Evening star., 1936-07-18
EX-CH|EF SILENT
IN K|DNAP BLAME
S25,C00 "Cut" for st. Paul
Official Mentioned by
Hamm Case Witness.
6y the Associated Press.


ST. PAUL. July ia confessed
kidnaper's declaration that former
Police Chief Tom Brown was figured
by gangSters for a $25,00o "cut" In
proceeds of the 100000 William
Hamm kidnapping was met with silence
by the accused man today, as Safety
Commissioner Gus BarfusS announced
he would follow Browns suspension
from the department with a full in
veStigation.
Il have nothing to say" was Browns
reply to the accusation, made yester-
day by Byron Bolton. Government
witness in the trial of John P. Peifer.
former st. Paul night club owner,
charged with participating in the kid
naping
Said Barfuss:
When the trial is concluded, Brown
will be given an opportunity to ex-
plain. II further investigation shows
he had any association with the kid
napers or kidnapping, not proper for a
police officer, he will be discharged
and all information which We gather
and which the Federal Government
has obtained will be used in prosecu-
tion.'
Suspended for Inquiry.
Half an hour after Bottoms witness
stand declaration. Barfuss suspended
Brown from his post as head of the
police automobile theft department
without prejudice" pending further
inquiry.
United States District Attorney
George F. Sullivan said, I'VE are moi
doing anything about 1t. The Fedora
Bureau of Investigation is the in.
vestigating department. Our job is ons
Of prosecution.
Both the Lindbergh act and State
laws are outlawed in three years in 4
kidnapping case. In the Hamm abduc-
ton, the offense itself was outlaweo
June 19. (Hamm was freed June 18
1889.
1T might be possible to extend
the statute until the time of the las'
activity in changing the money hae
been accomplished"
Bolton testified that when the kid.
napers divided the ransom money or
July 25. 1888, at hideout in Lone
Lake, Ill, the bank notes already had
been exchanged for good money" al
least a week before, at Reno, New.
Division of Money.
He said that at the meeting FREQ
Goetz, alias George Shotgun" zieg-
Ter, later slain by the gang, "askec
Peifer to stay over a few days, after
the split-up was made, and Peifer said
No, I have this 10000 and q lot o.
it doesn't belong to me. and I wan
to get back to st. Paul with it
II received $780," the witness con.
tinued Each of the others who tool
part in the kidnapping itself got $500
SIS, 600 was set aside for Tom Brown
and $4,000 for Peifer."
Peifer, Bolton said, told the gans
he had gotten word from Brown Il
take the people, Freddie Barker ane
Paula Harmon" out of q hideou
house in an exclusive residential dis
trict Of St. Paul.
"Peifer said that Brown got a cal
from some people to investigate the
occupants and that they were goins
to raid the house." Bolton testified
"Peifer said he went to the house anc
instructed them to leave"
Government witnesses said Alvir
Karpis, Freddie Barker and Arthur
Ooc) Barker. leaders of the kidnar
gang, lived in the house with asso-
ciateS several weeks before the crimt
was committed.
At the time Of the kidnapping Johr
Mcdonald was st. Paul public safety
commissioner, Thomas Dahill chief ol
police and william Mahoney mayor.