Imperial Valley press., 1932-05-11
CURTIS SAID TO
Be NEGOTIATING
WITH KIDNAPERS
Norfolk Man Thought To
Be In Touch w t h
Group Having Baby.
BY CHARLES NJ. MCCAIN
United Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Staff Correspondent
i NORFOLK, Va, May 11.-John
Hughes Curtis, Norfolk boat build
er, has been negotiating since Sat-
urday off the Long Island coast
with a group who claim to be kid
napers of Charles Lindbergh, Jr.,
/ it was learned today. =
He is using a private yacht for
his negotiations, just as he did in
! his negotiations off Norfolk in the
yacht Maroon.
This fact became known today
shortly after publication in a New
York newspaper of an advertise
ment reading Money is ready
which to many was indicative of a
new message to the kidnapping gang.
The newspaper previously carried
the "Jafsie" advertisements and one
Of these read Money is ready.
Shortly afterward DR.. John F. Con-
don, "Jafsie", paid $4,000 to one
of the men he had been negotiating
with but without effecting return
of the baby.
Meager information coming back
to Norfolk today said Curtis had
been having difficulty reassuring
the group inasmuch as they were
frightened away from their rem
devious with him off the Norfolk
shore, first by fishing boat, then
by government vessels, and finally
by publicity. Curtis left Norfolk
Friday and expected to be gone
only one day. The fact his stay
has been extended indicated to his
friends here that he has encoun-
tered some obstacles.
On the new private yacht Curtis
is understood to be accompanied
by Lieut.. George L. Richard, Navy
pilot, who flew Curtis on several
contact attempts, Edwin B. Bruce,
an Almira, N. Y, capitalist. Col.
Charles A. Lindbergh is understood
here to be in the vicinity
Reports here said Curtis yacht
may have put into Block Island
but that might be blind" to cover
the real center of the negotiations.
Curtis is understood to be hopeful
that he can arrange for transfer Of
the baby-if the negotiators are
the kidnapers+some place off Nor
folk SO the announcement may
come through his home city. He
still is hopeful to make the trans
fer to the Maroon, owned by Col.
Charles C. Consalvo of Baltimore.
NORFOLK, Va, May 11.-(U.P)-
Negotiations by John Hughes Cur
for, NF flo lyiIf1nrnd IND
berge baby have been transferred
from here to point off Block is
land, it was reported here today.
Block island lies between Long
Island and the New England coast
line.
Curtis, the reports said, has been
in that area for the past four days
during his absence from Norfolk
He is believed to be attempting to
convince the purported kidnapers
that no efforts are being made to
trap them.
This move, it was explained, is
necessary because naval ships op-
Ierating near the area in which Cur
tis had been attempting to establ-
lish contact had frightened the
kidnapers.
Curtis had not communicated
with any of his friends here this
morning. He went away with
Lieut.. George L. Richards, U. s. N.
Curtis expected to be gone only
one day.
NEW YORK, May 11.-W.P)-A
message appeared today in the per-
sonal column of a morning news
paper, which was believed to refer
to the Lindbergh kidnapping.
The message, which was unsigned
and not addressed, consisted of
three words. Money is ready.
The "Jafsie' notices, inserted by
DR.. J. F.. Condor, which led to pay
ment of $4,000 to the supposed
kidnapers, were inserted in the
personal columns of the same news
paper.