Kidnapping of Lindbergh baby
Ransom notes and Jafsie
Few days after the kidnapping Lindbergh received a new ransom letter via mail. Postmarked in Brooklyn, the letter had exactly the same symbol as the one found on the night of kidnapping. Another ransom note then arrived by mail, also postmarked from Brooklyn. A third letter with ransom note was later mailed again from Brooklyn. This time author have increased the ransom to $70,000 since police was obviously involved in the case.
During the time when the letters were arriving John F. Condon, a well-known Bronx personality, wrote a letter to the Bronx Home News offering his life savings, a $1,000, if the kidnappers would let him be the the intermediary in safe return of the child. Later Condon (known as Jafsie from his initials J.F.C.) received a letter reportedly written by the kidnappers in which they wanted him to be a intermediary with Lindbergh. Charles Lindbergh accepted the letter as genuine and Jafsie to take part in negotiations.
Jafsie was contacted on the phone by the kidnappers and person with German accent made the arrangements to meet him. Jafsie also stated that he heard in the background some people arguing in Italian. Following the kidnappers instructions Condon placed a classified ad in the New York American reading "Money is Ready. Jafsie".
After further instructions Jafsie had a meeting at Woodlawn Cemetery with someone, who contacted him earlier and claimed to be representative of the kidnappers. According to Condon, the man sounded foreign, but stayed in the shadows during the whole conversation. Jafsie later stated that the man on the phone and the person on the cemetery were the same person judging by the voice. The man said his name was John, he was a Scandinavian sailor, part of a gang of three men and two women. The Lindbergh child was unharmed and being held on a boat, but the kidnappers were still not ready to return him without a payment of the ransom. When Condon expressed doubt that "John" actually had the baby, he promised to deliver a proof - the baby’s sleeping suit. The stranger asked Condon, "...would I burn, if the package were dead?" When questioned further, he assured Condon that the baby was alive.
On March 16, 1932, John Condon received a package by mail that contained a toddler’s sleeping suit and a seventh ransom note. Condon showed the sleeping suit to Lindbergh, who identified it as belonging to his son. After the delivery of the sleeping suit, Condon took out a new ad in the Home News declaring, "Money is ready. No cops. No secret service. I come alone, like last time." One month after the child was kidnapped, on April 1, 1932, Condon received a letter from the reported kidnappers. They were ready to accept payment.
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