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University Daily Kansan
Tuesday, Jan. 19, 1954
Police Nab Kidnappers In 'Hush-Hush' Case
San Francisco —(U.P.)— A wealthy 36-year-old San Francisco realtor, kidnapped and held for $300,000 ransom for 64 terror-filled hours, was snatched back to safety by police early today.
Police said the kidnappers, described as "two tough professionals," were captured and taken in irons to the Hall of Justice.
The case was one of the most sensational in California crime annals and one of the best-kept secrets in newspaper history. All local news and radio media had been "in on the story" since Saturday afternoon—but not a word leaked out until police gave the official break at 4 am, today.
The victim, Leonard Moskovit, who vanished shortly after 11 a.m. PST Saturday, was found in a rented downtown residence shortly after police cracked the case by nabbing one of the abductors in a public telephone booth.
Mr. Moskovitz, who was rushed to the Hall of Justice to be reunited with his frantic family and his identical twin brother, Alfred, was "dopey from sleeping pills' but otherwise unharmed.
The kidnappers were identified by police as Harold Jackson, 57, and Joseph Lear, 43. They were said to be from the Sacramento, Calif. area. Police identified them as "professionals."
During the tension-filled three days Mr. Moskovitz was held prisoner in a rented downtown residence, members of the family negotiated with the abductors through repeated telephone calls and ads in the personal column of a local newspaper.
The kidnapers at first demanded an even half-million dollars ransom, but later scaled down their demand to $300,000—with a threat to emasculate the victim and send home portions of his body if the payment was not made.
The ransom demand was the sec ond largest in history, tapped only by the recent Greenlease case i Kansas City in which $600,000 wa
paid to kidnapers Carl Austin Hall and Bonnie Brown Heady.
In the present case, the kidnapers were grabbed and the victim rescued before a penny of ransom was paid.
The official announcement of how San Francisco's police finally made the arrest and almost-miraculous rescue of the victim was made at the Hall of Justice by District Attorney Thomas Lynch and Capt. of Inspectors James English.
Student Debate Will Be Tonight
Two members of the debate squad and two foreign exchange students will argue the question, "Should Sweden Join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization," at a meeting of La Sertoma club at 8 p.m. tonight at the Lawrence Women's Club.
John Fields, college junior, and William Means, business senior, will take the affirmative side of the question.
On the negative side will be Derek Scott, graduate student from Cambridge University, England, and Adolph Jochnick, graduate student from the University of Stockholm, Sweden.
The audience debate method will be used. Each contestant will present a short speech, which will be followed by a period for questions from the audience.
Better Than Bullfighting
Mexico City - (U.P.)—Felipe Ladelski, 50, flunked his driver's test yesterday. He ran over examining officer Pablo Ceja Oritz, who suffered a fractured leg.
Washington — (U.P.) - President Eisenhower will recommend a $4 billion slash in defense spending in the budget message he sends to Congress Thursday, informed sources revealed today.
They said Mr. Eisenhower will propose that military spending in the fiscal year beginning July 1 be held to about $37½ billion.
The budget will recommend slightly more funds for the Air Force, key to the administration's "new look" military strategy.
This means that the biggest spending wackel will fall on the Army which is being gradually reduced in an effort to emphasize air and land power. The Navy, to a lesser extent, also will be cut in for less money.
The budget message is expected to estimate defense spending for the current fiscal year at $411/ billion, making for a recommended increase of $4 billion. Actual spending last year was fiscal 1953, totaled $43,600,000,000.
In his State of the Union message Jan. 7, Mr. Eisegner said a cut in federal spending more than a cut in federal spending more than $5 billion below this year's level.
In view of the planned defense cut, it is clear that the military will absorb the lion's share of the total cutback for fiscal 1955, since defense spending is the biggest single item in the budget.
US Reinforce MPs For Big 4 Meeting
Berlin —U.P.)—The U.S. Army has added a company of 200 military policemen to its Berlin garrison in preparation for the Big Four foreign ministers conference starting Monday, a spokesman said today.
The new arrivals include criminal investigation detachment agents and bring the U.S. military police force in the city to 500. The men are plainclothes operatives and will guard top members of the American delegation.
High Court Cuts States' Film Censoring Rights
Hollywood—(U.P.)The movie industry hailed today the Supreme Court's decision to narrow the grounds on which censors may ban
Industry spokesmen were unanimous in their approval of the high court ruling that state censorship boards may not ban a movie on grounds it is "immoral" or tends to promote crime.
In Topeka, Gov. Edward F. Arm said he thought "as a strictly legal proposition" it was a matter of state's rights to determine what movies should be shown in the state.
The court struck down New York's ban on "La Ronde" (The Round), a French-language picture adjudged "immoral"; and a ban by Ohio of "M", which state censors decided was likely to promote crime.
But while the movie industry applauded the Supreme Court decision, state and local censorship boards indicated they thought it would have little effect on their function.
Mrs. Frances Vaughan, Bonner Springs, chairman of the Kansas Board of Review, was also surprised at the ruling. "From the first reports of this decision," she said, "it is my opinion the ruling will not affect the legality of the Kansas board."
Atty. Gen. Harold R. Fatzer said the decision may "limit the scope" of the board, but "I won't say the board is on the way out."
KDGU Schedule
4:00 UN Review
4:15 Show Fields
4:30 Remember When
4:55 Your Union
5:00 Podworks
5:00 Pachworks
5:30 Facts on Record
6:00 Fantasy in Strings 6:00 In the Mind
5:55 News
6:30 In the Mood
6:55 News
6:55 News
7:00 Bookstore Hour
210 Brooklyn Nile
7:00 Bookstore Hour
8:00 Notes in the Night
8:00 Notes in the Night
9:00 Sign Off
Read the Kansan classified ads.
Official Bulletin
TODAY
KU. Dames, 7:30 p.m. English Room,
Memorial Union, Bridge group.
A.S.C.E. Business meeting 7:30 p.m.
J.A.S.C.E. memorial, Memorial Union, Election of officers
Delta Sigma FI 8 p.m., Oread Room,
Memorial Union, short meeting.
THURSDAY
Phi Delta Kappa, 6:30 p.m. Room 306.
discuss "The Place of Physical Education in the Educational Scheme" For William Butler, assistant Dean of Men.
State Board Names Head
Topeka — (U.P.)— Mrs. Harry Bixby, Coffeyville, yesterday became the new chairman of the Kansas Board of Education. Mrs. Bixby began her third year on the board and assumed her new post in the annual rotation of the chairmanship. She succeeded Horace Rich, Coldwater.
the birthplace of America's iron and steel industry, the country's first successful ironworks, is now being restored as a national shrine at Saugus, Mass., 10 miles north of Boston.
Battery Service
LEONARD'S STANDARD SERVICE 9th and Indiana
CA$H FOR YOUR BOOK$
As soon as you finish your exams, sell us all those books that you no longer need. We will be buying back books needed at KU next year An out-of-town buyer will be available to buy those books no longer being used at KU.
Jan. 25-29