Audubon County journal., January 10, 1901, Image 5

About Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993

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KIDNAPING OF CUDAHY.
(Action of the Victim's Father
Criticised by Detectives.
MEN MIGHT HAVE BEEN CAPTURED
PInkerlon's Men Assert Tliat Tbey
Conlcl Have Caught tlie Outlaw*
and That the Boy Wcub In No Dan-
R'er—Detail* of Their Plan of Cap-
tnrc,
*7S'^t
*v? 7
\y
The amazing conspiracy resulting In
the abduction of young Eddie Cudahy,
•the only soil of the millionaire packer
of Omaha, and the jmymettt of a ran
dom continues to lie an absorbing topic
of conversation in Omaha. The ease
with which the daring plot was con
summated and the boldness with
which tlie whole thing was designed
and executed seem almost incredible
at this day and time, says tlie New
York Times. From the window of his
temporary prison young Eddie Cudahy
could have seen his father's packing
houses, provided the curtains had been
removed. In fact, he remarked after
his release upon the nearness of his
place of captivity to the packing houses
because of the pronounced odor.
This phase of the case was the first
clew the I'inkertons selected. The boy
related that the odor from the packing
plants was most intense the whole time
he was a prisoner. The detectives
sought the local weather bureau and
ascertained that during all of Tuesday
evening and Wednesday and Wednes
day night, the period of the boy's im
prisonment, the wind at Omaha was
due north. The detectives thou agreed
that the boy's temporary jail was but
a short distance north of tlie packing
houses, and at once began a search of
all the vacant houses in tlie section
that were located in that territory.
They are very numerous, but the force
of searchers were near to the very den
in which the robbers had confined their
victim when a boy who had seen the
horse described as belonging to the
bandits tied at the old house telephon
ed the police, and the search for the
place was over.
One of the most singular phases of
the whole case, according to a lead
ing Pinkerton man engaged 011 it, is
the ease with which the bandits se
cured the ransom and the immunity
from interference which they appeared
to have enjoyed. The Pinkertous point
out that here was the opportunity for
the police to have bagged their game,
and, in fact, it was about the only
weak point of the case, so far as the
bandits were concerned. Chief of Po
lice John Donahue admits, too. that in
attempting to secure the gold deposited
by the frantic father the robbers left
a breach in their plans which would
have resulted in their capture, but he
explains that lie was unable to do as
he desired at this stage of the game
because of Mr. Cudahy's positive re
fusal to take the police into his confi
dence for fear that they would scare
the bandits away in trying to capture
them and he would risk the life of
his son.
Mr. Cudahy told the chief clearly that
he must keep his hands off uutil he
got his boy. Then he would offer a re
ward, and they could go to work on
the case. Chief Donahue did point
out tlie t.'se with which the men could
be taken while they were trying to es
cape with a hundred pounds of gold,
but the point the bandits made in
their letter demanding the money—that
the police had prevented the father of
Charley Ross from paying the ransom
demanded and the boy had thus been
lost to his parents forever—had the de
sired effect.
It is now clear that it would have
been tlie easiest tiling in the world
to have either captured or killed the
daring chief of the outlaw band who
undertook tlie dangerous task of re
ceiving the ransom. I11 fact, the chief
of Omaha's police had figured the case
out very correctly up to this point. The
letter of the kiduapers explained that
Mr. Cudahy should take the gold in his
buggy and drive west along the Center
street boulevard until lie reached a
point where he should observe a lan
tern tied to a tree or bush by the road
side. The letter did not explain how
far the father would have to go, and in
this there was great cunning mani
fested on the part of the thieves. Llad
the letter stipulated a certain point for
the cash to be delivered a cordon of
officers and civilians would have been
placed around the place, and capture
would have been certain.
As numerous vehicles passed the
point where the lantern signal was
shown just befoi-e and just after Mr.
Cudahy arrived and 110 light was seen,
it is quite certain the robbers knew of
the approach of the Cudahy vehicle
and did not light the signal until the
Cudahy buggy was within a short dis
tance of the rendezvous. I11 fact. Mr.
Cudahy said, he was within a few
yards of the light when it suddenly
flared up as if just lighted or just un
covered. These facts make it quite
probable that there was one robber
stationed at the point where the signal
light was to be exhibited and another
on a bicycle who followed close behind
the Cudahy buggy to be sure there was
no guard following Mr. Cudahy who
would undertake to interfere with the
operation of the robbers. Either this
h-as the ease or but one robber was out
on the road. This is the view many of
the detectives take of tills phase of the
case.
Mr. Cudahy recalls that when lie was
•within a quarter of a mile of the place
where the light was shown a small
man bending low over a bicycle passed
by him swiftly and disappeared in the
direction of where the light was seen a
few minutes later. The detectives
think this man 011 the wheel was either
one of the bandits, who was to first as­
TJW
vi
certain that thero was no one following
Edwacd Cudahy and was then to dart
forward and have his brother bandit
In waiting show the signal, or that he
carried the lantern and dismounted
from his wheel at this point with the
lantern which he carried or had se
creted in advance, which he immediate
ly lighted and displayed.
If this were so, the robber of neces
sity either followed Edward Cudahy
from the time he left his home or was
intimate enough with the Cudahy ve
hicles to be able to recognize the buggy
as it passed him in his hiding place,
somewhere along the road. The last
proposition is more' likely, because at
that time the entire neighborhood
around the Cudahy residence was in a
state of alarm, and a stranger found
waiting' around there, as the robber
must have done if he were looking for
Mr. Cudahy to start 011 his trip to the
woods, would have been arrested or
would have excited suspicion. Mr.
Cudahy noted that the lantern was ex
tinguished before lie had proceeded 50
yards from the spot. This was anoth
er indication of the boldness of the
robber and of his utter indifference to
danger or detection.
Here was whore tlie detectives are
inclined to think the Omaha police
erred in not making certain the cap
ture of at least one of tlie robbers.
They know the route Mr. Cudahy
would take to reach the locality de
scribed by the letter of the bandits.
The route was over a natural bicycle
course. It is a sand boulevard and
stretches for seven miles west into the
adjoining county. At intervals of every
quarter section along this boulevard
are intersecting dirt roads, which on
that night were in perfect condition for
bicycling. The detectives of the Pinker
ton agency argue that it would have
been the easiest tiling imaginable to
have placed a couple of well armed
and nervy policemen in citizen's
clothes just beyond the city limits
along this route to watch for the ap
proach of the Cudahy buggy. Tliey
could have let the wagon get a half
mile ahead of them, or at least far
enough ahead that it could just be dis
cerned by the bicycle scouts. If one
of the bandits had been following 011
a wheel, he could not have been any
farther back than this behind the Cu
dahy buggy.
Taking it for granted that one of
the bandits on a wheel was behind the
Cudahy buggy, the detectives would
have probably located the thief before
ho did them. If lie took alarm and
started on a run for it, they could
have speeded right after him. Cer
tainly the presence of a strange man
in that section on a wheel at that time
at night would have been sufficiently
suspicious for tlie detectives to have
halted him. Tlie city lias a number of
very speedy bicycle men. If they had
been forced to arrest the bandit scout
on his wheel before he had committed
an overt act, they would at least have
been in a position where they could
have made the man explain who he
was and what lie was doing out there
at that hour. Had he been a known
crook it would have been certain evi
dence of his guilt. Ilad it been an hon
est man the police had stopped by mis
take, one officer could have taken him
back to town for identification while
the other continued on after the Cuda
hy buggy.
If the bicycle detectives had not been
interrupted, thoy would have contin
ued in Mr. Cudahy's rear until they
saw his vehicle stop and the driver
place the sack of gold near the lantern.
The scouts could have crept up near
enough to watch any one moving
around the light without exciting the
suspicion of a robber lying in wait near
that point. The moment the detectives
saw a man around the lantern they
could have recourse to two steps. They
might have followed the retreating
form at a distance, which would have
been easy, since the robbers were car
rying a hundred pounds of gold, or
they could have rushed in with pistols
ready and either killed or captured
their mail. If he made a light, he
would have been killed. With his heavy
load lie might have been possibly
pounced upon and taken without firing
a shot. In that event he would have
been forced to tell where Eddie Cu
dahy was or at least held as a hostage
for the boy's safe delivery. Better
still, if the scouts remained undiscov
ered, they could have leisurely follow
ed the retreating thief back to the
prison of the boy and there taken the
whole outfit or from tlie darkness kill
ed tlieni with their pistols.
Of course there was the chance of
the plan failing and the robbers then
murdering or crippling the hoy and
taking flight. It is the consensus of
opinion that the robbers, discovering
that the ransom was not obtainable,
would have lied without hurting the
boy. They could not have taken tlie
boy with them, neither could they have
remained loug where they were with
out discovery. They would uot have
dared put their horrible threats into
pxecution, which contemplated burning
out the boy's eyes. Had they done tills
and they were captured their immedi
ate lynching would have followed,
whereas if they had been captured
after releasing the boy a short term in
the penitentiary would have been their
worst punishment.
A Twentieth Centnry Ilope.
Christianity is old beside Darwinism
It is still a living force, and evolution,
we believe, is a great scientific truth.
Somehow the two must get along to
gether. says the Toronto World Man
stands in need of a rule of life even
more than lie stands in need of an ac
counting of variety in species, it is
better to have both, and both we have,
as a matter of fact. If Darwinism Is
tlie glory of the century, Christianity
has been the mainstay of many eon
turies, and somehow the two must
find, as they are finding, a way to
march together for the century to come.
BSPfSWPWPPiP
TESLA'S NEW WONDER.
Some Planet, It Seemed to Him,
Affected His Machine.
MAYHAVE BEEN A CALL PROM MAES
Suggestive of Signaling, the Move­
ments Recorded When lie Was Ob*
nerving? Electrical Conditions on a
Peak In Colorado—Why Shouldn't
Mars Know Morse as Well as We?
Not quite two years ago Mr. Nikola
Tesla went out to Colorado to conduct
experiments in relation to the wireless
transmission of energy, which lias en
gaged his attention for several years.
Mr. Tesla found it necessary, in order
to carry on his investigations and his
experiments to the extent he desired,
to work at an altitude of several thou
sand feet. He found conditions suita
ble for his purposes in Colorado and
went out there in the spring of 1S99,
built a laboratory about ten miles from
Pike's peak and went to work. What
he accomplished in the eight or nine
months while he was working there he
has kept pretty much to himself ever
since, but when tlie National Red
Cross, which was arranging for the end
of the century meetings of its various
brandies throughout the country, ask
ed Mr. Tesla to indicate what, in his
opinion, would be one of the great
achievements of the coming century he
gave just a hint of one of the wonders
he discovered in Colorado.
In a more elaborate way Mr. Tesla
dwelt on his work to a New 1'ork Sun
•v,
NIKOLA TESLA.
man the other afternoon. He regards
his latest results as far and away the
most important lie has ever attained.
Briefly, Tesla has been able to note a
novel manifestation of energy, which
be knows is not of solar or terrestrial
origin, and, being neither, he concludes
that it must emanate from one of the
planets. While he was conducting his
investigations in his Colorado labora
tory one day the instrument he was
using to observe the electrical condi
tion of the earth was affected in an un
accountable manner. It recorded three
distinct though very faint movements,
one after the other. These movements
were observed uot once, but many
times, the number of impulses varying,
and Mr. Tesla now firmly believes that
with improved apparatus it will be
quite possible for the people "of the
earth to communicate with the inhab
itants of other planets. In telling about
his work and his discoveries Mr. Tesla
said:
"I went to Colorado early in May,
ISO'.), and staid there about eight
months. I believe that during that
time I did more work than 1 could
have done in the city in three years,
on account of the marvelously invigo
rating climate. I was compelled to go
either to Colorado or to California, as
only In these two states I could obtain
power at a high altitude, which was
necessary for certain investigations I
had In view relative to the transporta
tion of power in accordance with a
method I had invented. I had tested
the conditions at sea level thoroughly,
and wanted to know how far my
laboratory observations would agree
with practical tests at high altitudes.
Colorado was nearer than California
and 1 had some friendly relations in
Colorado Springs, and this determined
me to select that neighborhood for my
place of observation.
"A laboratory was erected on an
elevation at a distance of about ten
miles from Pike's peak. I set out to
carry 011 my experiments along three
different linos: First, to ascertain the
best conditions for transmitting power
without wires second, to develop ap
paratus for the transmission of mes
sages across the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans, on which problem I have been
engaged for eight years, and, third,
to work on another problem which in
volves a still greater mastery of elec
trical forces and which, with my pres
ent knowledge, 1 consider of still great
er importance than even the transmis
sion of power without wires, and
which I shall make knowu in due
course. There were, however, numer
ous points to be found out about elec
trical vibrations, and there were ac
tions 011 which 1 was still in doubt. In
my laboratory in New York 1 was able
to go only to electrical discharges of
K! feet in length, and I had only reach
ed effective electrical pressure of about
S.IKIO.(XX) volts. To carry the problems
on which 1 was working further I had
to master electrical pressure of at
least iiO.OUO.OUO volts, and electrical
discharges were necessary for some
purposes measuring at least 50 or 100
feet.
"The results 1 attained were far be
yond any I had expected to reach, and
this lias forcibly brought to my mind
the stimulating inllueuce of nature In
scientific research. 1 found that my
mental vision was incomparably clear-
W**''v'
er, so much so that I could look back
la thought to my laboratory In New
York, and In examining familiar ob
jects in the rooms there I could notice
the smallest scratches on them, and in
scanning the features of my assistants
I could notice the slightest marks on
their faces, as though they had been
actually before me. Now, In the city
the mental images are much duller.
"One of the first observations made
In Colorado was of great scientific im
portance and confirmatory of a result I
had already obtained in New York. I
refer to my discovery of the stationary
electrical waves in the earth. The sig
nificance of this phenomenon has not
yet been grasped by technical men, but
it virtually amounts to a positive proof
that with proper apparatus, such as I
have perfected, a wireless transmission
of signals to any point on the globe is
practicable. When I read statements
to the effect that such a thing is im
possible and recall the numerous ad
verse criticisms of my expressed con
fidence that I can ultimately accom
plish this, I experience a feeling of sat
isfaction.
"In perfecting my apparatus I en
countered at first great difficulties. I
had a few narrow escapes from sudden
sparks jumping out to great distance,
and a number of times my laboratory
caught fire, but I carried all the work
through without a serious mishap. I
gradually learned how to confine elec
trical currents of a pressure of 5.0,000,
000 volts, how to produce electrical
movements up to 110,000 horsepower,
and I succeeded in obtaining electrical
discharges measuring from end to end
100 feet and more. These results were,
however, rendered more valuable by
the fact that they opened up still great
er possibilities for the future.
"Parallel with the development of my
machinery for the production of power
ful effects I also perfected novel
methods for detecting feeble electrical
actions, which, I feel confident, will be
important in a number of lines of
scientific research. To illustrate the
efficacy of these methods I need only
say that, whereas in ordinary, finely
adjusted Hertzian appliances a light
ning discharge could be detected at a
distance of only 1500 miles, with my
methods it was easy to observe the ef
fect in the receiving instrument at a
distance of 1,100 miles. It was, in fact,
in investigating feeble electrical ac
tions transmitted through the earth
that I made some observations which
are to me the most gratifying. Chief
among these were certain feeble elec
trical disturbances, which I could bare
ly note at times and which by their
character unmistakably showed that
they were neither of solar origin nor
produced by any causes known to me
on the globe.
"What could they be? I have inces
santly thought of this for mouths until
finally I arrived at the conviction,
amounting to almost knowledge, that
they must be of planetary origin. As I
think over it now it seems to me that
only men absolutely stricken with
blindness, insensible to the greatness
of nature, can hold that this planet is
the only one inhabited by intelligent
beings. I have perfected my transmit
ting apparatus so far that I can under
take to construct a machine which will
without the slightest doubt be fully
competent to convey sufficient energy
to tlie planet Mars to operate one of
these delicate appliances which we are
now using here, as, for instance, a very
sensitive telegraph or telephone instru
ment. Now since we ourselves are al
ready so far advanced is it unreason
able to at least believe in the possi
bility that of the 20 or 25 planets of the
solar system one, if not more, might be
ahead of us in the evolution? Where
there are sun's heat and moisture,
life must originate and must go on
developing just as a stone must fall to
earth.
"I would have abstained from mak
ing these observations known for some
time yet, had I not been asked by the
Red Cross society to give a short ex
pression of opinion for their meetings
on New Year's eve. I have enter
tained a profound respect for the Red
Cross ever since my boyhood, when I
was toid that the mere appearance of
this society in the Balkans has ad
vanced those wild regions 100 years.
1 believe it to be the noblest and
worthiest association in existence, and
there was nothing which 1 could have
refused them, and, furthermore, 1 de
sired to give them uiy best. This dis
covery. in my opinion, was my best.
With improved means of investigation
we shall soon be able to find out
whether indeed these disturbances
which 1 have noticed are what 1 feel
they must be. The time has certainly
arrived for the electrician to join the
astronomer in the exploration of our
neighboring worlds.
"With regard to my work in other
lines which 1 have simultaneously car
ried on, my progress has been most
satisfactory, and 1 hope that soou elec
trical energy may be turned, to the uses
of man in a way and for purposes
such as to surpass in importance all
that we have ever done heretofore.
The difficulties are still enormous, to
be sure, but not such that we could
not look with confidence to overcoming
them. What will retard progress un
questionably is the fact that the mas
tery of electrical vibrations requires,
like other arts, not only a thorough
technical knowledge, but years of con
tinuous performance. Our colleges are
rapidly tinning out skilled and talented
young men. and whatever remains un
done by us will be carried further by
them."
H(mio1u1u*h SkyNi'i'iifiera.
Passengers arriving ou Incoming
steamers report that the new buildings
of the towu loom up ill sight a long
distance from shore, says the Honolulu
Republican. People coining here for
the first time are surprised to see the
skyscrapers rearing their tops over the
trees, with which the town appears to
be covered at a distance at sea.
GOODNOW BACK FROM CHINA
Says CroTrth of Patriotism Was One
of the Caotea of tlie Uprising.
Among the recent arrivals at San
Frasjf-jsco from the orient was United
States. Consul General John Goodnow,
who has represented this country for
three years at Shanghai. He comes
back on a GO days' vacation. Mr,. Good
now has an intimate acquaintance with
many of the leading Chinese ofBcials, I
and what he says about the recent
trouble and the chances for peace is
interesting, says the New York Sun.
I-Ie declares that the policy of the
United States toward China is the only
fair one and that America is the only
country in which the Chinese have any
confidence.
Among the chief causes of the Boxer
uprising Mr. Goodnow places the gen-'
eral diffusion of knowledge of outside
affairs among the common people due
JOHN' GOODNOW.
to the telegraph and newspapers. Since
the Chinese-Japanese war there have
been a great increase in the use of the
telegraph and a rapid development of
newspapers. The reading of newspa
pers has resulted in a growth of pa
triotism. Sectional discontent, railroad
competition against native labor, news
paper knowledge of foreign ideas of
China and the growing up of Chinese
patriotism helped to bring about the
Boxer war, Consul Goodnow says. Six
teen out of 19 provinces were kept out
of the uprising through the influence
of the viceroys, but many of these
same viceroys told him personally that
if the partition of China were attempt
ed they would not for a moment try to
restrain the people of their provinces.
They would fight.
The middle class, including the mer
chant element and officials, is particu
larly well disposed toward the United
States. The people know that this
country does not want any part of
China. They refer with approval to
the note of Secretary Hay in which he
declared for an open door in China.
They approve also the refusal of Ad
miral Kempff to fire on the Taku forts,
and they recognize that a Chinese gets
the same justice in an American court
in China as Americans. Li Hung
Chang personally told Consul General
Goodnow that he rated American mis
sionaries as superior to those of any
other country.
American missionaries were builders
and conductors of hospitals and educa
tional institutions in China, and 110 oth
er missionaries had attempted these
things. Thousands of Chinese were
freely treated ill the hospitals, and
thousands were instructed in the
schools. Mr. Goodnow says it was ab
surd to charge the missionaries with
causing the Boxer war. They were
simply hated by the Chinese as one
part of a great foreign element that
threatened to upset the national insti
tutions.
Headache stopped in 20 minuter bv Di
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in
Pills.
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devse."'
Good Rigs at Reasonably
Kates
For Sick
Women
Firstthe medicine that
holds the record for the
largest number of ahso
lute Cures of female ills
is Lydia E. Pinkham's
Vegetable Compound.
Second—Mrs. Pinkham
can show by her letter
files in Lynn that a mil
lion women have been
restored to health by her
medicine and advicem
Third-All letters to Mrs.
Pinkham are received,
opened, read and an
swered by women only.
This fact is certified to by
the mayor and postmas
ter of Lynn and others of
Mrs. Pinkham's own city.
Write for free book con
taining these certificates.
Every ailing woman is
invited to write to Mrs.
Pinkham and get her ad
vice free of charge.
Lydia E. Pinkham Med. Co., Lynn, Mass.
... AT ...
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Exira, Iowa. S