Evening star., 1938-12-02
Captors Wanted
Ransom, Says
Mary Brown
Victim, Back Home,
Tells Of Beating
By Kidnopers

llc UcllcA tlAdO 4osyCdl -O4O NAd1y
Brown was returned by kidnapers
because he could not pay ransom
was expressed today by the pretty
convent students father, William
B. Brown, as Maryland State police
intensified their hunt for three men
said by the girl to have beaten her
and held her captive in shack in
the country for day.
Mr.. Brown, an employe OF the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing,
told reporters this morning he was
convinced that Mary was kidnapped
by men who released her on learn
Ing he could pay no ransom. The
girl stumbled into her home near
Oxon Hill, Md, shortly after 10
o'clock last night, semi-hysterical
and only partially clothed, accord
ing to her father.
After nights rest she was in
terviewed this morning by Maj. E.
F. Munshower, superintendent of
Maryland State police, who took
charge of the investigation because
of the personal interest of Gov.
Harry Nice in the case.
BlindfOlded, She Says.
The girl explained she was blind
folded by her abductors and could
not describe them or the black
truck in which she was spirited
away Wednesday afternoon, or the
automobile in which she said she
was returned last night to a point
about half mile south of her home.
Neither could she give any clue
to the whereabouts of the shack
or hut in which she was kept pris-
oner, blindfolded and lying ON a
mattress, for more than "a hours.
She believed, however, that the
shack was in the country. not far
from her home The girl said she did
not hear the vehicles which took
her to and from her place of i'm
prisonment passing over city streets.
Maj. Munshower said the girl told
him:
"One of the men asked me, Does
your father have a good job?'
Il told him, No, he's just a poor
farmer i.
Then he said, In that case, we
don't want you'll"
Still Befuddled.
Maryland police today had been
unable to locate the place where the
girl was put out of the car. Maj.
Munshower said she appeared still
befuddled" and that he was con-
vinced she did not know where she
left the machine.
Mrs. Brown told Maj. Munshower
that when her daughter returned
she was clad only in a slip, under
wear, one shoe, stockings and ank-
lets. The stockings were in tatters,
as If the girl had run through the
woods. 1t was believed she must
have turned off the highway while
walking home or she would have
been seen by the troopers or spec
tators gathered in the vicinity.
Two suspects were arrested by
Washington detectives shortly be-
fore noon today as they returned
to their black truck parked at
Fourth and E streets NV. Capt.
Edward NICK. johnson of Maryland
State police was expected to ques-
tion the men later today. Their
truck resembles in a general way
the description of the one in which
Mary Brown was first reported car
ried of about 4:45 pm. Wednesday
as her sister Lucy, Is, ran across the
flelds to her home for help.
Sleeping in Truck.
The suspects explained they were
railroaders out of work. They said
they had been sleeping in the truck.
which contained blankets. Police
also suspected another black deliv-
cry truck spotted by traffic officer
at Seventh street and Constitution
avenue NV.
Still in bed this morning, but re-
covering from shock and exposure.
Mary related her story to Mai.
Munshower.
She said she believed there, were
three men in the truck in which
she was carried away. The third
man, Sne SAID, probably was in the
rear.
While the truck sped rapidly from
the scene, Mary said, she was blind
folded by handkerchief. They
drove rapidly for considerable time,
she told the police superintendent,
and the men with her did not speak,
although she asked them questions.
Kept Biindfelded.
The girl said she believed, from
the sound of the tires, that they
drove to q shack in the country.
She had no idea how far they
might have been from her home.
While in the shack, she said, she
was kept blndfolded. On two or
three occasions, the girl related, she