Chapter 36 Section 11

They tied the newspaper with rope into a simulated ransom box shape, which was the newspaper ball that the detectives saw in Nathan's car, and then Richard threw it from the platform at the end of the train. Drive to the next stop to pick up his friend.After repeated checks, they planned to let the father of the hostages count to five after the train passed the red brick factory building. In this way, the box would land in a relatively remote place but closer to 74th Street, so they could drive away as soon as possible. The next question is how to prevent the other party from calling the police.If the hostage's father had learned of the final handover point of the ransom too early, he might have notified the police in advance to ambush in that area.The procedure devised by the two criminals was to first ask the man to wait in the pharmacy on 63rd Street for a call, which would instruct him to find an envelope taped to the bottom of the lid in a trash can, and then follow the instructions on the letter to go to the hospital. Wait at one of the phone booths at the train station.This last call had to be timed just right, leaving only a few minutes for the other party, just in time to catch a certain designated train.The call would also instruct him to find a note in the signal box of the last car with instructions on how to drop the ransom box.At that time, Nathan and Richard will first monitor and observe through a telescope from a certain distance to ensure safety.

Because they have already planned to kill people, how to dispose of the corpse without being discovered and identified in a short period of time is another problem that Nathan and Richard must face.In the early spring of that year, Nathan drove Richard to the shore of Wolf Lake. They could have dug a hole anywhere in the inaccessible place to bury the body, but perhaps because the two rich young masters were too lazy, they The culvert was finally selected. Another issue is the vehicle used for the kidnapping.Of course they should try to avoid using their own cars, and Nathan's Willy Cavalier was too red and too conspicuous; Richard had just been in a car accident not long ago, and his car was still lying in the garage.The two had considered stealing a car, but felt that the risk was too great, and they might attract the police, so renting a car became the best choice.

On Wednesday, May 7, 1924, two weeks before the kidnapping and murder of Bobby Fanks, two suspects drove to the Molson Hotel in downtown Chicago.Nathan waited in the car, while Richard, carrying a suitcase stuffed with books, checked in under the name of Monton Ballard.In the afternoon, two people came to Hyde Park State Bank. This time Richard was waiting in the car. Nathan went in and opened an account with $100 and the name of Monton Ballard. Son Hotel".After that, Richard withdrew $400 in cash from his own account in the same bank, and the two returned to the Molson Hotel to check out the room, and told the front desk staff that if there was a letter from Mr. Monton Ballard, please replace it. He put it away.

Two days later, on the morning of Friday, May 9, Nathan came to the car rental company on Michigan Road.He identified himself as Monton Ballard, a salesman for a certain manufacturer, who lived at the Merson Hotel, and had an account with the Hyde Park State Bank.If he wants to rent a car, he can pay a certain amount in advance.When the clerk asked the customer for a reference, Nathan gave him the number of a public phone booth, and he knew that Richard was waiting there. The clerk hung up smiling and asked if Nathan wanted a Ford for 15 cents a mile or a Willy Cavalier for 17 cents a mile?Nathan ordered a Willy Knight and readily put down a $50 deposit.

That afternoon, when Nathan returned to Willie Knight, the taximeter showed that he had only driven a total of 9 miles.The clerk asked him to give him a refund of more than 40 dollars, and told him that the company would send the car rental card to the Merson Hotel as soon as possible according to the address he filled in. The next time Mr. Ballard wanted to rent a car, he could use the card directly. No proof is required. The next thing to do is to prepare all kinds of letters: those sent to the family members of the hostages, those posted on the trash cans and placed in the train cars.Then, Nathan used an Ondewu brand portable typewriter in his study to type the letters one by one for use.

Attorney General Robert Corow asked again: "When did you write that letter?" He was referring to the one sent to the Fanks' home. "Four or five days before the incident," Nathan replied. "So, you didn't know who the recipient was going to be?" "No idea, only 'Dear Sir'." In a blink of an eye, May 21st, their planned "BigDay (big day)".After class at 11 a.m., the two drove Nathan's car to the rental car company.They pulled up a few blocks away, Richard staying in the car while Nathan walked over. Ten minutes later, when Nathan passed by in his newly rented dark blue Willie Knight car, Richard followed him tacitly.They ate lunch at Claymore's on Thirty-fifth Street and bought rope and hydrochloric acid at a nearby store.Then Nathan shifted back into his car while Richard lowered the dark blue Willie Knight curtains.After the two cars drove into the big iron gate of Leop's house one after the other, Nathan handed over his red Willy Knight to Swann Englund.

Nathan and Richard took other crime supplies that had been prepared and drove to Jackson Park to wait for the students to leave school.In Richard's statement, he said that at this point, Nathan had taped the chisel's edge.Nathan said no, it was Richard. At 2:30, the two returned to the vicinity of Harvard School and parked their car on Inglesell Road.There was still a block between Ingleside Road and Harvard School. Richard got out of the car and crossed a small road, approaching the school playground, where many children stayed to play after school.During this time, Richard spoke to at least three people: Jonny Levinson, a teacher, J.T. Seth, and his little brother, Tommy.Soon, he heard Nathan whistle across the street, meaning to let him go back.Around the same time, the junior high school baseball game began, and Jonny Levinson and the other kids were kicked off the playground and moved to a vacant lot on Forty-ninth Street to start their own baseball game.

Nathan thought that Richard would attract people's attention if he stayed in the school playground for a long time, so he volunteered to go home and get a binoculars for bird watching, so that he could observe from a distance.Richard took advantage of the time when Nathan was away, walked into the small shop opposite the Harvard school teaching building, and found the address of Levinson's home in the telephone yellow pages.