Evening star., 1933-05-24
Prison Mate, Now at st. Eliz-
abeth's, Thinks He Inspired
Kidnap Tale.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY GETS
LETTER FROM PRISONER
Man Served With Former 1nvesti.
gator in Atlanta and in the
Local Jail.

United States Attorney Leo A. Rovel
believes he has discovered the inspira.
ton for CASTOR B. Means story about
m Irving Fenton" and his purportee
connection with the Lindbergh kid
naping.
The inspiration. he thinks, is one
Albert H. Fenton. who was with Means
in Atlanta Penitentiary in 1927 ano
who, by curious penal coincidence
again found himself prison mate OF
Means at the District Jail last Oc-
tober.'
This Fenton, far from being the ap-
paritional kidnaper, killer and Com
raunist pictured by Means in his Mum
chausenlike story before jury which
recently convicted him and Norman T.
Whitaker of conspiracy, now Is con-
fined in the ward for criminal insane
Mt st. Elizabeth's Hospital. 1t is clear
he had no part in the Lindbergh case,
for he was confined in an institution
st the time of the Jersey abduction.
Fent0n WrltcS novel,
Fenton himself is convinced that
Means concocted the name Irving Fen
ton" because of their prison associa-
tions. and has so advised Rover by
letter.
IT have been diligently reading all
the testimony of CASTOR Means" Fen
ton wrote. "and his references to an
Irving Fenton as kidnaper, killer and
Means knows am in st. Elizabeth's
Hospital and for that reason used the
name of Fenton. I served time with
hi, in Atlanta and met him while
WIS in the District jail.
~ know Means for what he Is ana
Whit he did to his fellow inmates In
Atlanta while he was there and after
he was DISCHARGED. When Means was
dissnarced he was in need of money,
So he called on the families Of several
prisoners still in Atlanta and intro
cuced himself as an ace special agent
OF the Department Of Justice nxer
with a stranglehold on big politicians
and for certain sum OF money ne
could have their sentences commuted'
Fee Collection Alleged.
The letter charged that Means had
col ected fees" from his fellow inmates
for preparing parole papers. Fenton
expressed the hope that fellow prison.
ers of Means would be warned against
this scheme.
Government records corroborate that
Fenton was in Atlanta at the time OF
Means incarceration there and that he
was In the District Jail while Means
was there last Fall Fenton was de-
scribed by officials as being well edu-
Gated. He served time IN Atlanta
Penitentiary for embezzlement and. on
being released, practiced law in De-
troit-a fact which lends credence to
the theory that Means had this Fenton
In mind when he testified in court that
Irving Fenton" could be found at an
address in Detroit. Investigation at
the address given failed to disclose
any one of that name there.
Fenton. an inmate of Howard Hall,
was bitter against Means in an inter-
view today. He said he had never met
Means outside of prison or jail and had
never heard of Larry Jones place" in
New York City-a supposed speakeasy
where Means said Irving Fenton talked
with him about going IN on a big
kidnapping"
Nor could Fenton identify "welling-
ton Henderson" the man who Means
declared was head of the Third Inter-
rationale in this country and ring
leader in the Lndbergh kidnapping.
Government investigators are not en-
deavoring to trace either Irving Fen.
ton" or wellington Henderson" as 1t
Is their conviction that both figures are
products of Means fertile imagination