Evening star., 1932-02-28
EXECUTIONS LOOM
TO STOP KIDNAPPING
Bill Fixing Death Penalty
Likely to Pass House
Committee.

BY the Associated Press
The gangster's fear of "whiskers," as
he calls Uncle SAM" will be inten-
sihed by a death penalty for the kid
naper if Chairman Summers of the
House Judiciary Committee has his way
Summers forecast yesterday that the
Cochran bill forbidding transportation
of abduction victims across State lines
as deral weapon against the kid
naping racket" had very good chance
for a favorable report from his group.
He added that he would work to
keep the death penalty provision In
the measure.
IT'S war" Summers said, of the
Midwest kidnapping terrorism described
before his committee in sessions partly
secret, by Chicago and st. Louis police
and vigilanteS.
The Grisly narrative had included
instances of tortures of little children.
third-degree methods of the most nerve
shattering sort applied to prominent
business men, and haunting and ter
rifying letters to mothers to intensity
anxiety and extort large sums.
S150,O0O Ransoms Cited.
1dIlSOIIlS dS Illsll oS VAOp'OOO WIN
cited. Leading Midwest citizens were
pictured as living in dread and going
about in automobiles locked and fcrti-
fed against attack with sawedof shot
guns and pistols ready to fire.
A police chief told of a kidnapping
circuit" run by kidnapping syndicate,
principally bank robbers turning to
human victims as easier and bigger
money.
Buster" Brown of St. Louis, alleged
''brains" of a Nationwide kidnapping
system, now under arrest in New York,
was mentioned.
On Chairman Summers, a Texas
Democrat strongly in favor of States
rights, the tale made such a profound
impression that he said with regard to
the proposed Federal control:
II would like to see it worked out
without increasing Federal responsibility.
But recognize there is very solid
basis, entirely consistent with our theory
of Government, on which this claim
could rest.
IF I could feel sure we could work
out Federal assistance plan without
loss of that fine spirit of citizenry to
combat the evil-a spirit shown here
by these men of st. Louis and Chicago
II would heartily favor the law
Shows Strong Feeling.
Summers referred to: Robert Isham
Randolph, head of Chicago's secret
six" and Sergt. Leroy Steffens, Chicago,
and st. Louis group, including Walter
Weisenburger, Chamber of Commerce
president; Police Chief Gerk and former
Representative Cleveland A. Newton,
head of the st. Louis citizens anti
gangster group.
Usually very calm of manner,
Summers spoke with strong feeling on
the cruelties of the kidnapers.
THE test of a system is whether it
will work, and in the countries where
the death penalty applies to such crimes
as abduction for ransom and murder,
the citizenry goes about without fear"
he said.
Asked what could be done about
States where there is no death penalty,
Summers said:
II believe they could find a way to
work things out under this BILL
The Cochran bill provides that the
person convicted of transporting from
State to State any one abducted and
held for ransom shall be punished by
death or Imprisonment for such a term
of years as the court in its discretion
shall determine"
Attorney General Mitchell advised
against the measure on economy
grounds as necessitating a larger ap-
preparation for Federal law enforce
ment officers.