Imperial Valley press., 1934-12-14

agreed to pursue the chase through
him.
Curtis became the busiest man in
the United States. He left Norfolk
on series of mysterious journeys
carrying him to New York, Phila-
! delphia and other northern cities.
DobSon-Peacock, the enthusiastic
clergyman, went with him upon oc-
easion, and became Curtis contact
man with the press. Col Charles
A. Consolvo, Baltimore hotel owner,
offered the use of his yacht, the
Maroon, to carry the negotiators to
sea in an attempt to meet the kid
naperS.
In the closing week of March and
all through April, the Maroon
steamed off the Virginia Capes with
a picked crew. Aboard were Col.
Lindbergh, Curtis, and E. B. Bruce,
an Elmira manufacturer who had
faith, as a lifelong friend, in the
Norfolk boat builder.
Each of these trips was futile. But
each night, after the tired investi-
gators had landed, Curtis went
| away to one of his mysterious rem
devious, to return with encourage
ment.
Made Up Names
The imaginative melodrama de-
veloped rapidly. In bungalow near
Freeport, Va, Curtis said he actual
ly met the gang-and a piratical
crew it was. The leader was one
known only as Dynamite" or
"Dyn" for short. His henchmen
were John" and Eric" His shore
managers were his wife, "Hilda
and his sister-in-la "Inez."
The child, Curtis learned" was
on board two master Gloucester
fisherman, powered by Fairbanks
Morse motors, and capable of doing
IA knots. The ships hull was dark
green, so dark it looked black,
and 1t carried sails and bowsprit
rigging.
Communication between the crew
of the phantom ship and those on
shore was carried on through "Inez'
who had portable radio set, car
ried from point to point along the
Virginia shores in small auto
mobile.
Made Up Yarns
"Hilda says he has contacted
Dynamite, and he heard our en-
gines today, but didn't dare tc
make the transfer because of the
coast guard" he would explain
And he added another dramtit
touch to his story.
1.-THE gang is the same gang that
took the ransom money from
Jafsie," he declared. "I, myself
have actually handled some of the
ransom bills"
Thinking the yacht Maroon per.
haps might be too well known, Col
Lindbergh transferred his activitie.
to another ship the Cachelot. Tht
fruitless chase proceeded.
On the afternoon of May IL, the
Colonel and his group were off the
capes again, still hunting the elusive
Gloucester fisherman. Back ir
Hopewell, William Allen and Orvillt
Williams, Negro truck drivers, were
driving along a dirt road four miles
from the Lindbergh home.
Allen entered the underbrush OF
matter of highly personal busi.
ness. He returned to his truck
trembling.
The two men hurried to Hope.
we'll, informed the police of the
discovery, and guided them to {
shallow grave. The body of Charles
A. Lindbergh, with a tiny hole il
the skull, was taken from beneath
covering of earth, leaves anc
branches. The child had been deac
for more than two months.
Word was telegraphed to the coast
Bruce, the Elmira manufacturer
received the news on board the
Cachelot and informed Col. Lind
bergh that all hope of recovering
his infant son was now gone.
The colonel, motionless, stared
out to sea where he had strained
anxious eyes looking for q ship that
had no existence except in the fan
tastic imagination of John Hughes
Curtis.
On shore, he met the Norfolk
boat builder.
Curtis" he said calmly, 81 want
you to come to Hopewell with me.
TOmorrow-Means, the Genial