Evening star., 1932-05-13
ROLE OF ''JAFS|E'
IN QUEST REVIEWED
Appeared as Intermediary II
Days After Lindbergh Baby
Was Stolen.
BY the Associated Press.

by Lne Associated FTeSS
NEW YORK, May 13.-Dr. John F.
Condor, who was questioned by police
at Hopewell today, first appeared as an
intermediary in the search for the
Lindbergh baby II days after it was
stolen from its crib.
On that day there appeared in several
New York newspapers classified ad-
vertisement which read, Money is
ready. Jafsie."
Three weeks later, Saturday night,
April 2 Condor tossed over a hedge in
a Bronx cemetery package containing
$50,0 900 of Col. Lindberghs money.
He received in return a note directing
Col. Lindbergh to go to Martha's Vine
yard, where the baby would be found,
alive and WELL on a yacht named Nellie.
Unable 10 Find Boat.
Col. Lindbergh, waiting in a car
parked in the darkness only a few feet
away, Immediately set out for the
Massachusetts, coast and flew in an air
plane over nearby waters for hours, but
never found the Nellie.
Thereafter for many DAYS there ap-
peared in the papers an ad which read.
What is wrong? Have you crossed me?
Please better directions Jafsie."
The connection of Condor, an elderly
retired school principal, did not become
known publicly until the Treasury De-
partment in Washington sent out the
serial numbers of the bills in an effort
to trace the $4,000. about week after
the money was paid.
Condor insisted he was still IN
touch with the kidnapers and kept his
movement shrouded with secrecy. Col.
Henry Breckenridge, Lindberg's friend
and attorney. was frequently with Con-
don, and it was learned that Col. Lind
Dergh had several times visited the Con-
don home in the Bronx.
Received Note From Kidnapers.
He had received note from the kid
napers, he said, after he had stated in
newspaper interview he would be
willing to act as intermediary There
were several notes and the Lindberghs
became convinced they were authentic.
At one time Condor said the hand
writing was that of one of his former
pupils.
He started inserting the want ads,
he said, at the direction of the writer
OF the notes. On the night of April
2, while Col. Lindbergh waited with
him, a taxicab driver appeared at Con-
don's home with note directing him
to go to greenhouse in the Bronx,
where under stone he found another
note directing him to the hedge where
he delivered the money to someone
unseen.
There was one report that several
nights previously he had gone alone
into the cemetery and had talked in
the darkness with one of the kidnapers.
dxynr tfeaV,
preceded by one on March 8, which
read:
Letter received at new address. Will
follow your instructions. 1 also re-
ceived letter mailed to me March 4
and was ready since then. Please hurry
on account Of mother. Address me to
the address you mention in your let
ter.-Father"
This advertisement, it was said, was
Col Lindbergh's authorization for Con-
don to act as his representative.
Advocated Athletics.
DR. Condor Is 72 years old and has
for many years advocated athletics as
an aid to education. His most recent
work in athletics was his training of
the Sing Sing Prison foot ball squad
last Fall
He Is stocky man Of somewhat &C.
centric ways, seeming to take pleasure
in making incomprehensible replies to
questions he thinks might have been
better unasked. He lives in the Bronx
with housekeeper and, since the be-
ginning of his negotiations, with AL
Reich, a former pugilist.
New York police visited him immedi-
ately after it became known that the
ransom had been paid without avail, but
he made no formal cOnoplaint and for
this reason, ofncials said, nothing could
be done at the time about John Doe"
indictments or other groundwork aimed
at eventual prosecution of the men who
had taken the ransom.
DR.. Condor was in seclusion early
last evening. He Cancelled an address
he was to have made in New Rochelle
last night. Reich declined to admit any
one to the educators home.