Evening star., 1932-03-05
SAILOR DETAINED
ON HIS OWN STORY
Hartford Authorities Say
They Have Every important
Clue" in Kidnapping.
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page)
ton in the case of Gerald Chapman
who was hanged for murder-said, fol-
lowing Johnson's arrest, that he believed
he had obtained "a very important
clue
New Jersey officers joined the Con-
necticut authorities shortly after
o'clock this morning.
John johnson, brother of the sailor,
said police were making a mistake"
In believing his brother was connected
IN any way with the abduction OF the
Lindbergh baby from his crib at the
Iindbergh home near Hopewen last
Tuesday night. AS far as the milk
bottle found in the automobile is con-
cerned, John johnson said, it undoubt-
edly had contained milk his brother
drank on the ride from New York to
Hartford.
Red" johnson is being held without
any formal charge against him.
The acquaintanceship between john
son and the attractive Miss Cow began
three years ago. johnson has been de-
scribed by friends as "a clean-cut
young fellow 26 years old and quite a
ladies man."
Tells Of Phone Call.
johnson had been employed on the
yacht Renard of Thomas w. Lamont.
partner in the ]. P. Morgan & Co.
banking house, but was laid off jan
uary IS. when the craft went into
dry dock He was to return to work
March Is.
The last time johnson saw Miss Cow,
police learned, was late last week. He
telephoned her Tuesday night-the
night the Lindbergh baby was kid
naped-sbout o'clock. police said. At
that time he inquired about the health
of the baby, who was i'll with a cold.
On Wednesday morning waitress in
an Englewood, N j., restaurant, where
johnson regularly took his meals, told
him of the kidnapping and Johnson ap-
peared greatly surprised and expressed
disbelief. why, I was talking with
the baby's nurse at o'clock last night,
she quoted him as saying, land she said
the baby was all right
A coincidence which police did not
overlook was that the Lamont and Nor
row estates in Maine lie neighborS. Mrs
Lindbergh is the former Anne Morrow,
daughter of the late Senator Dwight w.
Morrow. and Miss Cow spent some time
with the baby at the Morrow Maine
estate.
Miss Cow, a native of Scotland. has
been closely questioned by New Jersey
nolice. as have all other employees at
the Lindbergh estate in the Sourlano
Hills country. Officers stated YESTERDAY
that they were entirely satisfied that
she had no connection with the analr.
Confidence in Miss Cow.
The employment of Miss Cow as
nurse for the little Charles Augustus
Iindbergh, jr., was upon recommenda-
tion of an employe of Mrs. Lindbergh's
mother. Miss Cows previous employer,
an Englewood woman, spoke hlghly OF
her and yesterday wrote the young
nursemaid note reiterating belief IN
he
When the questioning of johnson
was discontinued at $50 O'Clock this
morning, the only announcement was
th-t the deckhand was being locked up
on orders of the prosecutors once.
Meme of those who took part in the
questioning would even hint at the ma
tllre of the interrogation that lasted
Throughout the night, nor what results
we-e obtained 1t was stated that ques-
tioning of johnson would be resumed at
IL am.-the same hour that repre-
sentatives of law enforcement agencies
of 10 States meet in Trenton, N. j.,
= with Gov. Harry Moore, to plot a pro-
gram that may lead to the return OF
the stolen baby.
In New York the secretary to Thomas
w. Lamont said johnson mad worked
on the Lamont yacht for the past two
Summers He said Mr.. Lamont was
completely surprised" py word that
johnson had been arrested and was in
clined to ridicule the idea that john
son had any knowledge OF the abduc-
ton.
whether Hartford authorities had
sought to connect johnson with the
two pieces of mail matter found In the
Hartford post Office, was not d1vulged.
The contents of the letter to Mrs.
Charles Lindbergh were not known be-
cause postal authorities did not open 1t,
merely forwarding it to its destination
the same as any other letter.
Roads Watched Closely.
The postcard, however. was held out
and turned over to New Jersey authorl-
ties. Besides being identical in its mis-
spelling of Lindbergh's name as Lin
berg" with previous postcard messages
addressed to the colonel, the ~ in the
Princeton. N. j." address was re-
versed as in the other notes.
During the night. while johnson was
being questioned, the Hartford police
sent out a request to New England po-
lice to stop a roadster in which were
three men and a baby. The thorough
ness with which the search was being
made was evidenced by the fact that
an Associated Press photographer, en-
route by motor car from Boston to
Hartford. was stopped by police II times
before reaching here.
IN ENCIEWOOO TJrESDAY