Evening star., 1934-05-10
|0|L MAN KIDNAPPED
I'm MIDST Of GAY
|PARTY ON ESTATE
California Millionaire Ab-
Quoted While Friend Is
Tied to Tree.
MASKED GUNMEN SPURN
| ALL OFFERS OF MONEY
Scale High Wall Topped With
Barbed Wire-Plans Believed
Carefully Laid.
BY the Associated Press.


LOS ANGELES, May l0.-William
F. Gettle. AZ, millionaire oil operator
, was kidnapped by two masked eunmen
| early today on his newly acquired
country estate at Arcadia at the base
of the Sierra Madre Mountains
The kidnapping interrupted a gay
party Gettle was giving in celebration
of the completion of swimming pool
and recreation hall.
Apparently the plot had been
planned for a week or more, police
said and they expressed belief that
more than the two men who effected
! it were involved.
Scale High Wall.
! The kidnapers scaled 7-foOt stone
wall. topped with barbed wire. A
stepladder and automobile tire tracks
were among clues left.
James P. Wolf, furniture dealer of
Westwood Calf. one of the guests.
| witnessed the kidnapping.
: He told officers that he and Gettle
were in the recreation hall. chatting
| and drinking. hundred feet from the
! residence where the women guests
! were at the time.
Put EN- up, gentlemen a soft
/ voice said
! Gettle and Wolf turned and faced
! two young men, masked with hand
kerchiefs and armed with pistols.
| The gunmen motioned for the two
! to start walking. They were marched
to the rear past the new swimming
. pool. toward the east wall, 100 yards
! from the residence.
! Throws Wallet Away.
! Wolf thinking it a hold-up. tossed
his wallet into the bushes.
| Nothing was said until the four
neared the wall
Then, said Wolf, one of the men
| announced:
This is not a heist-it's a snatch
Gettle began to plead with the men.
TN give you all the money have
on me. and go into the house for more
| if you won't take me away"
The gunmen laughed. replying:
THAT won't be enough. This is a
kidnapping, fellow"
Near the wall Wolf was tied to a
! tree and Gettle. who weighs 200
! pounds, was carried up step-ladder
/ and showed over the wall. He groaned
! as he fell on the outside
! One of the kidnapers jumped over
and said:
Don't be so soft"
The other turned to Wolf, saying
Stay where you are for an hour or
/ we'll kill you. This is no stick-up.
This is kidnapping"
Speed Away in Auto.
He then went over the wall. and
Wolf heard an automobile start and
speed away. Desperately he tried to
/ free himself, but it was nearly half
an hour before he succeeded in get
ting to the house and sounding the
| alarm
Arcadia. Los Angeles and Beverly
! Hills police began a search.
The four children of the Gettles
we're in the Beverly Hills home. and
| Mrs. Gettle. who is in delicate health,
was returned there from the Arcadia
| Summer place.
| Investigation disclosed that the
Stepladder had been seen on the estate
week ago. caretakers thinking ii
belonged there. Indications were that
the Kidnapers had concealed them
selves on the estate several hours
before the kidnapping.
Gettle was clad in gray flannel
trousers. buff shirt and tennis shoes
He wore no hat. and his necktie had
/ been used to tie his hands He is
slightly BALD and wore gold-rimmec
glasses.
For several years he had been
manager of the j. C. Penney store at
Bakersfield, Calf. An investment in
oil built up a fortune for him. He
then moved to Beverly Hills.