Evening star., 1935-07-14
Margaret Valley Found
Guilty on Two Counts in
WeyerhaeuSer Case.
LIFE Imprisonment
POSSIBLE ON EACH COUNT
Feared Acquittal After Told She
Faced State Trial and Death
Penalty.
BY the Associated Press.


TACOMA. Wash, July 13.-Nine-
teen year-old Margaret Valley was
convicted swiftly of both "Lindbergh
law and conspiracy charges by
Federal jury here today for her al
legedly unwilling participation in the
100000 kidnapping of curly-haired
George Weyerhaeuser.
In hours and 45 minutes a jury
of 10 men and 2 women waded
through legal technicalities to reach
| the decision:
l. The 9-year-Old timber fortune
heir had been taken across the Wash
! ington-I Idaho line by his kidnapers.
thus warranting application of the
''Lindbergh law"
| 2. She assisted actively in trans
! porting the boy across the State line.
! 3. She actively conspired, despite
4 her protestatioEs to the contrary, with
her husband, Harmon M. Valley, and
the fugitive William Dainard, alias
Mahan. to snatch the boy and collect
/ 100000 ransom
Shows No Emotion.
The plump young woman. described
by her attorneys as a child Of ablect
poverty. took the verdict without a
flicker of emotion.
/ Federal Jucge E. E. Cushman Sc
/ next Wednesday morning for pro-
nouncement of sentence. The jurist.
who sentenced Valley to As years in
prison on a plea Of guilty to similar
/ charges, gave no inkling of what his
| judgment woulc be.
| Life sentences are possible on both
charges. On the other hand, the Law
| sets no minimum
! Mrs. Valley said in a statement:
/ Il am satisfied with the verdict as
I told the truth and tried to plead
| guilty. I did not know ! was in a
criminal conspiracy until my husband
was involved in it, after which I went
through with it rather than betray the
man 1 love"
Feared AcquittaL.
! Earlier. sitting in the court room
waiting for the Judge to enter. she had
bitten her lips nervously as she talked
with United States Marshal A. j.
Chitty and kneaded a green-edged
handkerchief in her fingers.
Chitty quoted her as saying:
My goodness. 1 hope that jury
doesn't acquit me"
Her attitude in this respect had
been described by her attorney, John
F. Dore, the result of warnings by
Federal agents that she would be tried
under a State law providing the death
penalty unless she subjected herself
to Federal jurisdiction.
Thrice she had attempted to plead
guilty, but Judge Cushman rejected
that and ordered the trial which ended
SO swiftly today.
Judge Cushman was called upon
twice by the jury for additional IN
structions to lead them through the
legal conceptions OF conspiracy and
the transportation of the youth IN
interstate commerce.
Prosecutor Gives Warming.
CoincidentaI with the verdict.
United States Attorney j. Charles
Dennis issued statement saying:
On behalf of the Department of
Justice, I hereby serve notice upon
each and every member of the under
world that any assistance. aid, or en-
couragement given to the fugitive Will
| Doiv0o Nd ~ Naru-icn LyVNntIyy1 Pil1
Mahan, will be followed by indictment
and prosecution to the full extent Of
the law"
THE Tacoma Daily Ledger said to-
night it was informed "on good au-
thority" that Dainard would be cap
tured or killed by Federal Bureau of
Investigation agents within two days.
The Ledger said that word that the re-
lentless army of G-men are closing IN
on Dainard followed Dennis ulti-
matum to underworld characters aid
ing the fugitive)
The contention of Mrs. Valley that
she was under the domination of her
husband had brought a announcement
from Government attorneys, who said
she thus had been trying to hide be-
hind the Mormon religion TO escape
punishment.
Judge Cushman instructed the jury
that a persons religious creed could
not be recognized as a defense.
Valley recently pleaded guilty to
similar charges and was sentenced to
As years in prison.
Pictured as Gangster "MOll."
Assistant United States Attorney
Owen P. Hughes, in his summation.
pictured the blond Mrs. Valley as a
cold -blooded gangster mol"
John F. Dore, former mayor of
Seattle and chief defense attorney, de-
Tended the young wifes religion claim
and her witness stand statement that
she feared to interfere with the kid
naping because of threats by Manan.
The defense attorney brought Mrs.
Valleys family and economic back
ground into his argument when he
declared she was the child of father
who has no occupation other than
filling up the house with children he
can't support"
He said he did not consider the
100000 ransom important-"from
some one who can afford it"-and ce-
clared that to convict the young
woman would be a worse crime than
theft of the money.
People who Judge girl like this
with an empty stomach" Dore as
serted, ought to have empty stomachs
themselves"
Testimony in the trial, which
started Tuesday. ended yesterday
when the Government concluded a