Imperial Valley press., 1933-11-22
DOUBT THEORY
SLAYERS HAD
ACCOMPL|CES
Federal Agent Believes Holmes
And Thurmond Worked Alone
In kidnapping Hart.
DISCARD WOMAN'S STORY
Sheriff Emig Still Worried Over
Rumors That Prisoners May
Be Lynched.

LfaIS FtAINS1oSo, NOF. 90. kO,fJ
Authorities today veered away
from a theory that Jack Holmes
and Thomas Thurmond, confessed
slayers of Brooke Hart of San Jo-
Sc, had accomplices in the $4,000
kidnap plot which resulted in young
Hart's death in the waters of San
Francisco bay
The theory of five men in the
plot came from Mrs. D. Silveria,
farm woman near San Jose. and
her daughter, who claimed to have
seen the men transfer young Hart
frcm his roadster to sedan.
Reed Vetterli, chief department
of justice agent here, said today he
found himself able to place but lit
tie credence in the story.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 20. ;U.P)
Five men participated in the kid
naping and alleged Staying of
Brooke L. Hart, %, San Jose bus
mess executive, federal authorities
claimed today as they instituted a
nationwide search for three
additional suspects.
"Agents are now on their way
TO gather additional evidence H.
H McPike, federal district attor-
ey said GA nationwide search is
under way for the men we believe
aided the two men held
McPike' IS announcement followed
a three hour questioning of Thomas
H. Thurmond. San Jose. who with
John M. Holmes, also of San Jose,
was held in city prison here after
confessions that they had abducted
young Hart and had thrown him,
gagged and weighted, into San
Francisco bay on November 8.
Search of the bay has failed to
yield the missing body.
Holmes has repeatedly denied
that they had accomplices in the
crime but authorities placed much
credence in the stories told by a
farm woman and her daughter.
Mrs. D. Silveria, residing on a
farm near San Jose, told of see
the blond son of prominent mer-
chant from his own roadster to a
sedan. Four of the men, she said,
drove off with the captive, and the
other took the roadster away. She
was positive of her identification of
Hart.
Mrs. Silveria claimed that she
was close enough to hear bits Of
conversation.
The men talked of their plans,
indicating that they intended to
take their prisoner to "hideaway
in the hills beyond Stockton and
Sacramento, she said.
Her 14-year-old daughter told
practically the same story when
questioned separately, authorities
said.
Three men residing in Campbell,
near San Jose, also were questioned
regarding their story that they had
seen Holmes and Thurmond, whom
they claimed to know personally,
comforting with an "elderly man.
on a side road several days after
Hart IS disappearance.
Fear Lynching Attempt
State and county authorities
gathered dQQlIlOIldl eNlutilCt
against the two prisoners. against
whom no formal charges have been
filed. The new evidence included
cement blocks, bricks and floor
mat repeatedly found in the gar
age attached to Holmes San Jose
residence. Sheriff William Emig
brought a gunnysack filled with
such objects here.
Emig was worried over reports of
the organization of 'secret COM
mittee' which purportedly had ef-
fected a plan to seize the self-con-
fessed slayers. He indicated that
the suspects probably would be re-
turned to San Jose Jail later in
the week and that additional am
munition and tear gas bombs had
been added to the Jail arsenal.
Federal Attorney McPike held a
grand jury over for presentation OF
the "extortion phases of tn e
crime.' While the jury may re-
turn indictments under the Lind
bergh law, it was expected that
Santa Clara county officials would
prosecute under the new state kid
naping law. This statute provided
for death or life imprisonment with
out parole in abductions in which
violence was used.
Dredges. launches and small boats
dragged the bay in fruitless search
for traces of Hart S body.