The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-18
WOMAN FREED,
UNFRAMED, BY
KIDNAP GANG
Garment Company Owner
Is Given Liberty Without
Ransom Payment.
PRISONER FOR SO HOURS
Held Captive in Dirty Farm
House, Kansas City
Victim Says.
BIZ United Press


hours of captivity in the hands Of
three kidnapers, Mrs. Nell Quinlan
Donnelly, widely known Kansas
City business woman, was returned
early today to her home in the
wealthy south side residential dis
trict here.
Mrs. Donnelly, who came from
small Kansas town to build the
Donnelly Garment Company, mil
lion-dollar concern, was near ex-
haustion
She told briefly of her abduction
Wednesday night and of the hours
OF Imprisonment in a small house
near Kansas City, Kan, and then
was ordered to bed to rest.
She said the kidnapers did not
tell her why she was being liber-
ated. Members of the family en-
phatically declared that no ransom
had been paid.
$4,000 Ransom Asked
The sum of $4,000 had been set
by the kidnapers for safe return
of Mrs. Donnelly, who with her
Negro chauffeur, George Blair, was
seized early Wednesday night.
The Negro was liberated at the
same time Mrs. Donnelly was
freed.
She said she didn't sleep a
wink" during the time she was
prisoner, because the bed in the
room where she was held was so
filthy"
That place was the dirtiest hole
ever saw she said with disgust.
Mrs. Donnelly was accompanied
home by L. M. Siegfried, police
chief, who found her and the Negro
walking down street in the Argen-
tine district of Kansas City, Kan.
Gets Tip by Phone
Siegfried had gone there in an
swer to an anonymous telephone
call telling him to wait for the
woman" at cafe designated by the
informant.
With two detectives Siegfried
rushed to the cafe.
AS their car approached, they saw
Mrs. Donnelly and the Negro COM
ing down the street. They had been
taken by automobile to a spot about
three blocks from the cafe.
Mrs. Donnelly was hatleSs and her
long, bobbed, grayish hair was dis
hevelled. She wore the red bust
ness suit with fur trimmings in
which she was attired when kid
mapped.
Mrs. Donnelly said her abductors
treated her with respect.
THE men did not mistreat me-"
she said.
Abducted From House
She was abducted from the door
of her home as she returned from
the Donnelly factory Wednesday
night.
AS the Donnelly car approached
the driveway to the home, the
chauffeur found another car parked
across it, blocking the entrance.
Blair, the Negro chauffeur,
stopped at the side of the strange
car.
Three men seized Mrs. Donnelly
and the Negro. Muslin sacks we're
thrust over their heads.
Two of the kidnapers entered the
Donnelly car and the third drove
away in the other one, travelling
some distance to the southwest.
Once Mrs. Donnelly tried to eS-
cape. She pulled the sack from her
head, leaned out of the car and
screamed at passing motorists.
One of the men clapped his hand
roughly over her mouth, bruiSing her
and drawing blood.
Locked in House
Finally the car stopped. Mrs. DON
nelly and the Negro we're ordered
out and taken into a house. The
Negro was locked in one room and
Mrs. Donnelly in another. She was
not bound or gagged, but the Negro
was.
Mrs. Donnelly said she thought
their prison was a small house in
the country, as she heard chickens
and COWS.
Milk was brought to her at regu-
lar intervals, but she was given no
other food.
A radio was kept going most Of
the time. over it Mrs. Donnelly
heard word of her kidnapping broad
cast.
She said she did not see more
than three men at a time, but from
their voices she thought there might
have been four OK five in the crowd.
Asked to Write Letter
Soon after the party reached the
house. the kidnapers asked Mrs.
Donnelly if she would write let
ter to her husband.
Il guess there's nothing else to
DO" she replied.
That ought to give 'em scare"
said one of the men after Mrs.
Donnelly had written the note.
No further reference was made to
the threat, Mrs. Donnelly said.
When the kidnapers seized her,
Mrs. Donnelly protested that she
didn't see why you have to take
a woman"
One of the men replied:
Sorry, lady, but we've made a
mistake and we've got to go through
with it now"
When Mrs. Donnelly and Blair
we're taken from the house to be
liberated, the cloth sacks again
were placed over their faces.