A SENSATIONAL EXPERIENCE.

New Zealand Mail, 21 February 1901, Page 12

A SENSATIONAL EXPERIENCE.

THE ABDUCTION OF. A MILLION - AIRE’S SON. £SOOO RANSOM PAID. At Omaha (Nebraska), Edward A. Cudahy, jun., the only son of a millionaire packer, has been, kidnapped, imprisoned, and ransomed; within the space of 48 hours, and the criminals responsible for the deed are reported to be 25,000 dollars the richer as the result. The lad, who is 16 years old, left home on an errand to a neighbour's house. On. bio return, when he was within a very short distance of his father’s residence, he was suddenly attacked by an unknown man, thrust into a waiting room and gagged, and rapidly driven, off to an old house near South Omaha, where he was kept under dose guard. A sack was thrown over his head, so that be was unable to gain any idea of the appearance of his captors which might lead to their identification. Next day one of the men paid a visit to Mr Cudahy’s home, 'and left a note which ran. as follows : —“We have your son. He is safe. We -will take good oaxe of him _and return him to you for a consideration of 25,000 dels. We mean business. (Signed) j a ;*.” To this -was added the time and place for an exahange. The same night Mr Cudahy drove five miles into the country and deposited the money at a certain point, where it was secretly received by the kidnappers, and early next morning—the second day after the capture—a cab stopped! near the Cudahy mansion, and young Cudahy was thrust from it. The vehicle at once drove off at a breakneck speed. His parent®, who were evidently expecting the boy, were overjoyed at his arrival. Although Mr Cudahy refuses to make any statement for the present, the generally accepted theory is that the kidnapper succeeded in getting the £SOOO ransom, and that part of rthe agreement was to the effect that Mr' Cudahy should not disclose any derq. tails for a -certain time in order to give them' achannel to escape.