Imperial Valley press., 1932-05-06
REVEALS
ALLEGED
SWINDLE:
Mrs. M'Lean Tells Feder-
al Grand Jury Of Civ
ing Money To Means.
DEFER INDICTMENT
Accused Unperturbed By
Fraud Charges Based
On Lindbergh Case.

WASHINGTON, May 6. U.D -
The United States grand jury heard
from Mrs. Evalyn Walsh Mclean
today the story of how she charges
CASTOR B. Means defrauded her of
100000 on representation that he
could obtain the return of the miss
ing Lindbergh baby.
The jury deferred action on an
indictment until Tuesday.
Leo Rover, United States attorney
for the District of Columbia, con-
vened the grand jury to hear the
case.
Mrs. Mclean, j. Edgar Hoover,
head of the department of justice
bureau of investigation, and the
butler from the Mclean household
were summoned as witnesses.
Mrs. Mclean was believed to have
told how she, perhaps remembering
the tragedy of her own son, Vinson.
who was killed accidentally while
being guarded from possible kid
napers, engaged Means to take up
the hunt for the Lindbergh child.
Means, according to the charges
against him, told her he had con-
tact with the kidnapers and OBJ
tanned 100000 from her with which
to pay the ransom.
When the child was not forth
coming Means allegedly told Mrs.
Mclean that he had given the
money to man who stopped him
on the highway and whispered to
him the secret code number al"
which he had assigned to Mrs. Nc
Lean for purposes of the negotia-
tions.
Mrs. Mclean is the wealthy wife
of Edward B. Mclean, Washington
and Cincinnati publisher. She is
| the owner of the famed Hope dia-
mond, which, according to legend,
brings III luck to those who possess
it.
United States Commissioner Need
ham Turnage set the bond at $780,
600 after Means, florid and perspir-
ing but grinning, had pleaded not
guilty. He will be given Q prelimi-
nary hearing Tuesday. Turnage
said the bond was the highest he
had ever fixed, "but the case war
rants it--a man night be able to
travel long way on S1C0,00o."
Means was arrested on a warrant
sworn out by the department of
Justice, in which he once served
as a special agent.
Woman Made Approach
On March 4, three days after
Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr., was
snatched from his crib, Mrs. Nc
Lean approached Means. She knew
his record, knew that he had served
two terms in Atlanta federal peni-
tentiary, but she felt that his con-
facts and experience as q sleuth
might enable him to bring about
the return of the child
Mrs. Mclean conferred with Cap
tain Emory S. Land, naval officer
and cousin of Colonel Lind5ergh.
Land secured Lindbergh's perlais-
sion for Mrs. Mclean TO go ahead,
although Lindbergh was not told of
Means connection with the case.
Mrs Mclean also solicited the aid
Vi L dIllSI L ldilClS u. Ill., AllCy, pi Oilll-
nent Washington clergyman, as
Means suggested the Catholic
church could be of assistance in the
negotiations.
On March 6, Captain Land, Fa-
ther Hurney and Means met WITH
Mrs. Mclean at her home. Means
expressed certainty that he could
recover the baby and Mrs Mclean
gave him the 100000 in bills
About the middle of March.
Means informed Mrs. Mclean that
he would hand the baby over to her
at Aiken, S. C. Mrs Mclean mo-
tored there. For a week Means had
one alibi after another.
Finally he said 1t had been nee
eSSary to transfer the negotiations
to El Paso. Texas, as the ba5y was
being held in Mexico. Mrs Nc
Lean met Means in II Paso. Again,
more excuses and alibis Mrs. Nc
Lean returned to Washington and
told the whole stnsy TO her attor-
neyS.