The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-05-23
RICH BOY SLAIN
BY KNIDNAPERS
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block ahead Of him. A big automo-
bile was parked at the curb some
distance from Robert. Hartman
said ne stopped to look at a bed of
tulips. When he looked up again,
about fifteen seconds later, he said
Robert had vanished and the auto.
mobile was speeding away.
Two instructors at the Harvard
school were questioned for sew
eral hours this morning. They were
turned loose, but O'Grady said he
would take them into custody again
later for further examination.
Disappeared Wednesday
Robert disappeared from the school
grounds Wednesday evening. Late
that night, while the father and
friends were making a frantic search
for him, Mrs. Franks received a
he was Mr.. johnson" The man
said the boy had been kidnapped AMI
that he would let her know the fol
lowing day the price of his release.
I'VE are kidnappers and we mean
business" the caller said. IF you
refuse us what we want or try to
report us to the police we will kill
the boy"
Franks, fearing the kidnappers
would carry out their threat if he
talked to police. consulted some
friends and they called a secret con
ference Of police officials.
At $50 a. m. yesterday a special
delivery letter arrived. 1t demanded
$4,000 ransom, the money to be in
bills. The letter called for $4,000 in
$40 bills and the balance in $50
bills.
The letter gave directions on how
the money should be tied up and
ordered Franks TO remain at home
until l p. m, when he could ex-
pect a telephone call Franks OBJ
tanned the money from the bank and
had it ready.
FOrgets Address
At 3 o'clock, a call came and the
caller said he was the Mr.. John.
SON"
Mr.. Johnson" said he was send
ing a taxicab for Franks and told
him where to bring the money. The
cab arrived and Franks got in. But
on the way TO the designated place
he forgot the address Of the drug
store mentioned by the caller. After
a vain hunt, in the hope of striking
accidentally the rendezvous, Franks
returned home.
Earlier in the day. unknown 70
him. the nude body of the boy was
damned in a railroad culvert pipe on
the southern edge of the city. \
pair of spectacles was near by. Later
a stocking. identified as that Of the
boy. was found floating in a swamp.
Poison Found in Room
O'Grady and his squad took r. P.
williams Of Lebanon. Ohio, instruc-
tor in athletics at the Harvard
school. and Mott Mitchell, Instructor
in English. to police headquarters
and later released them.
In Williams room O'Grady said
he found four bottles OF liquid poi
son. Williams said he used tina poi
son in experimental work.
O'Grady said he believed Robert
recognized his kidnapers and was
killed to avoid their detection.
All the instructors, including
williams and Mitchell. were held in
the school pending questioning by
police.
Williams and Mitchell. over the
telephone, told the United Press they
were absolutely innoceEt Of any
connection with the crime. VIII
nams said that the four bottles taken
from his room did not contain
poison.
''Ope bottle contained tincture of
iodine which I use for rubbing out
sore muscles and the others contain
lotions Of various kinds" Williams
said. During the time the boy is
said to have been taken up in the
automobile I was walking homo
with another student" Mitchell
said he was home at the time of the
disappearance.