Evening star., 1934-07-15
Police Working on Theory
Child Was Kidnapped
Thursday Evening.
ONLY LETTER BY CRANK
RECEIVED BY PARENTS
Authorities Also Speculate on
Killing by Degenerate or
by Automobile.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
HARTSDALE, ~ Y, July l4.--The
apprehension for questioning OF an
eccentric peddler who visited here
the day that 2l-months old Bobby
Connor disappeared was reported to-
night by police to be only a matter
of hours.
From the "key figure" the police
hoped to support their theory that
the baby was kidnapped Thursday
evening. While they worked on a
wideilung front. Frank Fay, De-
partment of Justice agent hurriedly
left the Cunnor home in suburban
Hartsdale Manor on a mysterious
mission.
Police Chief Philip j McQuillan
emphasized that the only letter bear
ing on the case which had come to
the Connor home obviously was the
work of q crank or youth. demanding
$50 ransom" The authorities, how
ever, clamped censorship on all
mail and sheathed the entire inquiry
IN secrecy.
Bloody Handkerchief Found.
A mans handkerchief, stained ap-
parently by blood, was found on a
road near the point where the boy was
last seen. Ohicials were studying It's
possibilities but indicated that they
did not regard 1t as important evi-
dence.
A second handkerchief, unsoiled,
was found at the same place but as
the highway had been searched closely
yesterday. neither was considered a
prime clue. Both handkerchiefs bore
the initial %"
A woman canVasser. reported seen
driving past the connor home at the
time OF the disappearance, was abb
solved OF any connection with the
case.
The eccentric male peddler, crux
of the investigators efforts, fright
ened housewives with his mumbling
of Castles in Spain and France" as
he tried to sell 'cure-all" pills in the
secluded Hartsdale Manor section.
While police concentrated on the
abduction theory. they considered also
the possibility that Bobby had been
the victim OF degenerate killer or
that he was struck by passing
automobile and his body carried OF.
The boy was frail for his FL
months. and had been walking only a
few weeks.
Family Not Wealthy.
His father. Charles A. Connor, ah
months and the family is not wealthy.
His 80year-old father. Charles p.
Connor, a retired merchant Of Ar
lington, Mass, joined the vigil at the
modest Hartsdale home.
The boys mother, with her three
other children-Claire, 8: Richard, 7.
and Joan. 4-went into seclIsicn at
the Bridgeport. Conn. home Of her
mother, Mrs r. M. Murphy.
The child was last seen about
pm. Thursday He then was play
ing with the young daughter Of
neighbor in sand pile $50 feet from
the Connor home.
Ten minutes later, when the ba5ys
father went to find him, Robert had
disappeared without a trace
Late in the afternoon. after his
regular daily nap, the child toddled
from the Connor home to find Ruth
Schwagerman, 3i2 years old, whose
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Howard
Schwagerman live about block away
He and Ruth played on the
Schwagerman lawn until about $40
pm. when Mrs Schwagerman told
her daughter to take Robert home for
dinner. The children walked around
the block. however. instead of going
directly to the Connor house.
An abandoned automobile chassis
and a sand pile at the side of the road
attracted their attention and they
stopped to frolic At this point they
were only a short distance from the
missing childs home, but screened
from it by dense woods
Left Child Crying.
After Is minutes, Mrs. Schwager-
man called for Ruth to return home
and the girl tried to persuade the
Connor child to leave. Robert refused
and began TO cry and Ruth left him
there about 5:45 pm.
She went to the Connor house and
arrived there Just after the father,
returning home from work, had asked
Mrs. ConnoT where the child was.
Informed by Ruth that she had left
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