Evening star., 1932-08-08
FEDERAL AGENTS
MAKE THEIR FIRST
KIDNAPPING ARREST
West Virginian Is Captured
Under New u. S. Abduc-
ton Statute.
POLICE OF RICHMOND
REFUSED TO ASSIST
Trio Accused of Selling Two
Lewisburg Men for
Ransom.

Although lacking cooperation of
Richmond, Va, police, the United States
Bureau Of Investigation has Just effect
ed the capture Of its first prisoner under
the newly-enacted Federal KIDNAPPING
law. He is Raymond William Prather
OF Charleston. w. Va, one of a trio
accused Of kidnapping, on August /,
George N. Davis and r. K. Robertson
of Lewisburg, w. Va.
The other members Of the trio, H. o.
Curry and William Craft, were arrested
by Richmond police in the lobby of a
Richmond bank as they are said to
have attempted to force their victims
to withdraw $500 ransom from his
bank.
The arrested pair refused to reveal
the Identity Of the third member of
the trio and Richmond police declined
aid OF the Department of Justice in
finding him.
Caught in Charleston.
Despite their complete lack of official
information as to details of the kid
naping, special agents of the Bureau
OF Investigations field Offices here and
IN West Virginia launched an intensive
search as a result of which Prather.
also known as r. w Dolan and Harvey
Guthrie, was apprehended last night at
Charleston.
Prather, after first denying knowledge
OF the crime, made full confession to
F: x. Fay, agent in charge Of the West
virginia office Of the Federal bureau. it
was announced today by J. Edgar
Hoover, director of the bureau
A weakness for pool led to Prather's
arrest, 1t was disclosed here today.
Learning that Craft and Curry had
been seen frequently in Charleston with
pool room habitue, agents of the bu-
reau shacowed a pool hall until a cue
Wlelder somewhat resembling the
meager description of the third kid
naper was spotted.
This man was put under surveillance
and it was discovered he possessed a
car like that used by the kidnapers.
He was taken into custody and identified
by witnesses as one of the kidnapping
gang, according to the bureau
The alleged confession of Prather
states that Curry approached the former
in the pool room with a proposition to
hdnap an elderly man of wealth" at
Lewisburg. Agreeing to help pull the
job, the statement says, Prather was
introduced to Craft and the trio pro-
ceeded in Prather'S car to Lewisburg,
where Davis and Robertson were lured
to a hotel under pretext that Curry
was Federal income tax agent.
After the tax conference" Davis and
Robertson started for home, but were
followed by the kidnapers, who held
them up, robbed them of cash in their
pocketbookS and demanded $4,000
ransom, it is claimed.
According to the story related by the
victims, Davis asked permission to tele-
phone his bank in Richmond to see
how much money he had on deposit.
The kidnapers listened as Davis got
the cashier on the phone.
MisIed Listeners.
The latter told Davis he had a large
sum in excess Of $4,000 to his credit,
but Davis pretending to misunderstood,
expressed aloud his surprise" that he
only had S6,500 in the bank While
the cashier endeavored futilely over the
phone to make Davis understand the
correct amount, Davis persisted in
making deceptive replies in order to
mlslead the kidnapers.
Finally Davis told the cashier he
would drive to the bank right away
and draw out my $500, explaining he
needed more than that amount right
way" The cashier. growing suspicious,
notified police, and when Davis, Robert
son and two of the kidnaperS arrived
at the bank, plain-clotheS men we're on
the scene to observe the proceedings.
Prather meanwhile had been delayed
by the accident.
The detectives saw Davis leave the
two strangers at the door while he
went to the teller's window. The stran-
gers had their hands in their coat poe
kets, glanced around furtively and
otherwise aroused suspicion of the de-
tectives. One of the officers moved over
to question one of the suspected men,
and both strangers made a break for
the door, They were caught, and both
are said to have been heavily armed.