Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-06-19
DETROIT GANG
TELLS STORY
OF KIDNAPPING
Victims Are Tortured
Until Letters
Are Signed

DETROIT, June 19.ZP-Detroit
police today announced they had
obtained confessions involving a
prominent attorney from Joseph
Legs Lamar. convicted kidnaperr
and other members OF Laman's
gang of kidnapers and murderers.
Lamar told a detailed story OF
the kidnapping racket in Detroit,
covering almost ten years reign OF
terror, which eliminated last year
in the kidnapping and murder OF
David Cass. son of Gerson Cass,
wealthy retired real estate man.
Hundreds of thousands Of dollars
ransom money was collected by the
gang.
Lamar said he decided 70 tell all
he knew after he found he was
double crossed by the police Off
cial in the kidnapping Of Harry
Cohn. retired furniture dealer.
Lamar said $4,000 ransom money
was left in an automobile and taken
by the police official. Cohn was
freed, but Lamar received none OF
the money.
Confessions Agree
Confessions were obtained from
Stanley de Long and his wife, Flor
ence, after they were threatened
with execution in the electric chair
in Ohio for murder OF an unnamed
man in or near Toledo.
Lamar and Harry Andrews, who
also made a confession, are serv-
ing 30 to 40 year terms in Michigan
state prison at Jackson for kidnap-
ing Fred Begeman, retired Wyan-
dotte bootlegger.
Many Kidnapped
Four or five years ago. Lamar
said, he, together with Luke Hart
Dude" Manuel and ole Marano,
man, Andrews, the De Longs,
rented a house in Dearborn. De-
troit suburb, to establish a base for
kidnapping operations. Begeman and
Coin we're kidnapped and taken to
this house. There were many other
kidnapings, one of which involved
the murder in or near Toledo.
Lamar said Hartman was the
finger man or one who identified
the victims for the pickup men"
who did the actual kidnapping. La
man said he was leader of the lat
ter group. Mariana, he said, was the
keeper and torturer, and De Long,
the voice, whose duty 1t vas TO
negotiate for ransom of victims.
Shortly after he was double
crossed" in the Cohn kidnapping,
Lamar said he formed connections
with Edward Wiles and Fred Hob
fer. who are serving life terms for
the murder OF young Cass. and
Jimmy" Walters, owner Of a night
club who was slain by gangsters two
months ago. These men, he said,
engineered the kidnapping OF Cass.
Victims Tortured
Leman was shot and captured by
police while attempting to collect
a ransom from Cass' father. He
said Wiles and Hohfer became
frightened then and decided to kill
young Cas-. David Cass' body was
found near Lapeer Mich, last
October. Lamar said the prominent
attorney was partly responsible for
the murder Of young CaSs and that
he delayed ransom negotiations in
the hope Of obtaining a larger split
Of the money. He said the lawyer
became more actively involved in
kidnapingS and actually planned
the kidnapping Of Matthew Hold
reith. Jr., Notre Dame student and
son Of a wealthy restaurant owner.
Lamar told Of methods used to
make victims write ransom letters.
He said lighted matches, cigars and
cigarettes were applied to their
bodies. EyelaSheS were pulled out.
A hot iron was held close to their
eyes or used TO scar arms and legs.
They were shown open graves and
in several cases trusSed up and
made targets for fancy" shooting,
with bullets grazing their bodies.
Nearly all Of the victims were
tortured before they were asked to
sign letters. Lamar said. and most
Of them were eager to sign.