oculists who ex- amined the spectacles which form such an important piece of evidence declared they probably were owned by a Wom- an. They said they were led to this belief by the short shafts and by the fact that the spectacles were narrow but a rather wide saddle. No woman had been mentioned in the case.