Evening star., 1932-03-08
Will Not Open Mail.

The governor announced also that 'if
the kidnapers wish to get in touch with
Col. Lindbergh they can do so by mail
with perfect security"
He said:
only such mail as contains leads or
tips Is turned over to the police. The
integrity Of Col. Lindbergh Is so beyond
question that the kidnapers can depend
entirely upon his word"
Henry (Red johnson, the temporar-
lily out-of-work deckhand, whose
friendship with the Lindbergh babys
nurse, Betty Cow, brought him into the
case several days ago, still was being
detained after long periods of question
1ngn. johnson, arrested in Hartford,
Conn, where he drove on Wednesday
| last to visit his brother, has persisted in
denial of any knowledge Of the kid
/ naping.
A man named John Fernino, who said
a man had given him lift in an auto
mobile between New York and Connec-
ticut last Wednesday, identified Johnson
as that man early today. Newark po-
lice, admitting the identification, would
not comment. Fernino's story was in
terpreted as substantiatinng Johnson's
account of his whereabouts the day fol-
lowing the kidnapping.
There was a furry at Bristol, Pa,
when police trapped man and woman
who appeared at a rendezvous which
had been set in a ransom note. The
man and woman were released when
they satisfied police they knew nothing
about the note-obviously fake-or
the case.
Demanded Half Million.
Another ransom note, this one de-
manding half million dollars "in small
bills fixed a rendezvous at the Cross
Trails Inn at Mansfield Pa, but at
the appointed hour last night the kid
napers" failed to appear In their stead
was a crowd of several hundred per-
sons who had learned of the ransom
note, which was found in the mails at
Elmira, N. Y, yesterday.
Tony Meslo, 43 years old was ar
rested last night in Hartford, Conn, on
a technical charge of idleness. Police
said the arrest was in connection with
the Lindbergh case, but they declined
to amplify.
This was just another Of the stymies
that seemed to be laid everywhere for
the seekers of the facts concerning the
kidnapping and concerning the investi-
cation. Regular conferences are held
during the day between reporters and
spokesmen for the State police who, in
turn, are speaking in behalf of the
Lindbergh family; but leading questions
either go unanswered or are dismissed
with replies that tell nothing
Col. Lindbergh himself has not been
interviewed concerning the case in the
seven days during which the search has
been going on. His authorized spokes-
men, aside from the State police, have
been almost as difficult to approach, and
the facts they have impaired have been
g. i
growing appetite for definite informa-
ton Of the progress of the search.
Apprehension Not Considered.
The sole object of Col and Mrs
Lindbergh, as their spokesmen have
indicated repeatedly, IS the return OF
their child Apprehension Of the kid
napers has not been considered, nor
have the Lindberghs baked at any
plans that might return them their
child.
The naming Of salvy Spitale and
irving Bitz, well known in the New
York gang world, as go-betweens had
produced no known results today
Spitale has made public appeal tc
the kidnapers to communicate with
him, assuring them they will be pro-
tected II the child Is returned.
More and more, as the days have
passed without the appearance OF any
definite proposition from the kidnapers
The fear has been expressed by news
men close to the search chat perhaps
the child has been slain. Police, how
ever. have expressed confidence thai
he is alive and that the failure O.
4he abductors to make proposal fol
MIS- return in exchange for ransom ha:
been due to the worldwide excitement
the kidnapping has created. When tht
n,,bbub dies down, these officers say
there will come cautious approaches fol
the baby's return.
There have been no actual arrests
Henry johnson Is held at Newark
1rithout any charge. 1t was reported
he might be released today.
A sensational report was published Y