The daily monitor leader., 1945-12-24
FBI


| NOuSuoCo AsVsss $50 OsAO
Crosse Pointe last Wednesday
He called from q Chicago hotel
(The Palmer House) that eve.
ming and told Mrs. Beh he would
be in Muskegon Thursday night
and would return " Detroit on
Friday.
His body, pierced by IS cali
Der revolver slug, was found
slumped in the right front seat
of his automobile at about 8 am.
Friday, about IL miles north OF
here. Funeral service for Beh
will be held Wednesday in Law
renceburg. Ind.
In Washington, j. Edgar Hoov-
er said Smith and a companion.
Boleslas Walter Czaklpwski, 18,
were captured at Blue Island,
ILL.,, Saturday.
FORD NEIGHBOR
Beh was a neighbor of Henry
Ford, II.
Both men are now being held
in Chicago. and later today,
Hoove said, will be charged
with kidnapping. He added that
'prosecutive action for the other
offenses is under consideration"
Hoover. director of the FBI,
gave this version Of how Beh
met his death on December 20:
Beh picked up Smith in Chi
cago, where Smith was attempt
ing to hitch-hike a ride. Near
Holland, Mich. Smith pulled a
. gun on Beh and told him to
turn over his money.
Beh tried to talk Smith out of
robbing him. That started a
scuffle, and Beh was shot in the
side with a AS calibre revolver
which Smith had stolen at
Camp Robinson, Ark.
Hoover said Czajkowski was
not involved in Beh's death.
WEEK OF CRIME
But. he said. both Smith and
Czackkowski had confessed to a
busy seven days during which
they took part in seven kid
napings and robberies.
Hoover gave this account Of
the pairs travels:
They escaped from Camp Rob-
inson on Dec. IA after overpow-
ering a military guard, taking
his carbine and stealing two
army uniforms.
When stopped by three mill
tary police. they used the car
bine to relieve the M. P.'s of
two revolvers.
They picked up a ride with
Fred Keller, Enid. Okla. assist
ant to the president of Phillips
University. Keller picked them
up near Searcy. Ark. and they
forced him to drive them to St.
Louis. There they robbed him
Of $40.
ROB SAILOR
They caught a ride with a
discharged sailor. Kenne h
Swanson, of Libbertyville. Ill.
On the outskirts of Chicago.
they robbed him Of $500 and
personal belongings and forced
him out of the car. They drove
on into Chicago, and there aban-
doned the automobile.
On Dec. ID they took a train
to Gary. Ind. then resumed
their hitch-hiking. This time
near Indiana Harbor, Jerome D.
Brennan was their victim. He
was relieved Of sos, wrist
watch, and then was abducted.
He was forced out Of his car in
Chicago.
A day later the two deserters
were back on a train. this time
bound for Cary. Ill. There they
hitch-hiked a ride with Standley
Anderson, of Lake Geneva, Wis.
They forced him to drive them
to Crystal Lake, ILL.,, where
Smith picked up his brother,
Leonard Smith. who rode with
them for a short time.
Smith and Czajkowski later
robbed Anderson of 50 and his
Christmas presents. He, too, was
forced out of his car in Chicago.
It was the next day, the goth.
that Smith hitch-hiked a ride
with Beh, Hoover said. Beh was
sales representative of the
Breeze Corp, In Newark, N. j.
His body was found in his car,
which was driven off the high
way.
Smith next hitch-hiked to
Grand Haven, Mich. Later he
was picked up by Richard Mil.
ewski and Rose Leone McCor-
mick, both of Holland, Mich.
Smith forced Milcwski to