Evening star., 1938-12-01
Footprints Only Clue
To Girls Abductors:
F. B. |. Aid Is Asked
TrompIed School
Papers Discovered
At Scene

Footprints in the snow and tram
pied school papers appeared the only
clues today in the widespread search
for l8-year-old Mary Brown,
abducted convent student, who was
forced into a small black delivery
truck late yesterday by two men a
quarter of a mile from her home,
near Oxon Hill, Md.
Meanwhile, the only witness to
the abduction, the girls 15-year-old
sister, Lucy, was brought to WASH
ington by Capt Edward NICK. john
son of the Maryland State police.
Suspects Released.
Lucy Brown was unable to iden-
tify the two local suspects in
lineup at headquarters shortly
after noon. and they were released.
She described one of the abductors
as a swarthy foreign-looking man
of about 30, standing S feet 10
inches and weighing about ITS
pounds. She said he was dressed
as a laborer. This was the only
man she had a good look at, Lucy
said.
Investigators early this afternoon
considered asking the aid Of 200
C. C. c. enrollees in Southeast
Washington to comb the snowy
woods and fields in the area toward
which the abductors fled. The en-
rollees are in a camp on Anacostia
road and E streets Sc, few miles
from the scene of the abduction.
At the same time Federal Bureau
Of Investigation agents sought to
learn if the Lindbergh kidnapping
law or some other Federal statute
had been broken before deciding
whether to enter the case. Police
Court Judge Edward Curran,
friend OF the missing girls father,
this morning accompanied the latter
to the Department of Justice to ask
F. B. I. aid.
1t was learned later today at the
Office of j. Edgar Hoover, F. B. I.
director, that G-men have been in
structed to stand by in case some
definite evidence pointing to a Fed
eral violation is discovered.
1t was stated no such evidence has
been found so far. The F. B. l.,
however, will continue to watch de-
yelopments with q view to swinging
into action if developments war
rant.
Footprints Photographed.
A squad Of IL Maryland State
police, ordered out by Gov. Harry
Nice, went over the scene of the
abduction this morning and photo
graphed mems footprints found on
the side of the road in the snow,
slush and mud. Plaster casts were
taken, but may be valueless because
many persons had been over the
ground since the abduction, which
occurred about 4:45 O'Clock yester-
day, shortly before dusk.
The troopers found school papers
dropped by Mary as she struggled
with her assailants before they
pushed her into the front seat of
the truck and drove rapidly away
tn the direction of Oxon Hill and
Washington.
A man picked up in a light, black
delivery truck on Rhode Island ave-
nue. early today was released after
he accounted for his time yesterday
afternoon. Police also released an
other man arrested with the pair
now being held here.
He was the owner of a truck
which the others operated in Ana
costa and nearby Maryland, it was
said.
Capt. johnson arrived in Oxon
Hill about daylight this morning to
take over the search maintained all
last night by volunteer firemen,
Prince Georges County police and
neighbors of the Brown family.
Parents Aid Search.
The girls father and stepmother,
Mrs. Margaret O'Lone Brown, were
actively participating in the search
after sleepless night. Mrs. Brown
early this morninb broadcast an ap-
peal over two local stations for the
return of the girl.
Capt. johnson said his officers
were without any definite leads, but
were making systematic check of
the country roads and highways in
an effort to pick up some trace of
the truck in which Mary disap-
peared.
Lucy, who was Is yesterday, could
give only general description of
the two "foreign-looking, roughly
dressed men," and their truck. She
did not get the license number, and
could not say what State issued it.
Given Lift BY Friend.
Lucy and Mary left the business
school of the Notre Dame Academy
in Washington about $40 o'clock
yesterday afternoon, and took a
Congress Heights bus. They alighted
at Bungalow Hollow, a small settle
ment, about 3 miles from their
home.
A friend of the family, Ray Tice
Of Oxon Hill, gave them a lift to the
latter town. The girls, Lucy said.
their family automobile
parked in Oxon Hill. A sister, Mar
garet, had driven it there. 1t was
sunny afternoon and the two school
girls set out to walk the remaining
(See KIDNAPPING, Page A-6)