| Show ANG MAY FREE OCONNELL O'CONNELL IN NEW YORK n CITY Postmarks irks on Two tN Notes Rec Received iv d by byI i I Family Give Clue olice Find Underground Cell in Hunt Hunt- for Financiers Financier's Financiers Financier's Financiers Financier's Finan Finan- ciers cier's Kidnapers U By A Associated Press Pres A belief was held today in an Albany F r that kidnapers of or John J. J OConell OCon ell eli l Jr mem member r of ot a politically pow pow- pow pow-I f family might free him in New rork City Bolstering this feeling was tie dis disclosure losure that two notes received T. T his family were postmarked in the area August Luer aged banker of Aln Al- Al mIU n freed yesterday by a kidnap eng int told of being detained five days v 1 a subbasement Many believe a ransom w was paid the bankers banker's jn denies it Two o ex-convicts ex were seized yes yes- at Cicero lii III in the kidnap kidnap- It John of John Jake the Barber Fac Fac- Jr r who was freed on payment of r ransom The pair Martin Leary wr and Carl Fontana were iken in ina a hotel formerly a Capone At San Diego Ca Cal CaI police guarded ie 10 home- home of a former president of exico Pascual Ortiz Rubio who kidnap threats b by telephone Cell CeU Found i 1 Kidnaper Search ALTON ALTON- Ill July 17 UP UP UP-Dis- Dis- Dis Jv very avery ry of a cold concrete under under- anding ell cell led investigators to beeve beeve beeve be- be eve today they were close on the theaU theall all ail of the of-the the abductors of August Luer l year r Tear year financier who was eed Weed earl early yesterday one mile west westI f I Collinsville Sheriff Sherif Peter Fitzgerald who with of f justice agents assumed urge large of the investigation an- an he found a to a arage in the rear of a home which Luers Luer's own description of the lair where he he- was held five five- days The place was a alile alile lile and a half halt from where the aged anker was released VI L 1 dont don't think it was a int that had Mr Luer Sheriff Fitzerald Fitz Fitz- erald said My opinion is that it ru rj some some Collinsville punks and andre re have a good start in our on We intend to concentrate our arch in hi and around Collinsville Contradictory reports were circuited circuS lt d as to whether a ransom was paid for Luers Luer's release Members Members' of the family including the sons Herman Walter and Carl Car denied any ransom ramom was paid RANSOM RANSOl REPORTED Other reports persisted that 10 was given to the abductors several several sev sev- eral hours before Luer was liber liber- Sheriff Fitzgerald would not confirm the ransom rumors but said h hs he understood a payment was made Notes from the kidnapers prior to the bankers banker's release e were reported ported to have made demands ranging from to The aged m man n was rC resting Ung today at atthe atthe atthe the home of his son con on Herman Hennan in Sn North Alton The family physician Dr Mather pronounced him in good condition d despite th the fact he was forced to abandon h his strict diet during his captivity Luer who was dr dragged ed from his home last Monday night by two men and a woman was released about a amile amile amile mile from a roadhouse operated by Mrs Grace Miller when late revelers at Mrs Millers Miller's place were dancing to the music of a phonograph After Alter the exhausted banker trudged along the highway for lor nearly a mile he appeared at the roadhouse an and said to Mrs Miller Please maam ma'am Im I'm August Luer Just rele released ed by the kidnapers Id I'd like to call my son Mrs Miller thi thinking ing the unkempt man at the door was a b beggar offered of him sandwiches and coffee These Luer declined v No thank you maam ma'am I only want to get in t touch uch with my family Mrs Miller invited Luer in The music ceased and the revelers gathered gath ered curios about the table where the disheveled visitor was seated sealed WIFE ANSWERS PHONE A telephone connection was made to Alton and Mrs Luer wife of the abducted man answered the phone phoned Oh mom oh mom Im I'm all right They turned me loose Tell somebody to come and get me Luer was vas taken to the home of f his son Herman where he was given a bath shave food o d and ordered ordered or or- r. r dered to tobed to bed In a statement to the United Press Herman L Luer er told the story of the and release of his father in the following words My father said his eyes were taped from the time he was abducted from his home The kidnapers drove him around for about three hours before placing him in the hole or basement where h he ho was held for five days Apparently Apparently Ap Ap- Apparently Ap- Ap they changed car cars i four times he said He was given give food each day mainly mainly main ly sandwiches of ot white bread which were against the doctors doctor's orders He said he ate some of oi them and also hard-boiled hard eggs and oranges At no notime notime notime time during his captivity did he hear the voice of oC the woman who aided in inthe inthe inthe the abduction from his home They treated him kindly he said Last night my father said they came to him and said Youre going home They carried him up a staIrway stairway stairway stair staIr- way and put him in an automobile Af After r. r driving about halt half an hour they told my ray father to get out and walk to a house about a B mile down the road My father heard the Chic Chicago go Alt Alton Allan n train p pass shortly after midnight mid mid- night and he kne knew his general l loa loca a tion Luers Luer's story and his d description of t the place where he was held led authorities au au- au to the abandoned garage where Sheriff Fitzgerald said rold he was certain er the kidnapers had hidden their captive |
