The Washington times., 1933-11-17
DEATH PENALTY
! SOUGHT,
i. PROSECUTOR
Trial to Invoke States New
Law for "SWifter and
Surer Justice"
(Continued from PGRs ~

(Continued from P0Ss ~
on a plain murder charge. He
said:
"The kidnapping statute will
bring swifter and Surer JUS
tice."
In their confession, Thurmond
and Holmes detailed how they
negotiated for $4,000 ransom
from the kidnapped youths father,
Alex j. Hart, who was Frustrated
at his luxurious home here.
Max Blum, wealthy San Jose
merchant and intimate friend Of
Hart. brought news Of the death
Of the youth to the Hart family.
He said:
''YOur boy Is dead, Alex"
The father collapsed. His wife,
Mrs. Hart, sr.. is recovering from
a recent surgical operation. She
was told Of the tragedy after a
physician had been summoned. It
was feared the shock might result
in a fatal relapse.
Thurmond, former San Jose oil
station attendant. was the first
taken into custody by Sheriff
William j. Emig. Thurmond was
arrested while he was 'phoning
the Hart home Wednesday night
from a garage to instruct the
Elder Hart how to pay the ran
som money.
The phone wire had been
tapped and the call was imme-
diately traced.
Reed Vetterli, chief Of Depart
ment of Justice agents working
on the case: Emig. and deputy
sheriffs sped from the county
Jail armed with shotguns and
grabbed Thurmond while he was
still telephoning.
After several hours grilling,
Thurmond confessed. He then
led officers to a hotel where
Holmes was arrested.
Holmes recently was discharged
as salesman for an oil company.
Thurmond said:
81 have known Jack Holmes
approximately one year. Ap
prcximately five or six weeks
ago he approached me with .
plan to kidnap Brooke Hart and
hold him for ransom.
WAITED FOR VICTIM
eve discussed the matter on
one or two occasions and Thurs
day, November 8, shortly be-
fore s o'clock, Holmes and / saw
Brooke Hart come to parking
lot, where he parked his road
ster. We previously had plan
ned how we would kidnap him.
Holmes was to get in the
car of young Hart IS it ap.
preached Market Street and
was to follow in another car
which belonged to Holmes.
Holmes met the car and
opened the door of young Hart's
roadster with one hand and
kept the other hand in his
pocket as though he had gun.
He forced Hart to 90 away with
him.
According to directions
followed the car in Holmes
machine.
"At a point on the Evans
Road, about seven miles from
San Jose we stopped and both
Holmes and Hart got in the car
was driving. We drove o
short distance, turned around,
and then headed back to Mil
pitas.
'We drove north through
TrvingtOn to AlvaradO and then
directly to the San MateO
Bridge. We stopped about half
o mile out on the bridge and
ordered Hart out Of the car.
HIT HIM WITH BRICK
"HOlmes walked back to the
car to the rear Of Hart and
hit him over the head with q
brick.
when Holmes first struck
Hart he hollered Help! Help!'
"HoImeS hit him again on
the head and knocked him un-
conscious.
"Then / took some baiIing
wire firm the car which I had
purchased during the afternoon
at q hardware store in Santa
Clara for IS cents and bound
the arms of Hart around his
body, up close to his shoulders.
"HOlmes then told me to take
hold of him. He took 0 hold
of the upper part Of Hart'S
body and took hold Of him
from the knees down and to-
gether we lifted him to the rail.
ing Of the San MateO Bridge
and tossed him into the bay"
Thurmond had taken young
Hart'S wallet before the youth was
thrown into the bay. He said:
"When I finished telephOning
the Hart home for the ransom
I walked down the waterfront
for two or three blocks and
tossed the wallet into the bay"
Instead of sinking, as Thur
mond intended, the wallet caught
on the guard rail Of an oil
tanker. docked alongside the
Matson liner Lurline.
It was discovered by a steve
dore. who turned it over to police.
The confession of Holmes differs
only in two points from the con-
fession of Thurmond.
Blame Each Other
Holmes charges that Thurmond