KIDNAPPED JEW FOUND

Chronicle (Levin), 3 October 1949, Page 5

KIDNAPPED JEW FOUND

( N.Z.P.A.

— Reuter.

Captors Demanded £20,000 As Ransom

Copyriaht )

Received Monday, 10.35 a.m, Milbourne, oct. 3. Solomon Ravdelj, the 69-year-old Jewish businessmah, who was .kidnapped from his Sbuth Yarra home last Wednesday night, has been found alive, 1 In a weak' conditjqn, with bandaged head and blackened eyes, he staggered to the door of a house in Springdale Road, 12 miles from Melbourne; late last night. He was driven to the police station by the householder. I Ravdell was too dazed to give a iconnected story until early this morning. He then- said that when he opened the door of his house on Wednesday night he was imme^ diately struck on the head with a hard' instrument. Re was theh dragged to a car, pushed on to the floor in the back and told to stay •there. The car was driven away at high speed while two men in the back with him tied his hands behind his. back and completely bandaged his eyes with white adhesive tape. He bled freely from, the nose and lost consciousness. The next thing he remembered, said Ravdell, was being in a house where there was a woman and a man. . The woman fed him thrice daily with water, cups of tea and bread. During his ' imprisonment the man told him he would be released on payment of £20,000. Threats Of Violence. An earlier message stated that dramatic developments in the mysterious kidnapping included a threat to kill the armed bodyguard of Mr Maurico Ravdell, and the provision of police guards for four legal men who repre sented him in jecent legal proceedingsThey had all received threats of violence against themselves and their "children by anonymous telepbone calls. The bodyguard, Mr D. A. McKenzie, a private deteetive, who has been constantly guarding Mr Maurice Ravdell since the terror canipalg11 against him bee-an 15 months aeo, said informatior)

had been passed on to him that he "could expect a bomb." Meanwhile. the police are stili searching for Mi Solomon Ravdell, who was kidnappecl from his home on Wednesday night. They are seeking two eriminals who have been missing from their homes since Wednesday afternoon. Since the kidnapping there have been a number of mysterious telephone calls to the Ravdell home, but in 1110s! cases the callers hung up without speaking and no ransom demand has been received yet.