davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
A-BOHllb
Claimed
For Reds

LONDONDERRY, Northern Ire
land, Jan 8 tAP)-An atom bomb
the size of a tennis ball which
renders the Anglo-American bomb
obsolete" has been developed by
Russian researchers, British SCI
enlist. Raphael E c, -Armat-
toe. announced today.
Dr.. Armattoe, director Of the
LomeShie research center for an
thropology and human biology,
said the Russian atom bomb al
ready had been tested and was
found 10 have a horizontal pulver-
iaztion range of SO miles and a
vertical lift of 60 miles.
The temperature generated
was in the neighbOrhood of sew
eral million degrees centri-
grade" DR.. Armattoe said, add
ing that the purported bomb
could he manufactured on a
mass production scale" -
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
Byrnes on Way
To London Talks

WASHINGTON, Jan. s tINS)
Secretary of State Byrnes was
en- route today TO the United Ma
tionS assembly in London faced
with defending the Moscow Big
Three agreement on atomic en-
ergy controls.
one of Byrnes' immediate pur-
poses was to assure Senator Van
denberg (R) of Michigan, a
u. S, delegate, that the United
States is not bound to expose
any of its hard-won scientific
secrets.
Earlier ByrneS set up a five
man committee headed by In
dersecretary of State Dean Ache
son whose duty will be TO study
the controls and safeguards" of
atomic and other possible weapons
OF mass destruction, and then said
that the u. S. delegation will meet
before the first UNO session 10
discuss a Joint attitude on all
questions raised, including atomic
energy
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
Suzanne Played
Christmas Angel

CHICAGO. Jan S (INS)-
Blond, blye-eyed Suzanne Deg
nan, 6-year-old victim of a kidnap-
murderer. today was described as
a perfect Christmas angel by
the nun who taught her in the
first grade at Sacred Heart
Academy.
Mother Superior s h e a h a n,
principal of the school, recalled
how Suzanne had appeared in a
school pageant al the Christmas
holidays.
"She fitted her role as a
Christmas angel perfectly"
Suzanne and her older sister,
Elizabeth, 10, had attended the
academy since last September
when they came here with their
mother. Mrs. Helen Degnan, from
Boston.
Mother Sheahan continued:
THE little one, especially,
was lively and full of fun. She
thought first grade was wonder
ful and was fond of all the
other pupils. They loved her,
too.
II just can't believe that such
a diabolical fate should befall
such a lovely and beloved child
as Suzanne. We are all stunned
by this blow"
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08

academy prayed for her safe re-
turn; today, the prayers were for
peace for the child's soul.
Degnan said later that he had
been awakened at 3 a. m. by the
barking of two Boxer dogs in the
apartment of A. Louis Flynn. an
attorney who occupied the second
floor apartment of the mansion
like dwelling. Then he heard his
daughter say:
IL don't want to get up now"
HOUR OF ABDUCTION
He said that he believed now
that the child had been abducted
at that hour.
The child, 50 inches tall and
weighing Is pounds, was carried
down seven-foot ladder which
was later found near the open
window Of her bedroom. Neigh
borS reported to police that they
heard a cry Of oops" at about
that hour and il may have been
that the kidnaper slipped with the
child and tried to reassure her
with the cry oops" as if her
excursion into the night was a
lark.
1t was possible that the killer
had possession of the body for
hours before he disposed of its
parts.
The only clues, police said,
were the two bags in which parts
OF the body had been placed be-
fore being thrown into the sewers,
iingerprintS found on the window
sill Of Suzanne's bedroom, the
makeshift ladder used by the kid
naper TO enter the girls room and
footprints in the soft earth under
the window.
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
Chang Forces
Take Coal Belt

WITH CHINESE GOVERN
MENT TROOPS TAKING OVER
JEHOL PROVINCE, Jan. s (UP)
Tu Innings n a tion a |
forces, pushing swiftly through
bitter cold on the heels of retreat
ing Communists, seized control of
the rich 70-mile Jehol coal belt
with the capture of two more
towns in the last AZ hours.
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
Network Carries
Father S Appeal

CHICAGO, Jan. S (lNS)-Un-
aware that the body Of his 6-year-
old daughter. Suzanne. lay hacked
to pieces in catchbaSins near her
home. James f. Degnan broadcast
nationwide radio appeals 10 the
child's kidnapers not to harm the
little girl.
Degnan tearfully made three re-
cordings at his home in which he
voiced his plea 10 the kidnaper. In
two of the messages. broadcast
over a national CHS hookup, the
distraught father appealed to his
daughter to be a good little girl. "
Then, he said:
IF Suzanne is listening,
please do as you are told; If you
do this know that no harm will
come to you"
Seated on the divan in the living
room of his spacious home and
with tears coursing down his
cheeks, Degnan said:
This is a very difficult thing
Il nave 10 say, iOT HOtnlnH llhe
this has ever happened to me in
my life before.
But somewhere there Is some
one who can tell me where my
daughter, Suzanne, Is and TO
that person say:
"H you have only the small.
est BIT Of pity and understanding
in your heart, you WiiI see that
our daughter Is returned to us at
once for the sake Of the child,
her mother, myself and for your
oWn self.
I'VE are WiIIing to do any
thing you Want to attain her re-
turn safely. We don't Want her
hurt in any wGy, for she is but a
child.
"H you wW contact us, and
tell us whers you want the
money sent We wM do IL irrms-
diateiy. God repay you If you
wiH take care Of our baby"
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
kidnapped Girl, 6,
Found Buafchered
Continued from Page one)

Edgewaer district on the north side where the victim
lived with her father, her mother Heen 35 and sister
Elizabeth 10 Her parents prostrated and many
hours before they knew their chd head had been hacked
off.
Police Commissioner John Prendergast, who stayed
up through the night to direct the search, said:
"The killer a terribly sadstic criminal whom
have to believe drained the chd's body of
blood"
Police said they questioning seven suspects,
three of whom anitors in buildings the Degnan
home.
One suspect a 17-year-od grocery clerk, was taken
into custody after neighbors reported he slightly
demened and might have had to ceaver other
sharp implement
In of several telephone calls to the Degnan
home where detectives had tapped wires, a de-
manded the and said he had lock of Suzannes
hair and part of her blue paamas Police said the
man had called the home late yesterday.
Investigators said they found the victims chest
two black hairs, believed to be those of male Negro
which were to be chemically anayzed.
The fact that no blood stains were found near anv
of the sewers led Commissioner Prendergast to express
belief that the killer had drained the body of blood
Police said 1t apparent too that the room where
the ehilds bod was mutifated somewhere in the
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08

Suzanne was dead.
The priest. pastor of ST. Ger
trude's Church, which the Degnans
attended, did not tell the parents
that the child's head had been
hacked from her body nor that the
body had been completely dismem-
bered.
Those who witnessed the scene
inside the Degnans' spacious home
said that it was heart-rending.
CALLED INTO ROOM
Fr. Kearney, accompanied by
Police Inspector Ed Daley. walked
into the home and called the Deg
mans into a room where they could
have privacy. Fr. Kearney said:
How strong is your faith, my
children ."
Mrs. Degnan replied:
"My faith Is strong. father"
There was moments pause as
the Degnans looked hopefully yet
Ifearfully at their pastor.
Finally, Mrs. Degnan said:
lis she all right, father"
The priest shook his head.
Mrs. Degnan asked:
''Is she hurt, father?"
Fr. Kearney shook his head
again.
PARENTS UNDERSTAND
The Degnans understood. Mrs.
Degnan bent over with the weight
of her grief, and wept. Degnan,
trying TO control himself, put his
arm around his wife.
Mrs. Degnan said:
II understand, father"
Then, another pause and the
mother pleaded:
"Was she disfgured, father?"
Fr. Kearney could only answer:
"No."
He apparently believed that
news the child was hacked to
pieces would have completely un-
nerVed the mother and he spared
her that blow.
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08

Degnan childs kidnap-slayer is
evident.
FAMILIAR WITH SCENE
No professional criminal wants
a baby on his hands. II is too
easy to injure the baby There IS
always danger OF death. Under
the Lindbergh Law. this opens the
way to the death penalty for the
abductor.
OF course some plans were lald.
some scheme was hatChcd. The
.kidnaper had 10 know intimately
the area surrounding the house.
He had 10 Know the bedroom
where little Suzanne slept.
1t is obvious that the big time
gangster would have investigated
thoroughly the financial ability of
Suzanne's family. The apparent
lack of knowledge on the part Of
the kidnaper again points 10 the
novice
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
Russians Print Bible

NEW YORK, Jan. s tINSD-An
NBC correspondent reported from
Moscow today that the Greek
Orthodox church has published
the first Bibles TO be printed in
Russia since the 1917 revolution.
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
Priest Softens Death Messages:
Fears To Reveal
Murder Details

CHICAGO, Jan. s QNS) A parish priest the
first today to tell Mr. and Mrs James Degnan that their
kidnapped daughter, Suzanne, had been killed.
The Degnan home was the scene of poignant drama
when the Rev. Fr George Keaey called to the resi-
dence to break the to the parents that 6yearo
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
OTHER MARKS or NOVICE

The kidnap note in the middle
of the floor where il might easily
have blown out the window shows
the mental confusion and lack OF
a d equate preparation for the
crime on the part Of the kidnaper.
This in tuTn points away from
the professional who works
quietly, quickly and deliberately,
Tho hardened criminal, well
aware that the ground was soft
from melting SNOW aUd TdTH,
would have left his shoes on tho
walk and StFPFFa NJ stocking ieeJ
along the cement path and up
the ladder into the FeeHa ST.
Zanne's kldnaper didn't think OF
this. He kept his shoes on
Last of all the lidn4ncr- de-
manded $4,000 in s. bills. Tins
would he a stack approximately
one and a half feet high. so pro-
fessionai would be buTdencd on
his getaway with such a bundle.
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
Reds Ge+ Prize Ships

LIVERPOOL, England. Jan. s
QNS)-Nearly 800 Soviet seamen
have arrived in Liverpool to take
over war prize vessels destined
for Russia.
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
88 Planes Join Parade

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 lINS)
-Eighty-eight army planes will
form a cover over the New York
City victory parade of 1900 war
veterans on Fifth avenue Sat-
urdaY.
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08

" y" Chicago Baby Abduction Like kindbergh Case

each sleeping child taken from bed and
spirited down adderone of whose had been replaced
by makeshft Other smlaries:
Both small victims died shortly after the abduction
Both discovered when the father to the chids
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08

CHICAGO JAN S QNS)-Crime experts today
pointed striking similarity between the horrifyng
hdnapmurder of 6year-od Suzanne Degnan and of the
infant Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr, March l. 1882,
from his Hopewel ~ j.. home
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
BY ROBERT DREHER

CHICAGO Jan. QNS)-Whoever Kidnapped Suzapne
Degnan is a novice and mentally unbalanced.
No hardened professional kidnaper would have
mtted this fendish crime in such a manner.
Whoever did it must have realized the enormity Of his
crime Cornered and desperate tortured mind and vso
ing police and FBI pursuit he carved hacked her body
to pieces.
He could see no other way out.
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08

This conclusion is based on the
facts that thus far have been de-
veloped and made known by the
police. And what are these fact ?
Suzanne was stolen from her
rear bedroom at approximately 3
O'Clock in the morning. She was
away without other
clothes than her pajamaS. The
ransom note was left lying in
the middle of the floor. During
the actual kidnapping, she was
awakened sufficiently so that she
protested that she did not want
to get up then.
PRINTS LEFT AT SCENE
Muddy footprints were 1eft on
the ladder, on the walk outside
the house and in her room.
Fingerprints were discovered at
various places on the kidnap
scene.
Her father Is not wealthy
man and. so was as is known,
does not appear 10 have wealthy
connections but the ransom note
demanded $4,000 in S. bills.
These are the facts,
How many kidnapings of the
past have been perpetrated by the
hardened crlminal2 Very few.
RECORDS AID SEARCH
Best known are the kidnapping
of Jake the Barber Factor by
the Tuohy gang and the famous
Urschel kidnapping by the Barker
karpls gang
Two OF the most brutal kid.
napings as yet unSolved are the
Matsen and the Lepine=kidnap-
.inEs.-0ne of the greatest diff
culties preventing the solution OF
the Matson and Levine cases is
the failure 10 find "A prior criminal
record of any one believed con-
nectcd with the crimes.
Even with some evi d e n c e,
Identification has been prevented
if not made impossible.
Again, the desperateness Of the
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08

In the Lndbegh case the ladder led eventually to Bruno
Richard Hauptman amateur carpenter and helped cnch
the which him to the electric chair The ladder
the Degnan looms principal clue.
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
Ex-FBI Man Tells Why:
BluHlgIing Novice
Killed Suzanne

EDITORS NOTE: The foLoong enijghtcoig article has
been orteH especially for the International Ncr Serre W Robert
Drhe special Of the Federal Bureau Of Hucsga
ton pracng dW ia Chicago analysing the circumstances
of the kidnapping Of Suzanne Degnan service 10 The bc)
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
Labor Awaits
Truman Report

CONTINUED from Page ons)
urged the plan. saying it would
bring a speedier victory.
II recommendations by the
Presidents fact-fnding commit
tee are not acceptable TO both
union and management. the
UAW-CIO may be forced 10
change its strategy from block
aiding GM 10 a nationwide strike.
Fac t-finding recommendations
are expected to be made today
or tomorrow.
The AFL established picket
lines at the Dodge plant Friday
and again yesterday iF-aH- eHeft
20 organize drivers who deliver
completed trucks to Dodge dealers.
"AFL drivers have refused To
drive from the Dodge plant any
new trucks at all unless the
company insists that all Dodge
dealers use AFL drivers only"
a corporation spokesman said.
AFL WARNING
"The AFL warned the COM
pany that 10 would close all
Chrysler plants unless the cor
poration granted its demands"
Nat Ganley, national commit
teemsn of the Communist party
and business agent for Local 155,
UAW-CIO. said that all Commu-
nists within the union and their
cohorts favor extending the GM
strike TO tool and die plants sup
plying the Ford Motor Co. imme-
diateiy.
He said he didn't favor an i'm
mediate strike in tool shops sup
plying the Chrysler Corp. but
intimated II should be extended to
include Chrysler ultimately"
EXPECTS LOCKOUT
In the event of an attempted
lockout by Chrysler. however,
Ganley said he favored turning
the lockout into a strike.
Negotiations were resumed be-
tween GIN and the UAW.CIO yes
terday with subordinate officials
Of both the union and the corpo-
ration conducting the discussions.
Walter p. Reuther, chief of the
unions GM division, was in Wash
ington awaiting a call from the
Presidents fact-finding committee.
Abe Zuierdling and E. S. Pat
terson of Reuther's staff repre-
sented the union in the negotia-
tons.
H. w. Anderson, GM director of
personnel. and Harry Coen, direc-
tor Of industrial relations. did not
attend the meeting. sending a
staff headed by L. C. Seaton, a
personnel executive, to represent
the corporation.
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08
DEAD AT THE TIME

Then he told Suzanne TO be a
good girl Suzanne was probably
dead then.
Her father, a graduate Of Holy
Cross University and a native OF
Boston, discovered the child was
missing when he went TO her room
at 1880 a. m. yesterday TO awaken
her for her first-grade classes at
Sacred Heart Academy While the
child was missing, nuns at the
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08

found the bed and crib respectively empty the window
open and the rickety ladder leaning against the wall
multi tithousand demanded in each
$4,000 in the Lndbergh Kidnapping $4,000 in the Degnan
abduction
Detroit evening times., 1946-01-08

fashionable neighborhood.
Police declined to say what led
them TO search the sewers when
1t looked at first that the child
might have been the victim of
an actual kidnap for ransom.
Large crowds had gathered in
the vicinity of the Degnan home
during the night as one grueSome
find after another was made.
THREAT OF LYNCHING
Many shouted that the killer
should be lynched. Others cried
openly as If they had lost their
own daughter and many pleaded
for police protection for their own
children until the killer is found.
Even normally hardened detec-
tiVeS were unashaned or tearSt
Police, IN reconsrructinG the
crime. believed that the kidnaper
had killed Suzanne a few minutes
after he snatched her from her
bedroom on the first floor Degnan
apartment The girl. when alb
Quoted, wore only thin pair of
pajamas. No trace of the pa
jamas have been found.
Thus, the child was dead even
while her father spent d great
deal of yesterday making radio
recordings to appeal to the kid
naper. The father, although he
did not possess the $4,000, said
he would raise the money some
how: He asked for safe return OF
his daughter.
Evening star., 1946-08-07
Jap Says Russians
Held Up Surrender
BY ihe Assccioted Press

TOKYO, Aug. Admiral Keis-
uke Okada, key figure in the sur
render campaign of a year ago, to-
day said Soviet officials knew six
months before Russia entered the
Pacific war of Japans desire to sur
render but gave no indication of
having transmitted pleading" peace
feelers to Russias Allies.
The former Premier and elder
statesmen gave his behind-the
scenes version in what he said was
his first interview with a foreign
correspondent since the occupation.
An official representative of the
foreign Office made the first peace
overtures in February, 1945. during
conversations with the Soviet Am
bassador. to Japan, Okada asserted
''Russia's part in the Pacific war
had nothing to do with Japan's
desire to sue for peace" said the
spry 79-year-old admiral on the
eve of the anniversary of surrender.
Peace could have come many
months earlier if Russia had
promptly relayed japanese re-
quests"
Okada said other peace overtures,
which likewise remained unan-
swered until the Potsdam declara-
ton, were made through the Japa-
nese Ambassador in Moscow.
Okada, once commander in chief
of the combined fleets and reputedly
a confidant of the Emperor, said
Koki Hirota held four peace con-
versations in February. 1945, with
v. Malik, then Soviet Ambassador.
Evening star., 1946-08-07
D. C.. Marine Recalls Londjno
4 Years Ago at GuodoIconoI

| the Matanikau. when the Japs
vainly attempted to overrun Marine
positions with tanks and wild
charges. Corpl. Smiths battery
fired 1000 shells into the enemy
ranks.
That was our contribution tc
the nights work." he said.
Member Of Reserve Battalion.
Corpl. Smith, who graduated from
George Washington High Scool, AL
exandria, in 1888, was in Col. Harvey
l.. Miller's 5th Reserve Battalion
"a Tuesday might drill outfit unit
the emergency began-from 1887
Members of the battalion earned
themselves fighting record wher
hostilities began.
He was married to Ruth Bauer ir
August, 1914, when he had been ir
the United States only two months
He was discharged last October or
points-l13 of them earned in battle
on Tulagi, Guadalcanal, New Guinea
and New Britain.
Il put up with civilian life unit
March this year, Corpl. Smith said
But I just couldn't get used to it
and, besides, the cost OF, living is toe
high. / re-enlisted in March, ane
now I'm back home.
Sure, I thought about Guadal.
Evening star., 1946-08-07
By Jerry O'Leory. Jr,

-Four years ago today. as the Ma
rine-packed transport Neville hove
TO off an island called Guadalcanal,
a Washington Leatherneck named
William E. Smith gazed at the
shell-torn shore, where thousands
of Japanese lay waiting, and wor-
ried about the preponderance of
rice in his diet.
Before long, Artilleryman Smith
was worried that the rice would not
hold out.
Back home now, happily married
to a girl he met two years ago and
stationed in the comparative COM
fort of the Navy Gun Factory's
Marine barracks, Corpl. Smith re-
called this morning, like many
another Washington veteran, the
August 7, in 1912, when the 1st
Marine Division began the assault
on Guadalcanal
Before I left the States, I never
heard of Guadalcanal," Corpl.
Smith, who lives at 1751 L street
NE, said, land neither had any,
body in my outfit. ...
Like Any Other Island.
"When we first saw it, lying in a
cloud of morning mist and gun
smoke, it looked just like any other
island. Only we knew the Japs
were there, and we didn't have any
choice but to 60 on in there and
fight them.
1T was rather thrilling after
ward to look back and think that
we were the first Americans to in
wade any Japanese-held territory.
but it was no thrill then. The
whole thing became a miserable,
hand-to-mouth existence without
enough food, without enough men
but with too many things to do"
Corpl. Smith, now rs. contracted
malaria, as did most of the 1st
Division, and still suffers recurrent
attacks. He was not wounded be-
cause, as he said, II was ammuni-
tion corporal in an artillery bat
terry. We didn't get hurt often. but
we did an awful lot of damage to
the Nips."
In the famous second battle OF
Evening star., 1946-08-07
Boys Forum Learns
How 10 Start Bill in
Senate Caucus Room

The American Legion boys forum
on the Federal Government, COM
posing. government OF SO stalwart
'teen-agers. invaded the Senate
caucus room today to learn proceed
ure on introducing a bill.
After an explanation on legislative
procedures by Senator Thomas,
Democrat, of Oklahoma and Gov.
Cherry, Democrat, of North Carolina
the boys debated on issues they chose
yesterday when a platform for their
president, Senator John Doe of
Ohio" was approved.
The boys, brought here by the
American Legion from all the States
for a flve-day closeup view of politics
and government, selected a platform
after holding mock political con-
vention at American University.
Planks approved are continuation
Iof the draft; Observation-Disclosures
of atomic energy, except those
secrets necessary not only to oui
security, but to the peace of the
world; continuation of Western
Hemisphere security through a
united Western Hemisphere so.
clety": removal of troops from
China TO stabilize world peace; in.
ternationalization of all islands cap.
tured during the war to prevent
establishment of enemy bases, crea.
ton of a school of statecraft ane
diplomacy comparable to West Point
and Annapolis, and exchange O.
students to increase internationa
understanding
Voted down was an attempt tx
abolish the poll tax for fear o.
protest from the Southern bloc, ane
the plank asking for stricter con
troll of motion pictures and htera.
ture on the morals issue The lattel
was turned down because it wa.
believed it would create too much
Government control.
Later this afternoon the boys
expect to visit j. Edgar Hoover
director of the Federal Bureau OF
Investigation; j. Monroe johnson
of the Office of Defense Transporta-
ton, and Attorney General Clark,
Tomorrow they will visit the
Supreme Court, the Department oi
Interior and the Federal Security
Agency The boys will visit Presi-
dent Truman at GAS am. Friday at
the White House.