The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-10-13

{
At the head of the 100 mem
ty and Louisville police de-
partments - was Edward j.
Connolly, crack department OF
Justice investigator.
Berry Stoll. his nerves worn to the
cracking point for the horrible wait
for his wife, four years his junior,
seemed to resent the presence OIL
the police army in the nelghoor-
hood of his sixteen-acre estate and
went so far as to order some OF the
officers to leave his property.
This they refused to do.
Gentlemen, gentlemen" he cried
to reporters who we're with the po-
licemen, 1--WE don't want publicity!
We just want to get little Alice
back"
We May Have to Dig"
The search was the first official
admission that Mrs. Stoll not only
may be. but probably is, dead, VIC
tim of the beating administered TO
her by the kidnaper before he
dragged her away late Wednesday
afternoon, clad only in negligee and
thin coat.
Authorities refused to discuss the
purpose of the search with news
paper men, but a sergeant was
overheard as he ordered, Take OIL
YOUR coats, boys; we may have to
dig"
The search may be extended over
all jefferson county if authorities
are not satisfied with results today,
Harold Nathan, federal bureau OF
investigation assistant director, said
at this moons press conference.
Worried, He Admits
Mr.. Nathan, who admitted for the
first time since the crime that it
was a kidnapping for ransom, said
that he had no information which
would enable him to say definitely
whether Mrs. Stoll was alive or
dead, but indicated that he was
worried by the amount OF time
which had elapsed since the crime
without further developments. He
said that he had ordered the search.
The department Of justice Official,
who persisted in his formal denial
of any knowledge of a ransom note,
said that as far as he knew, no con-
tact had been made between the
kidnaper and the family. This
however, was believed to be part OF
his policy of denying, in all public
statements, that he was aware OF
the family's actions.
Even as the search was beginning,
however, word came from the Stol
home that members of the family.
keeping themselves in strict isola-
ton, still were hopeful that they
would receive word that Mrs. Stoh
was about to be returned.
This word was given to newspaper
men through William S. Kammerer,
attorney and close personal friend
of the Stolls.
Feared Work of Maniac
At the same time the Louisville
Herald-Post was stating in a copy
righted article that the kidnaper
originally intended to snatch"
Berry Stoll and that this accounted
for his long stay in the Stoll home
Wednesday afternoon.
This theory, however, failed to
take into account the kidnaper's
maniacal actions.
However, it would seem to be
supported by Mr.. Nathan's state
ment that the kidnapping was for
ransom, a statement which was
somewhat amazing in view Of the
growing belief here that the crime
had been the work of maniac or of
mentally unbalanced person with
a real Or fancied grievance against
the family.
Earlier in the morning The In
dianapolis Times had learned that a
discharged employee Of the Stoll Re
filming Company was under suspicion
in the case.
This man, of Germanic extrac-
ton, was discharged recently by
Berry Stoll and now is living in a
small town near the Ohio border
He is said to have made threats at
the time Of his discharge. These
came to light when investigators
began to work on a tip" that Mr.
Stoll had the reputation among
some of being harsh employer.
Frantic Appeal Made
Yesterday and last night, there
had been fearful silence, following
frantic appeal for the keeping Of
pledges made after the apparent
payment of $4,000 ransom in what
may be a tragic repetition Of the
Lindbergh case.
Two days had passed since Mrs.
Stoll was carried, pajama clad,