Evening star., 1932-05-14
JURY WILL PROBE
RANSOM PAYMENT
Finding of Spade at Murder
Spot Believed Import
ant Clue.
Continued From First Page.)

coastal waters, and 25 craft under sealed
orders combed the sea for the kidnaper-
murderers.
The detective brains of a Nation con-
centrated today on prime dilemma
: as to whether the $50,000 ransom was
, collected by the actual murders In
ghoulish swindle plot. or
Was it collected by racketeers seek
ing to cash in, like parasites of crime
on an act committed by some one el-e?
1t was a problem of paramount I'M
portance to final solution Of the case,
and there was much to be said on either
side.
1t centered about a baby's sleeping
suit. two safety pins and an illiterate
note signed by strange symbol.
Yesterday the tide of opinion seemed
to be swinging to the theory that the
murderers got the money. but last night
and today doubts crept in again.
The authorities were trying to de-
termine whether the cabalistlc ransom
note left in the nursery when Charles
A. Lindbergh, jr., was stolen could have
got into the hands, soon after the kid
naping, of any person save Col: Lind
bergh and those working with him.
Other theories and possibilities were
also entertained. One of the latter was
put forward BY Marshall. He said there
was Just a chance that a resident OF
the SourlandS country took the BABY,
killed him and then by prearrangement
turned over the sleeping garment to
gangsters for sum.
Negotiators Believed Sincere.
Questioning of DR.. Condor and OF
John Hughes Curtis, the Norfolk, va,
intermediary, satisfied State police that
~ 6nfh in Pf-
fort to effect the babys return were
undertaken in good faith.
For the first time the circumstances
under which their separate negotiations
were conducted were made known.
Each felt that he actually had estab-
lished contact with the kidnapers or
their bona fide representatives. Col.
Itndbergh himself was convinced, Tor
he had given DR.. Condor $50,000 which
was paid to the kidnaperS and he had
made out a check for similar sum to
Curtis, to be paid if the baby were re-
turned.
With the tragic revelation that the
men with whom they dealt could not
deliver back the stolen baby alive ana
well" as they promised, the negotlatorS
have spread their information before
the authorities in the hope at least OF
bringing to Justice the men who sought
thus to traffic on the emotions OF
parents.
Curtis on Another Mission.
Curtis, accompanied by two detectives,
was of today on another mysterious
journey, this time in quest Of the men
with whom he had been negotiating.
Where they went was not revealed. 1t
was only few days ago that the kid
napers" informed Curtis that they were
ready to put the baby ''in Col. Lind
bergn's arms" on payment Of ransom
money, and they urged haste, declaring
the baby was pretty bad off from sea
sickness"
A theory of accidental death entered
the case and was being studied, although
1t had no general credence. 1t was that
the kidnaper, attempting to descend
from the second-f1oor nursery by lad
der, may have lost his grip on the baby,
dropping the child to the stones below.
The spot where the body was found
Thursday afternoon by the colored
truckman, William Allen, was barred
of from curious eyes last night by walls
of cement blocks. Investigators have
searched the burial locale several times
thoroughly, but the wall was built to
preserve the spot for future examina-
tion as developments may make neces-
sary.
Coast Guard Joins Hunt.
Coast Guard craft joined today in
the search for the group of men with
whom Curtis conducted ransom nego-
tiations. The Norfolk shipbuilder ex-
pressed the belief the men would at
tempt to flee from the country, fol-
lowing the collapse of their extortion
plot.
II am sure they were the actual kid
napers,' Curtis said. They knew too
much, they had too many definite bits
of evidence to be of any other than
the murderers themselves.
There was some reason to believe,
authorities intimated, that the men
with whom Curtis negotiated were pre-
pared to go as far as to have a substi-
tute baby ready to give Col. Lindbergh
if he persisted in his refusal not TO
give them ransom money until the
child was In his own arms.