Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-03-20
AUTO THEFT GANG
.PROBED FOR CLUE
I'm L|NDBERGH CASE
Buried Car Found on Farm
Near HopeWelI-0ne Held
Two Sought.
HIGHLAND PARK ATTEMPT
AT KIDNAPPING SECUTED
Police Find no Link to Flyers Son.
Examination of RED" John
son Discounted.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
HOPEWELL, N. j., March l9.-An
attempted kidnapping, similar in many
respects to that of Charles Augustus
Lindbergh, tr., and the mysterious
questioning Of a man who once had
been suspect in the Lindbergh case,
injected new interest today into the
1s-day-old hunt for the famous flyers
son.
But by night State police announced
there was no significance to the re-
examination of Henry (Red) johnson,
seaman-suitor of the Lindbergh baby's
nursemaid, and that there was no pos
sible connection between the attempted
kidnapping and the Lindbergh case.
Probe Auto Ring.
Meanwhile, the investigation center
ing at the aviators hilltop home took
a new turn when authorities sought
for possible link between the activi-
ties of an alleged stolen automobile
ring at Hopewell and the kidnapping.
Inspectors Of the motor vehicle de-
partment arrested one man and re-
ported to State police that two Of his
friends had been seen near the Lind
bergh estate the day before the child
was stolen.
Col. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, State
police superintendent, in his last bull
letin of the night said his men we're
attempting to determine whether there
could be any connection between the
activities of the trio and this case" but
had not yet returned to headquarters.
Seven motor vehicle inspectors, who
had been working N this vicinity since
few days after the kidnapping in an
attempt to round up an automobile
theft gang, arrested Caspar Oliver on
his farm, miles from Hopewell after
they had found a car buried under hay
In his barn.
Served ut Sing Sing.
They quoted Oliver as admitting he
had served 10 years in Sing Sing. He
told them, they said, that when State
police we're making hunt in the neigh
borhood for persons with criminal rec
ords they searched his farm, but failed
to find the hidden car.
Another car, also said to have been
stolen. was seized in front Of divers
tWO VI Ills 4LlC11Qo HCkU
picked up for questioning.
COL Schwarzkopf said there was no
evidence that an actual attempt at
kidnapping" was made by a man who
was discovered climbing into the win
dow of a wealthy manufacturers home
20 miles from here during the night, al
though the owner of the residence had
said he thought the intruder was plan
ming to make of with his infant daugh-
ter
Commenting on a report that Henry
(Red) Johnsons brother, Fred john
son, had been taken into custody for
questioning by Newark police, the State
police superintendent said 1T Is evil
IDENTIFY part of an independent inveSti-
CATION"
Moore Quizzes Johnson.
The secret removal of johnson from
the Newark jail, where he has been
held on a charge of illegal entry, re-
newed hope the long-awaited break"
in the case might be near.
He was taken to Jersey City, where
it was understood he was questioned by
Gov. A. Harry Moore, who has taken
an active interest in the investigation
since it began.
Then a call was sent out from the
Lindbergh home that Johnson was
wanted there Immediately. He was
rushed up through the State by auto
mobile. He was so tired when he ar.
rived here that he was allowed to sleep
before the questioning began.
When reports spread that the colonel
himself was conducting the examina-
ton of the Norwegian seaman and that
great significance attached TO the pro-
ceeding, State police made 1t clear the
move was merely a routine one.
Newark detectives, who have held
johnson for two weeks, and Connecti-
cut authorities, who arrested him three
days after the abduction, had ques-
police never had.
The desire of State police to COM
plete their records by examining him
Continued on Page 2, Column g.