Evening star., 1933-07-17
TAKEN BY MISTAKE,
LUER TOLD BY GANG.
Says Kidnapers Informed Him
They Meant to Seize
Relative.
Continued on Second Page.)


personal columns of st. Louis newspa-
pers Wednesday:
"Personal-John. come home; mother
Is i'll; have dad write; funds low"
Other notes followed from the kid
napers. also a numbsr of communica-
tions from imposters demanding pay
ment foe the release of the prisoner.
One note was found in a tin can. Two
notes were signed by August Lusr
Luer was returned to Alton by st.
Louis Department of Justice agents,
who were called to resort near Collins
vile conducted by Mrs. Grace Miller
Luer appeared there and announced his
identity.
He related story of physical and
mental suffering while detained for
more than five days in chilly, musty
and tiny ub-basement.
Jokes With Camera Men.
The elderly man. seized last Monday
evening in his own home here by two
men and a woman, suffers from fire.
Quent heart attacks. Fear that he
might die while in custody was be-
lieved in some quarters to have been
the motiyating influence in the release
Wed never have touched you. pop
If we'd known you were SO weak and
siCh Iuel Salu ue was toiu ny one OIL
the abductors
After a bath, physical examination
and nap, Luer late yesterday posed with
his wife for photographs. He jokeu
with the camera men, but police would
not permit him to make further state
ment.
The examination revealed that Luer
was in remarkably good health, con-
sidering the poor condition of his heart
and the ordeal he suffered.
He said he never saw the faces of
his captors. The trio which seized him
in his home wore masks, and immedi-
ately taped his eyes and did not re-
move the bandages during his captivity
he explained.
Slept on Concrete Floor.
Inability Of the victim to describe his
abductorS added more difficulty to a
diately by Federal State and county
officers
l.uer said he was taken by motor car
to the dungeon. where he remained
during his captivity. and was spirited
away by the same method. He got III
and out of four machines the night of
the abduction, he related.
The banker explained he was not
treated unkindly by the gang, but was
gwen Oliis Ildiu SdllQWlClltS, oranges.
cantaloupe and hard-boiled eggs to eat
and slept for two nights on a concrete
floor before being furnished a motor car
seat to use as bed.
O'CONNELL SEARCH GOES ON.
Copyright. 1888, by the Associated Press)
ALBANY, N. Y, July ia strong
feeling prevailed here today that the
kidnapers of John J. OConnell, ir.,
would release him in New York City or
in suburb Of the metropolitan district.
This belief was given impetus when
1t was learned that of the four letters
received by the c.-year-old National
Guard lientenant's uncles Ed and Dan
OConnell. one OF the first three notes
was mailed from Yonkers and the fourth
bore White Plains postmark The
other two were mailed in this city
The fact that two of the letters were
mailed from close to Manhattan and
that the last list of Intermediates was
published last Friday in New York City
newspapers revived the theory that the
kidnaperS hailed from New York City.
District Attorney John T. Delaney has
expressed the opinion that the crime
was perpetrated by an out-of-town gang,
probably from New York. he said. with
the assistance of a local resident in the
capacity Of the finger man."
The papers on which the notes were
typewrittsn and signed in the hand