The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-08-17
$4,000 BELIEVED
PA|DFOR FREEDOM
OF KIDNAP victim
Attorney General Issues State
ment Regretting Lack Of
Cooperation
OFFICIALS LACK CLUES
Abductors Drove Him Around
~ Hours; Freed in Tor
onto Suburb

Toronto, Aug. l7-lP)-Despite in
formation from an authoritative
source that no ransom was paid to ef-
feet the return by kidnapers Of John
S. Labatt, London, brewer, informa-
ton was made public in Hamilton Fri
day that LESS than $4,000 ransom
was paid for the release of John La
bait"
This statement, made few hours
after the wealthy London, Ont, brew
er had been released from q gang
which held him captive IS hours, fol-
lowed one declaration that mot cent
Of ransom was paid" and another that
the complete $l50,000 demanded had
been put up.
Labatt was Intercepted at the home
Of his brother, Hugh, in London by
police official and Canadian police
drove forward in an attempt to round
up the criminals.
At the same time Attorney-Ge
A. w. Roebuck issued statement in
which he said he regretted a lack Of
cooperation in the Labatt case.
Relatives Discount Rumor
A relative Of the family discounted
rumors that Hugh Labatt could have
paid the ransom. Hugh Labatt, his
brother was reported to have obtain
ed the money from branch Of the
Bank Of Nova Scotia.
"As matter Of fact" said the
relatives" the bank was closed when
he was supposed to have got the
money"
Attorney General Roebuck made
the following statement concerning
Labatt's KIDNAPPING:
HE was blindfoided and had been
continuously blindfolded since the
time he was taken. He was left in
the vicinity of Forest Hill village.
from where he took a taxi to the
Royal York hotel (where Hugh await
ed him.
He was Immediately carried from
there, by his own friends, In . car to
London.
AT the time of his release he
drove between five and six hours, he
thinks, but his judgment Is that Of 4
man blindfolded.
He also thinks the kidnapers wee
killing time in the latter drive in
waiing for darkness.
Drives Around IL Hours
AT the time Of his capture, he drove
around for time which he estimates
at IL hours He was in Ontario all
the time. He has no knowledge of
having passed over any water.
There is no hot trail of the abduc-
tors. It is most unfortunate ano
necessary that the police forces Of
both the province and the city have
been very seriously landscapes in
their work by their inability to secure
complete control Of the situation.
In this office. there is no know
ledge as to what financial arrange
ments, If any. have been made be-
tween the friends of the captured
man and the criminals. Whatever
arrangement was made did not come
either from Hugh Labott or his s.E-
citor, Mr.. Ivey"
Labatt came home early Friday by
automobile from Toronto. where he
had been released by his abductors
on the outskirts Of the city.
A renewed police search for the
gang Immediately went into action.
Gen. v. A. s. williams, commits
sioner Of the Ontario provincial po-
lice, Immediately ordered Acting Chief
Inspector John Miller Of the criminal
investigation department to go from
Toronto to London and make every
effort to track down the gangsters.
Some reports declared the kidnapers
were members Of the notorious
Purple Gang" of Detroit.
Police Sift Various Angles
Indications were apparent. that po-
lice efforts would be directed toward
the following angles:
Discovery Of the exact point at
which Labatt was removed from his
black sedan as he drove toward Lon
don from his sarnia beach summer
cottage. 4
Abe" the gangster who signed the
ransom note found in the car and his
partners in crime.
Location OF the hideway at which
Labatt was kept captive.
Identification Of strangers who
called at Hugh Labatt's hotel suite
Wednesday night and Thursday.
Hugh's mission in disappearing
from his suite late Thursday.
The activities Of the family in their
efforts to obtain the brewers release.
Various gangsters from the United
States have been mentioned in con-
nection with the case and fingerprints
were said to have been sent from De-
trott to Albany for comparison with
those on record from the kidnapiES
Thursday night In the New York cap
ital OF John O'Connell, scion Of . New
York political parry.
The Canada tract" Of husband
along Lake Huron and ''farm-house
In western Ontario were talho6 6 -
possible hideouts. The unidentified
men who Sained adnittAnee = ths
hotel wsrs viswed - sea1lbae inter
lmediaries.
Retuae Unlaenoa
Chief D. q. Draper 6 tlne To1ont6
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