The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-13
BABY TRAGEDY
STUNS NORFOLK
NEGOTIATORS
Trio Believed Until Last
That Infant Would
Be Returned.
BY CHARLES VI. MCANN
United Press stAH CorresBondent

NORFOLK. Va. May -. - A
dream structure based on hope and
faith has been shattered for three
of Norfolks leading citizens, who
believed they we're returning the
son OF the Lindberghs to the arms
OF his mother.
They had hoped during two
months OF fantastic negotiations.
OF airplane and motor trips by
night OF secret conferences. OF
press conferences. They had q taste
of glory posed for news reel pho
tographers, evaded questions OF
newspaper men in true fiction
fashion. ducked dramatically round
corners.
Today they were hardly able 70
believe they had been victims OF a
hoax
The Very Rev Harold Dobson-
Peacock. dean OF Christ church.
most fashionable in Norfolk. and
Rear-Admiral Guy H. Burrage. U. S.
N. retired. were left here. hsltingly
asking questions about the Lind
bergh kidnapping announcements at
Hopewell. while John Hughes Curtis
was questioned by state police al the
Lindbergh home.
Had Faith in Courts
AS late as Thursday afternoon.
when news first came that the
skeleton OF a baby had been found
near the Lindbergh estate. Peacock
limited broadly to newspaper men
that picture, piece OF baby
clothing. description of the Lind
bergh ransom note were among
the means OF Identification OF
Charles A. Lindbergh Jr.. offered by
the men who approached Curtis on
March Q. and asked him 10 be inter
mediary for them in the return OF
the child.
At a. m. today. still up. nervous
" pacing the floors of his home ad-
journing the church, he said that
ne never had personal knowledge OF
airy Identification. that he and Bur-
rage had based their absolute con.
fidence that the baby would be re-
turned on their personal faith in
Curtis.
There was much sympathy in
Norfolk with all the negotiators and
there was q strong undercurrent OF
self-sympathy. for townspeople had
been saying for weeks, what an
awful thing it would be for Norfolk
If it proved a hoax"
What happened was that Curtis
was approached March Q, eight days
after the KIDNAPPING, by men who
said they represented the men who
kidnapped the Lindbergh baby. They
wanted Curtis TO act as their inter-
mediary.
two Knew Indy
Curtis. in the mad first DAYS
after the kidnapping. could not reach
Lindbergh. so he went to Burrage
and Peacock. Burrage was admiral
OF the cruiser Memphis. aboard
which Lindbergh made his trium-
phal return from Paris. Peacock
had been dean Of the Mexico City
cathedral when Lindbergh new
there and met and wooed his pres
ent wife.
Curtis. Peacock and Burrage
went to Hopewell and saw Lind
bergh.
Thereafter Curtis 'phoned mys-
teriously, disappeared from town
mysteriouslv. moved about the
streets mysteriously. His two as
sociates dsrkly limited AZ develops
ments.
Last Friday came one Of the oc-
casional "setbacks." The "kidnap-
ers" were frightened at reports
that navy ships or planes would
watch the delivery OF the baby. and
perhaps attack their boat. Curtis
and Lindbergh still was "nego-
tiating" Thursday when the news
was flashed that the little skeleton
had bpen found