Evening star., 1932-05-06
MEANS FRAUD CASE.
PROBED BY Jury.
Mrs. Mclean, Her Attorney
and Butler Are Only
Witnesses Called.
Continued From First Page)

Continued From First Page)
doned by thief or bootlegger. Keith
had to go through considerable red
tape to obtain the car this morning
Means Is Unperturbed.
Adroitly turning aside questions that
he didn't feel like answering with the
stock rejoinder, Now, that's connden-
tial," Means, suave and unperturbed
stood on the runway before his cell al
District Jail this morning and told what
he did feel like about his connection
with the charge that he had obtained
100000 from Mrs. Mclean.
Summed up, the interview with
Means produced three admissions:
That he was engaged by Mrs. NC
Lean at a retainer OF S10O Gay ano
expenses to bring about the recovery OF
the child.
That she gave him 100000 to turn
over to the kidnap band.
That this money, intact. was handed
| over to the mysterious NO. IL, sup
| posed to have been an agent for MIS-
Mclean. after she had become con-
vinced that Means efforts to get the
| baby were not to be productive, and
I had demanded the return of the money
There was no larceny" he empha-
sized.
Parries Questions.
All questions in any way relating to
the possible wherea bouts of the baby
the chances of recovering it. If it
had been well cared for, whether his
arrest would halt negotiations, or
whether he felt that he had been duped
| by the kidnapers, brought circultuous
answers that ended with the depre-
| catory confidential"
Mrs. Mclean had asked that the
greatest confidence be accorded all
negotiations in the case, he insisted,
and recalling that he had always been
known as one who respects condolences,
Means insisted that that was what he
proposed to do now, "and if other people
want to violate condolences, that's up
to them"
While Means, in shirt sleeves, with
collar opened, stood up against the
bars, he could look directly across the
rotunda of the jail where friends OF
Alfred Scott Aldridge chanted cease
lessly before the cell of the colored
slayer who was soon to start his march
| to the electric chair, but he was giving
no thought to the impending execu-
| ton.
Asked If there was singing last night
| to disturb him, Means said no, adding
They won't let them sing after 8
O'Clock and even If they did, it
wouldn't bother me, for I'm a good
| sleeper"
Means said that before the Lind
bergh case he had done investigative
work for Mrs. Mclean "in Palm Beach
| and other places" and declared she
was "a very fine woman" and very
motherly."
| 500 a Day His Regular Fee.
ct didn't solicit her in this case" ne
| said "She came for me and even had
trouble locating me, for my phone lsn
listed in the book"
He explained then that he was to
get s100 day and expenses from her
(which is my regular fee for investiga-
tion "
| you know" Means continued, going
into his past for illustration, when
people asked me during the war why l
| worked for the Germans, I said 1t was
because they gave me 500 day and
the English would only give me $50.
Like I tell my wife, when 60 in for
soft drink, I don't ask who Is going to
serve it; what ask about Is the quail
| ity."
Means said that when Mrs. Mclean
first approached him in reference to the
Lindbergh case, he told her he would
do nothing until permission had been
obtained from Col. Lindbergh.
| His arrest was no surprise, he said,
| for he had been told on April % "n !
didn't do this and that, I was to be
| indicted" this reference being to the
demand for return of the money, made
through Mrs. McLeanS counsel-Albert
w. Fox, Frank j. Hogan and Nelson L.
! Harrison.
Had he known the warrant was out
for him, Means said, he would have
surrendered.
He said he did not know if he would
be able to make the $100, 900 bond fixed
| by United States Commissioner Need
ham C. Turnage. but this prospect did
not appear to worry him.
Says There Was No Larceny.
Asked if he could recognize mo. H."
| to whom he reputedly turned over the
$1,000 in Alexandria, Means said.
, That is confidential"
Asked If it was the same money he
received from Mrs. Mclean, he thought
minute, then replied:
Not at any time was any money
given to me by Mrs. Mclean disturbed
III ANY way.
THAT means that it was turned over
| irtact?" he was asked.
He answered in the Affirmative, and
then, referring to his plea of not guilty
on arraignment yesterday, asserted:
There was no larceny"
Attorney Unfolds Story.
A lurid story of secret negotiations
between Mrs. Mclean and Means was
unfolded yesterday afternoon by Albert
W. Fox, personal attorney for the pub
lisher's wife.
1t was disclosed that Mrs. Mclean
herself first brought Means into the
case in her belief he might be able to
establish contact with the ktdnapers.
| She did not lose faith in him until re-
peated promises to produce the BABY
! were not fulfilled.
According to the account given by
Fox, Mrs. Mclean approached Means on
or about March 4-three days after the
kidnaping-and asked him II ne thount
he could be of aid in searching for the
missing child. Mrs. Mclean was motl-
waited BY her friendship with the Lind
berghs and her natural sorrow over the
abduction, 1t was explained.
Means. it is charged, told Mrs. Nc
Lean he was sure he could get the baby
back. because he felt certain he knew
the identity of the kidnapers. Means
is alleged to have explained that for
mer cellmate at Atlanta had made him
a proposition prior to the kidnapping to
ioin in such an abduction plot, but he
had refused Indignantly. =.
Means, it was said, later represented
| he had been in touch with this man
and had found that he was one OF the
kidnapers. Mrs. Mclean allegedly was
told Means could effect the return OF
the baby for 100000 in old bills.
Turned Over Currency.
Mrs. Mclean went to the president
of a leading bank here and obtained
the 100000 in 500 and $50 bills.
which she claims to have turned over
to Means at her home at night In the