NO RANSOM PAID

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21883, 20 August 1934, Page 9

NO RANSOM PAID

KIDNAPPED BREWER UNENVIABLE EXPERIENCE (Received Aligns*. 19, b.35 p.m.) TORONTO, August 18 The kidnappers of Mr. John Labatt had askerl 150,000 dollars ransom, but apparently were convinced that the police were closing in on them and released him without tho payment of ransom. A close friend of tho Labatt family states that tho kidnapped brewer for several hours on Wednesday night was forced to sit and listen to his abductors —frightened by tho activities of the police—discuss how to kill him and dispose of his body. Next day their fears were allayed when a confederate reported that tho police were working on falso clues.

EVANGELIST RELEASED NOT AWARE OF REASON (Received August 19. 5.5 p.m.) LOS ANGELES, August 18 The well known evangelist, Mrs. Aimeo Somple Macpherson, has received a letter demanding tliat she pay 25,000 dollars ransom for the return of the Rev. It. Askew, of Goldsboro, North Carolina, who was kidnapped yesterday. The letter said that inasmuch as the young evangelist is a member of Mrs. Macpherson's sect she should bo responsible for him. She gave the police the communication but declined to state whether she intended to pay the ransom. A message from Nashville, Tennessee, states that tho kidnapping of Mr. Askew was solved when he appeared at the police station, after having been missing for several days, and said he had been held by kidnappers. Ho said that for some reason he was released, although lie was not aware whether any ransom had been paid.