Ask About Prospects.
"When they kidnapped Chamberlain in January they asked him who else in Blue Island had money and the named of all those in the rackets. They only got $600 from him. They asked me the same thing and I didn't tell them.
"'You can't hold out anything on us,' one of the men said to me. 'We get information about how much dough you fellows have from the income tax office. We know how much a tap you can stand and you'll have to pay $150,000."
"Outside of the first abuse the men were courteous to me, calling me Jim and telling me I could have anything I wanted to eat, drink or smoke. They put a box of cigars beside me. I couldn't eat and I didn't want any of their drinks, although they said they had any kind of whiskey, beer or wine I wanted. When I wouldn't eat they told me not to be afraid, that they were not going to poison me.
“They had handcuffs on one of my wrists and the other link was attached to a bed post. When I complained that my hand was becoming numb they would change the cuff to the other wrist. They offered to shave me and they wanted to get me a clean shirt, but I didn't want either.
"They called my wife that night, Friday, and said to her, 'Adeline, we have a message from your husband and it is going to cost you one hundred and fifty G.' She didn't understand at first but soon found out what they meant. They told her unless she furnished the money she would never see me in the same old form as she last saw me. She was frightened and said she would get what money she could. They warned her not to call the police. They said they were afraid our home telephone would be tapped so she was to go to the place of business of a friend of mine in Chicago next day and wait there for a call from them. When she finally got together $150,000 she agreed with them on a password by which she would know she was giving the money to the right parties.
They told her to have our boy George drive her to the meeting place. She wouldn't do that, saying she was afraid they would harm the boy. She asked permission to have Jimmy Blouin, my former partner, to go with her and they said that would be all right, but they must drive in my son George's car. They knew all about George's car, its license number, kind and so forth, and they knew the name of our dog as well as my wife's first name.
"I was mortally afraid something would happen to my wife. I knew of the proposed meeting and I thought she might call the police and then there might be some shooting. Drops of perspiration as big as my thumb were falling from my head as I waited there those few hours while the gang went to meet my wife. But everything worked out all right. She drove down a road as she had been directed and finally she was signaled to stop. The password was given and the money was handed over.
"The men came back and told me the money had been paid and I was to be freed. What a relief! About 2 o'clock Sunday morning they brought me out into an automobile and drove around and around for a half hour. Finally they got out and told me not to do anything for five minutes. When that time had elapsed I took the bandage off my eyes, the only time it was off since they had captured me, excepting on one or two occasions, when they brought food and newspapers and told me I could read for a few minutes if I wished.
I was in my own car and I was somewhere near Melrose Park. I drove home and here I am, not so much the worse physically but broke financially. I never saw any of the kidnapers before and I have no idea who they are or where they came from, excepting that they were all Americans, with no hint of any foreign nationality about any of them."
Saturday evening a telephone call came for Blouin.
"Have you the money?" a voice asked.
"It's all ready," Blouin replied.
"Then leave Blue Island about 10:15 o'clock and drive west in 127th street till you cross the bridge over the Sag canal," the caller directed."There'll be somebody there to tell you what to do."
The bridge is two miles east of the Navajo Fields Country club.
Blouin and Mrs. Hackett wrapped up the money - $500 and $1,000 bills - in a newspaper and set out at the hour directed. At the western end of the bridge another automobile drew along side and a spotlight flashed into their car.
"Drive slowly along about a mile west," one of the occupants of the other car ordered. This automobile followed Blouin and Mrs. Hackett to the spot designated. Another car was parked by the side of the road there. A man got out of the parked car.
"Have you got the money?" he asked. Blouin nodded and handed over the package of bills.
"We've done our part,"Blouin said. "Now you return Hackett unharmed."
"We're men of our word," the kidnaper replied. If the money's here Hackett will be home. It'll be several hours, though."
With this the kidnapers departed and Blouin and Mrs. Hackett returned home. They greeted Hackett when he arrived, driving the car in which he had been abducted.
