Evening star., 1933-05-06

an envelope addressed to: Mrs. B..
Collier, 1907 Columbia road
The letter read as follows:
Listen now-don't try any rough
stuff by getting the cops or anything
just do as say. We need $4,000 bucks
and We'll get it or your little grandchild,
see. Put the money in & 10 bills in
the corner of the alley in newspaper.
Put the money there at II O'Clock
April 81. If the police get hold of this
it'll be just too bad. Do you get this?
Just do as we ask and everything will
be all right. Remember We need the
money and We must get it, see."
Hoover Assigns Experts.
Mrs. Collier turned the letter over
to J. Edgar Hoover. director of the
United States Bureau of Investigation,
who Immediately assigned experts from
Reorganization to the case. The COL
lier home, around the corner from the
inn, at 1907 Biltmore street, was placed
under guard and the little girl, June
Ellen, pretty curly-haired daughter of
MIR. and Mrs. Emmett Collier, son and
daughter-in-law of Maj. and Mrs. Col
lier, was carefully protected indoors.
In accordance with careful plans
worked out under direction of John M.
Keith, agent in charge of the Wash
ington field Office of the bureau and
an expert at investigating kidnapping
and extortion cases, a money package
was placed in a bend of an alley in the
rear Of the Collier Inn just before noon,
April 81.
A special truck, equipped with trans
parent mirrors, was prepared and
parked in the alley near the spot desig-
mated and from the interior of this
truck Keith and, another Federal
officer. heavily armed, awaited the
appearance of the extortionist.
Coal Heavier Spoils Plan.
The first trap failed, however, be-
cause coal truck arrived on the scene
spot where the decoy package, con-
tanning a note asking for better in
structions, had been left. A colored
coal HEAVIER spied the package picked
it up and was arrested. but his inno-
cence soon was established.
Because the note did not make 1t
clear whether II o'clock meant noon
or midnight, the decoy package again
was placed in the alley at midnight by
Mai. and Mrs Collier. Federal officers
were hidden in various points OF van
tage and two agents again were IN
the truck with commanding view OF
the alley, where they could quickly
pounce upon any one who called Tor
the package. Two unfortunate me-
dents combined that night to frustrate
the well-laid plans, however. nearby
apartment dweller, hearing suspicious
noise at his door, called the police
about l o'clock and the whole neigh
borhood soon swarned with police cars
and policemen. The policemen secured
the alley. but failed to see either the
package or the Department OF Justice
agents. Not long afterward, an IN
ebriated colored man came through the
alley, was attracted to the truck con-
tanning the Federal officers, and made
unsuccessful efforts to drive the truck
away. He was arrested and sent to
the tenth precinct, but later was re-
leased.
Solved by Writing Expert.
When no further extortion notes were
received, special agents OF the bureau
began an intensive investigation and
procured specimens of handwriting OF
10 persons who are, or had been, en-
ployed in the cafe. These handwrit-
ing specimens were submitted to DR..
Wilmer Souder, handwriting expert OF
the Bureau of Standards, who unhesi-
tatingly selected the handwriting Of
! Mason as identical with that in the ex-
tortion note.
Mason was questioned yesterday and
last night, but at first he denied all
knowledge of the case. 1t was found he
had been a waiter at the cafe for about
five years and had no previous Grim
inal record.
Note Tablet Traced.
Investigators learned Mason had pur-
chased a tablet containing paper sim
liar to that on which the note had been
written and that his movements on the
evening before the receipt of the letter
were .sof q suspicious nature"
Under a thorough grtlling early to-
day at the Bureau of Investigation,
Mason, according to Department Of
Justice officials, finally confessed his
guilt and gave full details Of the writ
ing of the note.
Mason is said to have insisted he had
no real intention of kidnapping the
child or obtaining any money from Mrs.
Collier, but had intended merely to
cause his employer misery and suffer-
ing.
If convicted, Mason will be subject
to a penalty Of $4,000 or less or up to
20 years Imprisonment, or both. The
prosecution will be pressed without de-