Evening star., 1933-05-07
KIDNAPPING THREAT
SOLVED BY SCIENCE
Waiter ConfeSses, Declaring
Spite Aim of Letter Sent
to Mrs. Collier.

Scientific detection work by the
United States Bureau Of Investigation,
exercising here for the first time Fed
eral authority OF the so-called Lind
bergh law, has ended in the reported
confession OF q colored waiter that he
was author Of an extortion note to Mrs.
Bessie G.. Collier, co-proprietor Of the
Collier Inn Restaurants. threatening to
kidnap her 2ha-year-old granddaughter.
The 20-year-old waiter. Leon U.
Mason Of 1871 S street, q student at
Miner Teachers College, is in the Dis
trict Jail following his arraignment and
technical plea Of not guilty yesterday
before United States Commissioner
Needham c. Turnage. The commits
sioner held him for the grand jury
under bond Of $4,000.
In his alleged confession, which fol-
lowed Identification of Mason's hand
writing as a counterpart Of that in an
anonymous note mailed to Mrs. Collier
on April %, the prisoner, according to
the Department Of Justice, said he
wrote the letter "for spite" and without
intent to collect demanded sum of
IS 900 or to harm the little curly haired
girl. June Ellen, daughter Of Mr.. and
Mrs. Emmett Collier.
Reason for Grudge Unknown.
Mrs Bessie Collier, wife of Maj. Lutte
E. Collier, U. S. A., retired, told Fed
eral officers she knew of no reason why
Mason should harbor a grudge against
| her or any other member of the family.
! He has been employed at the inn for
about five years and has been con-
4 of
Upon receipt Of the letter two weeks
ago Mrs. Collier turned the ink
scrawled missive over to J. Edgar Hoo
| yer, director of the Bureau of Investi-
cation, who assigned to the case
squad Of picked agents, experienced in
kidnapping and extortion cases. John M
Keith, agent in charge Of the Wash
ington field Office of the bureau, super
vised the inquiry, which had severa.
melodramatic Developments behind
cloak of oficial secrecy.
The note, addressed to Mrs. B. Col
lier, 1907 Columbia road" which Is
the address of the main restaurant,
read:
Listen now-dont try any rougn
stuff by getting the cops or anything,
just do as say We need $4,000 bucks
,, and We'll get it or your little grand
child, see. Put the money in S anu
10 bills at the corner of the alley in a
newspaper. Put money there at IL
o'clock. April 81. II police get hold of
this it'll be just too bad. Do you get
this? Just do as we ask and every
thing will be all right Remember, we
need the money and we must get it,
see."
Disguised as Panhandler.
A Federal Q1nrd Immediately WA
placed about the Collier home, at 1907
Biltmore street, and employees of the
cafe were placed under surveillance.
One agent, disguised as q panhandler
in search Of food, applied for q hand
out at the kitchen in the rear and, by
prearrangement, was put to work peel
ing potatoes and doing odd jobs along
side the help.
Little June Ellen was kept under con-
day a week ago, when she was taken
to the home of relative in Virginia
under Federal protection. She re-
manned there over last week end.
In the meantime Keith and his men
made careful plans to trap the author
Of the note at the designated alley rem
devious on April n last. On that day
agents were secreted in various places
of vantage in and near the alley and
heltu anu aIlOtl2eE FeOcEdl OuCeI, DOLu
heavily armed, hid in truck parked
near the spot. There were mirrors of
ordinary appearance In the rear doors
Of the closed truck, but the mirrors were
of specially devised "X-ray" type so that
the officers In the truck could see clearly
everything that went on outside.
Just before the grandmother emerged
through q rear door of the cafe to place
a decoy money package In the appointed
location, however, coal truck pulled
up and dumped two tons Of coal al
most over the designated spot. Mrs.
Collier then placed the package near
the coal pile and put piece Of news
paper over 1t so as not to attract at
tention Of innocent passersby.
Coalheaver Picks Up Packaxe.
A colored coalheaver soon arrived
and began to carry the coal into the
basement Of an apartment house near
by. After shoveling several basketsful,
he spied the paper, kicked 1t with his
foot, saw the package and picked 1t up.
He opened 1t enough to see the color Of