Evening star., 1935-06-02
PICKED "C' SQUAD
HUNTS K|DNAPERS
Technique Successful in
Other Drives Used by
Hoover.
BY REX COLLIER.

lnvestigative technique which proved
successful in rounding up other major
kidnap gangs is being brought into
use by special squad of picked
agents assigned to the Weyerhaeuser
case by j. Edgar Hoover, director OF
the Federal Bureau of Investigation
With Hoover directing operations
by telephone remote control from
his Office here. agents who won in a
battle of wits with such notorious
snatch" gangsters as Harvey Bailey
Machine Gun" Kelly and the Barker
brothers were freed of all restraint
with the safe return of 9-year-old
George WeyerhaeuSer.
Impatiently they had been standing
by in Difference to the pleas of the
frantic parents and in accordance with
the bureaus established policy OF
avoiding any move that might imperll
the safety of kidnap victim.
AS soon as word of the boys release
was flashed to Hoover al his desk in
the Department of Justice yesterday
the wires sent back prompt word that
1.-The lid IS Off" and vhe Federal men
Immediately swung into unbridled
action.
Censorship on Activities.
A strict censorship was clamped on
news of the agents LndercoVer oper-
ations-an important feature OF the
secret strategy practiced by the bu-
reau in the Lindbergh, Urschel,
Bremen and other big-time abduction
cases.
The bureaus motto is "get your
man-talk afterward.' Not until the
perpetrators of the Tacoma crime are
in custody will officials discuss their
investigation. All that Hoover would
say for publication was that the VIC
tim was safe at home. He refused to
discuss the ransom payment or to
comment on unofficial reports that
Alvin Karpis or other known kidnap-
ers we're suspected.
If Karpis committed the kidnapping
he has grown indiscreet-a trait he
has failed to exhibit up to now. The
Weyerhaeuser boy is quoted as saying
his kidnapers called themselves
Harry. Bill and Alvin" and gave
him newspapers carrying accounts OF
the kidnapping. Most newspapers at
that time were emblazoned with
stories attributing the abduction to
Alvin Karpis. Persons familiar with
Karpis' way Of doing business cannot
readily believe he would allow his
companions to call him ALVIN" IN
the presence Of young Weyerhaeuser
a boy of more than average intelli-
gence. If some one other than Karpls
and his crowd held the boy, however
1t might be to their interest to direct
suspicion on the so-called No. pub
lie enemy.
Mail Angle Stressed.
Although preliminary statements
Of the boy indicate he was not car
ried out of the State OF Washington
the bureau will continue its inquiry
under provisions of the Federal law
which make it a crime to send ran
som notes through the mails and
which raise presumption of inter-
state transportation of the victim il
he is held for more than seven days
II the kidnapers are arrested. there
fore, they will be charged with viola
ton of the Federal "Lindbergh law.
which provides death for kidnapers
who mistreat their victims and up to
life imprisonment for those who dc
not harm their captives.
Karpis, wanted for the Bremen kid
naping. and Thomas H. Robinson, jr.
kidnaper of Mrs. Berry Stoll of Louis
vile. KY, are the two most important
fugitives on the bureaus list OF
wanted kidnapers. The name of
Irish" O'Malley, sought for nearly
two years as ringleader of the Luer
kidnapping in Illinois, was crossed off
the list a few days ago upon his cap
ture in Kansas City, Mo.