Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-24
Police Believe Poison Actual
Cause of Death Chicago Mil
lionaire's Son-Do Not Be-.
lieve Boy Abducted for Ran
som Alone-Seek Owner Of
Pair Spectacles and Grey
Auto Seen Near School Day,
Youth Disappeared

Chicago, May ga few meagre
clues. including a grey automobiis
and pair Of spectacles of peculiar
make, and theories OF kidnapping and
ransom were all the police had to
guide them tonight In their search
for the brutal slayers of Robert
Franks, 10 year old son of a Chicago
millionaire. whose nude body was
found in swamp yesterday while the
father waited to pay $4,000 ram
sem.
Even the cause Of death was not
determined tonight and after twenty
four hours of investigation the police
admitted the crime one Of the strang-
est and most battling in tibet city's
| history. .>4, III
The place where the youth died had
not been ascertained but the police
believe. it was far from the isolated
swamp where his, body WAS found
stuffed into a culvert. Coroner's as
sistants believed poison was the ac-
tual cause of death ard awaited the
results Of chemical analysis tonight
to definitely determine their theory.
! They said the blows on the head
| which the boy suffered had not frac-
tured the skull.
kidnapping for ransom or some un-
explained motive alternated in the
minds Of the police who are disfn-
clined to believe that the boy had
| been abducted for ransom alone after
doctors expressed the belief that he
| had<been killed within four hours az
te, he disappeared Wednesday after
neon while on his way from a private
school to his home, three blocks dis
tant. One instructor of the fashions
able private school attended by the
| bow was under surveillance tonlgns
| and two others including the prln-
cipal. were questioned during the DAY.
A grew car which ioitered near the
| school Wednesday and in which ne ~
| believed to have been carried away
| has not been found. The PAIR o.
srectac,es found near thu body ana
NJ first believed the property OF the
how. presented peculiar angle. Tney
are horn trimmed, narrow OF Wioln;
r,ade for a person OF narrow neao
hut large nose and for one near
sirbted. the police decided. Ffndins
Of the owner of the spectacles win go
far toward solving the mystery ""@
| thorities believe. "a
The construction of a special oss
livery letter, received at the Franz ,srs
. home Yesterday morning. few nouls s
i, after q telephone call had inlo',e =
fhe family the boy was kidnappen ane
/ at about the same time the poay wns
so,,nd offered one Of the more IAN
l n;hIe c,ues. The writer has not peer,
/ traced hut the letter was one suci, as
Veil educated person would con-
nose and was written on smaii ~ 9,
I pyit Of the folding type; accorai,ns
w y typewriter expert: me EN- dnls ran :
demanding payment of Sloooo re, ltn
sor, was followed a few hours l t,et
bv a telephone call to the eiIect e .n.s
nS taxicab was being sent TO carry ar y
Mr. franks to. the kldnappers. a,e
f s,ti Jacob Franks, wealthy wa ts n
manufactures. was waiting WIN tne
money but refused to ACCOMPANY Tn, ~
tayi driver when the latter SAID ne
Aid not know where to go with MS
fare. ~. A. &o,, had
icontinued on Page 3-Col. ~