Evening star., 1938-01-19
GHOST RIDER PAID
RANSOM FOR ROSS
Delivery Boy Tells of Dash
on Motor Cycle to De.
liver $50, 900.
erecial Dispat tch to The Star.

AASCA- SAuCSBO yOuLI1 ClAQ COmpleLely
in white-sped over moonl!S country
roads at an S0-mile-an-hour clip on
q red-and-black mortor cycle to toss a
mysterious "Albie" the $4,000 in
blood" money paid in vain for the
return OF Charles 8. Ross.
Scared stiff" but spurred by q 5000
stipend he was offered to make the
ratsom delivery and the partial prom
ise OF Job and bonus, although the
latter two he never got, George
kukovac. 26-year-old delivery boy and
veteran cyclist, flung the futile $50, 1000
to the roadside five miles east of
lockwood. ILL.,, early the evening of
October 8.
Then. as ordered, Kukovac crashed
his cycle in nearby ditch and ambled
on afoot until picked up by police
man passing by in . sedan. In the
interim. however, a few hundred feet
to the rear the screeching tires of q
coupe. its light extinguished, making
an abrupt ~" turn near the spot
where he had thrown the ransom con-
vinced Kukovac he had carried out
his daredevil dash to successful COM
pletion.
Requested by Lawyer.
Kukovac. . motor cycnst for II
years. undertook the task, 1t was
learned, at the behest of Edmund s.
Cummings, jr., attorney for the Ross
family.
Kukovac related he first met Cum
mings when he received call from the
proprietor Of q neighborhood motor
cycle agency asking him to come In for
an appointment.
Cummings" Kukovac recited, told
me he would pay me Sc day for wait
Ing around for instructions from him.
Il was told the ransom was to be
paid by motor cycle rider who must
be riding q Harley Davidson motor
cycle and be dressed completely IN
white.
Then, October 8, about noon, !
got call from Cummings At his Of
flee No. g. man said that he had a
letter containing all instructions for
the payment of the ransom. I read
the letter and it was postmarked Sa-
wanna, III.
Instructions to Rider.
THE rider was instructed to ride
out route No. 6. The starting point
was to be Washington boulevard and
Austin boulevard and the rider was to
leave there at exactly 6 pm, ride
west on washington boulevard, route
No. 6, not to follow any automobiles
or stay in front of any cars. A pack
age was supposed to be in clear view
IN the saddle bags at all times or some
where on the machine so a person
could see 1t readily. The schedule for
the rider showed the towns the rider
would pass through on route No. 6, the
distance between each town in actual
mileage. the time schedule the rider
was to follow and il at any time he
arrived ahead OF his schedule at any
town he was to remain on the outskirts
SO that he could be in the next town
at the exact time of the schedule. The
schedule showed the rider to be due
In Rockford, Ill. at 8:45 pm
Cummings met me at Lombard
avenue and South boulevard at $50
that evening. Cummings had a large
package with him that he brought
to my motor cycle and attempted ia
put in the saddle bags, but they were
about a quarter OF an inch too small
to hold the package. which was
wrapped heavily in paper and ap-
peared to me to be square box OF
suit case wrapped up.
II told them to tie it on the buddy
seat with a rope Then I started Of.
II figured I was on Route No. g.
following instructions. Out Of Mel
rose Park the traffic thinned and there
was one or two cars in front of me
I went through Melrose Park at q
speed that would say of 55 miles an
hour and when got on the highway
out of Melrose Park I attained q
speed OF 80 miles an hour.
The signal set forth in the instruc-
tions was that in any part Of the
territory given in the schedule to be
followed by the rider the signal would
be the quick flashing of car lights on
and of bright beam, . pistol shot OF
. flashlight blinking in the bushes
along the roadside.
To Throw Money in Ditch.
If I observed any of these signals
I was to throw the money contained
tn the package quickly to my right
In the ditch, continue on about 300
feet and crash my motor cycle in the
ditch on the left side Of the road. ]
was not to look behind at any time
and was to get up on my feet and
walk in the direction was riding on
the left side of the road and continue
walking west until they passed.
Exactly 51-1o miles east of Rock
ford I got the light signals once, the
quick flashing Of the bright and dim
lights Of an automobile IS or 30 feet
behind me. gave no indication at
that time that was ready. Then !
again got the signal from q car about
so feet to the rear. They gave me
the lights on and off in a hurry and
pulled up to within 10 feet of where
I was and again gave the light signal.
I threw the package hurriedly to my
right. I was going between 80 and 40
miles an hour and shifted from third
to second speed and shifted to the
right running board of my motor cycle
and crashed 1t on its right side on
the left-hand side Of the road.
II stumbled and Immediately picked
myself up, shut the motor and lights
of the motor cycle and saw car
coming from the west. I let this car
pass from the west and heard q car
screaming down the road behind me
while making q " turn. It made q
U turn and sped back east. turned
around and saw there were no lights
on this car and I could not see its
color"
Kukovac recounted he then divested
himself of goggles and gauntlets.
lighted . cigarette and walked 800
feet when q Buick sedan stopped and
its occupant, q Rockford policeman,
took him to q gas station, where Ku-