The Loeb-Leopold case - The Clarence Darrow Collection

The Loeb-Leopold Case
warning, this is a strictly commercial proposition, and we are
prepared to put our threats into execution should we have
reasonable ground to believe that you have committed an
infraction of the above instructions. However, should you
carefully follow out our instructions to the letter, we can
assure you that your son will be safely returned to you
within six hours of our receipt of the money.
Yours truly,
George Johnson,
A few hours later the father was called by telephone
and told to go to a designated drug store
with the money, where he would again be called and
given further instructions.
He did not go, for, in the meantime, the dead
body of his boy had been found in the culvert. It
developed that he was to have been directed to go
immediately from the drug store to the Illinois
Central Station and get aboard a certain train and
in the telegraph blank rack of a certain Pullman
car he would find a letter giving directions to be
obeyed.
This letter was in a plain envelope, addressed to
" Mr. Jacob Franks." Written on the envelope were
these words: "Should anyone else find this note,
please leave it alone, the letter is very important."
The letter read as follows:
Dear Sir:
Proceed immediately to the back platform of the train,
watch the east side of the track, have your package ready,
look for the first LARGE red brick factory situated im-
mediately adjoining the tracks on the east. On top of this
factory is a large black water tower with the word CHAM-
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