Evening star., 1933-05-17
MEANS WILL FACE
TOTAL Of 17YEARS
IN RANSOM HOAX
He and Whitaker to Be Sen
fenced Friday by Justice
0'Donoghue.
ATTORNEYS UNDECIDED
ON PLANS FOR APPEAL
Former Agent Said to Have Re-
sented Federal Search of
His Wife.

CASTOR B. Means, whose incredible
Revelations" on the Lindbergh kidnap-
ing entertained, but failed to impress a
jury in District Supreme Court, and
Norman T. Whitaker, cultured ex-con-
vict and conspirator, were back in the
District Jail today-convicted Of per-
petrating on Mrs. Evalyn Walsh Mclean
one Of the strangest hoaxes in the an
mails Of crime.
The extraordinary pair were found
guilty late yesterday of conspiring to
defraud Mrs. Mclean of $35, 900 on the
pretext that the kidnapers Of the Lind
bergh baby-with whom they claimed
to have contact-were demanding ex-
change of clean money" for the hot
or marked ransom money paid by Col
Charles A. Lindbergh.
Convicted In Case Before.
Means already had been convicted Of
swindling Mrs. Mclean out Of sl04 200,
which she gave the former Federal in
his promise to produce the kidnapped
Lindbergh child. The Government
brought out that. during all these nego-
tiations with Mrs Mclean, the son of
Col. and Mrs. Lindbergh lay dead in
the brush of New Jersey roadside.
With 15-year sentence hanging over
him as a result Of his conviction on
the $l04,000 charge. Means faces
maximum additional sentence Of two
f@r
spiracy fraud. Whitaker, likewise. may
get two years in the penitentiary and
$4,000 fine. Sentence will be pro-
nounced Friday by Justice Daniel w.
O'Donoghue, who presided in the lurid
trial
Attorneys for Means and Whitaker
were said to be undecided as to whether
they would appeal. Means appealed
In the previous case, but the District
Court Of Appeals upheld the convic-
tion. He has not indicated whether
he will carry the tight to the Supreme
Court.
Several Ballots Taken.
The jury Of seven women and five
men returned its verdict of guilty as
indicted" at <:25 pm. yesterday. The
jurors had retired at o'clock, first
taking time out for lunch which await
ed them in the jury room. 1t IS un-
derstood several ballots were necessary
to reach q unanimous decision, due
to the feeling of one or two jurors
that Whitaker should be shown some
1eniency.
Justice ODonoghue, however, had
left no loophole for Whitaker, having
instructed the jury that joint verdict
Of guilty or acquittal must be rendered
as applying to both defendants. The
jurors were said to be agreed from the
outset as to the guilt of Means. Joseph
A. Iurco, attorney for Whitaker, had
objected strenuously to the courts rul-
ang for a Joint verdict, holding that
even II Means were convicted. Whitaker
should be acquitted because Of his mi
nor role" Of the fox"-a role which
Turco declared was that Of an limo
cent decoy."
The drama which marked the course
OF the seven-day trial did not lag dur
ing the closing hours. As If there had
not been enough sensational episodes,
q climatic chapter was inserted at the
last moment when, acting under order
of United States Attorney Leo A. Rover,
policewomen took Mrs. Means from the
courthouse to the Woman's Bureau and
searched here for the 100000 which
her husband had embezzled from Mrs.
Mclean.
Rover Explains Search.
Y had In my Office a signed state
attending the trial with the 100000,
or q major part of 1t, strapped to her
waist in q money belt" Rover explained
later THE statement also indicated
plot was being Matched to hold up Mrs:
Means-to bump her of, in factCand
rob her Of the money. On the basis
OF this information, I ordered Mrs
Means to be taken and searched. All
the money found on her, however, was
about s1o0 in a purse, which was re-
turned to her"
The search was conducted while the
fury was weighing the verdict. When
Mrs. Means returned to the court house:
she was weeping. She went to the cell
tier in the basement and apparently told
her husband about the search. Means
as said to have been very indignant and
TO have advised his wife to get In touch
with q prominent attorney at once:
Mrs. Means went to a phone booth ana
remained there for some time; When
she emerged she was still crying. ana
refused to talk with newspapermen.
Turco Attacks Rover.
The final arguments of counsel were
marked by bitter attack on Rover by
Attorney Turco, who charged the
prosecutor summoned Col. Lindbergn
as q witness for the sole purpose OF
.eetting publicity" and aiding him in
'keeping his job under the new admin
istration. Rover, although obviously
deeply resentful of the accusation, re-
tanned his temper as he explained that
Iindbergh's presence was essential to
prove the body found near Sourland
Mountain q year ago was that OF his
son,
Rover was aided in the prosecution
by Roger Robb, assistant United States
attorney, and by John M. Keith. special
agent in charge of the Washington field
ofice of the United States Bureau OF
Inyestieation. Most of the damaging
evidence introduced against Means and
Whitaker had been collected by keith,
whom Means had referred to on the
stand as an insignificant investigator.