Dr. Santiago Claret
Political Refugee
1934 Kidnaping
[REFERENCE:
(Prosecution file, Florida State Attorney, Dade County,
Florida)
#467 Garelick, Samuel, ET
ALS
(Kidnaping Dr. Santiago
Claret)]
[To see a full size photo, right click and VIEW IMAGE]
Photo of Claret as a
hostage .. possibly a reenactment
Miami Police Department
Detective Bureau
December 10th, 1934
Our file
OFC-C-1061
Report of investigation of the kidnaping of Dr. Santiago
Claret:
About 9.20 AM today, Sgt. Gene Bryant, of the Miami Beach
Police Dept.
called Sgt. Melchen, who answered the phone, Sgt. Bryant
informed
Melchen that a Doctor had just come into their office and
informed him
that he was kidnaped between 12.00 and 12.30AM this date,
and was taken
to an empty apartment in Miami Beach, bound and gagged, and
forced to
sign a check for $16,000.00 and also write a note, both of
which he
presented to his chauffeur with instructions to go to the
First
National Bank of Miami and collect and give the money to the
kidnapers
as they would direct. The chauffeur having been
kidnaped with the
doctor and the doctors car taken also. Bryant informed
Melchen
that the kidnapers had already been to the bank for the
money and were
to return. Bryant was unable to give Melchen any
description
whatsoever of the chauffeur or the kidnapers. Melchen
proceeded
to the Bank accompanied by Roy Hancock and J H
Williams. Williams
remaining in the car near the Bank, Melchen and Hancock
going upstairs
to the third floor to Mr. J. Northrup, who advised Melchen
that a man
with chauffeurs cap had come to him with a check for
$16,000.00 signed
by Dr. Claret, and a note by Dr. Claret, requesting that the
money be
delivered to the Chauffeur. The bank delayed delivery
to check up
on the check and note, and also to await clearing of this
amount of
money which Dr. Claret was to receive from the First
National Bank of a
draft which he had deposited. The man stated that he
was Dr.
Claret's chauffeur. He was advised to return at 12.00
Noon.
Detective Barker arrived at this time, and was placed on a
spot on the
third floor of the bank. Hancock was placed at the
Elevators and
Ingle at the entrance to the bank. Melchen called
Bryant at Miami
Beach, and asked for the description and license number of
the doctors
car, also description of the men and the chauffeur.
Bryant
advised Melchen that the car was a Packard Touring car
painted
Grey. A later call to the Beach brought the
information from
Bryant that the license number of the car was W 12362,
Fla. And
that the Chauffeurs name was Roy Gray, and that he lives at
837 NW 1st
St. Melchen called people living in this
immediate
neighborhood whom he knew, and found that the Packard car
had left that
address about 8.00AM, with the chauffeur who had always been
seen
driving it. Melchen then detailed Hancock Wilkinson
and Kendall
to watch that address for the return of the Packard and to
arrest if
the car appeared with three or more men in it. If less
than three
men, to follow it, in an effort to locate the other
men.
Detective Chambers appeared at the First National Bank and
was then
stationed in front of the Bank while Ingle was then
stationed with
Barker on the third floor. Melchen then contacted
Radio Sgt.
Crews and had him broadcast for all cars to call him and he
instructed
each and every car to watch for the above Packard and not to
touch it
unless there were three or more men in it, at which time
they should
arrest every one in it. If less than three men in it,
to call the
Detective Bureau and notify them where the car was.
Melchen then
returned to the Bank, and arriving at the Bank, was met by
Mr. Harry
Retalick who advised Melchen that the chauffeur had returned
to the
main floor of the bank with the check and the note, and that
he,
Retalick, had the check and note which he gave to Sgt.
Melchen.
The chauffeur was then pointed out to Sgt Melchen, this
being about
11.50AM. On getting a good look at the Chauffeur who
was in the
northwest corner of the bank, Melchen then signaled for
Chambers and
Ingle who were also shown the chauffeur and Barker returned
from the
third floor and was shown the chauffeur. Melchen then
called
Bryant at Miami Beach and advised him that the chauffeur was
then at
the bank. He was given a description of the chauffeur
who was
about 5'4", 25 to 27, 150#, wearing glasses and a full
chauffeurs
uniform. Bryant replied, "Wait a minute and I'll ask
the Doctor
if that's the Chauffeur". Bryant then stated that the
chauffeur
was a tall man with light blonde hair, and did not wear
glasses, and
requested that the man in the bank be arrested. At
this time,
there were no idle people in the bank, all customers being
either at
windows withdrawing or depositing or transacting some
business.
About 12.05 PM Melchen walked over the Barker and told him
that he
would take the man in custody, and to stand by. A
signal was
given to Ingle and Chambers also, and Melchen accosted the
chauffeur in
the north west corner of the bank, main floor, and
recognized him as a
former Miamian, and said to him, "I am a Police Officer,
You're under
arrest, don't move, or create any scene as we have the bank
and outside
thoroughly covered, and I have the check and note
which you
presented to the Bank." The Chauffeur replied "I won't
move, you
got me, the jigs up, I was a damn fool, go and get Mr.
Green, he
arranged the whole affair. I ought to have known I
wouldn't get
away with it".
Page 2
Melchen then asked the chauffeur if there were any other
members of the
kidnaping gang in the bank, or anywhere else nearby.
He stated
that there were not. Melchen then asked him where the
car was,
and he said "Down on E. Flagler St. near McCrory's 5 &
10".
About this time, there were many less people in the bank
than there
were at the time the chauffeur was accosted by Melchen and
Barker, so
Melchen and Barker frisked him quickly and ordered him to
walk to the
car as if nothing would happen, or had happened. The
chauffeur
stated that he was supposed to be met by these men but did
not state
when or where. He was asked for the keys and handed
same over to
Melchen. We started out of the Bank, the chauffeur in
the lead,
with Melchen on his right, a step behind, and Barker on the
left, and
as we neared the bank door, he again stated "I won't run, I
know
I"m caught", and we proceeded out of the bank and
instructed
Chambers to go to the Granada Apts, and get Mr. Green and
take him to
the Station. The chauffeur arrived at the car, stepped
inside,
and sat down behind the wheel and was watched by Barker,
Melchen and
Ingle for fifteen minutes, after which, the chauffeur
motioned to
Melchen to come over, and he said "The men won't meet me
here, you
might just as well take me to the station and get it over
with".
Not noticing any suspicious persons around, Barker Ingle and
Melchen
proceeded to the Station with the chauffeur in the
car. At the
Station in the presence of Chief Scarboro and others, the
chauffeur
stated that his name was John Roy Gray, that he was 27 yrs
old, resided
at 837 NW 1st St. and that he was employed by Dr. Claret as
chauffeur
for about two months, he stated that about 12.01 and 12.30
AM this
morning, he took Dr. Claret down in the 900 block on SW 2nd
St. taking
home a lady guest with the Dr. He stated that after
the doctor
left the car with the lady, a man came up to him (the
chauffeur), and
told him to stand there and to make no noise, and
immediately after, a
second man came, stood on the other side of the door, which
Gray had
opened awaiting the doctors return. Immediately
thereafter, the
doctor came out, and as he reached the car, these two men
drew guns on
the doctor and ordered the doctor to go into the car and
make no
outcry, threatening to kill him if he did. At this
time, a third
man came up and covered the chauffeur with a gun. This
third man
then sat on the front seat and ordered Gray to drive west on
SW 2nd St
to 10th Ave, and then north and east to 9th Ave. north on
9th Ave to
3rd St NW, where he was ordered to stop the car and the man
in the
front seat got out and he claimed he never saw this man
again.
The two men in the back instructed him to drive north to the
river,
west to 12th Ave, across the bridge to 11th St, east on 11th
St, to 7th
Ave, and up NW 7th Ave to 79th St, east over 79th St
causeway, to a
place on Normandy Isle, to an unfinished apartment building,
and as he
neared the apartment building, a car behind him flashed on
his bright
lights and then its dim lights. He was then ordered to
stop at
the apartment building, and he was held in the car while the
doctor and
the other two men in the back seat went inside the
building. He
then stated that the men who held him, made him go upstairs
and there
he was instructed by the doctor to take the note and check
and go to
the bank at 9.00 this morning and get the money and do just
as he was
told to do by the kidnapers. That he was then taken
downstairs by
the kidnapers, forced to get into the doctors car, at which
time he was
told to keep driving around, go to the bank at 9.00AM get
the money and
keep driving around the city over the "Usual" route.
Whence they
would meet him and get the money, and not to report it to
the
Police. He stated that he went directly to his home,
arriving
there about 4.00AM and went to sleep in a little camp car in
which he
sleeps directly behind his home. That he arose at
about 7.30 AM
had his breakfast about 8.00AM drove around the city and did
not see
any of the kidnapers anywhere and that a few minutes past
nine, he
appeared at the bank and went to the third floor to Mr.
Northrup to get
this money and was there advised that he would have to
return at
12.00Noon as the money had not arrived. He then stated
that he
left the bank and rode around the city until 11.30 AM and
then parked
his car on Flagler St near McCrory's. That he
leisurely walked to
the bank and arrived there about 11.45AM and presented the
check, and
after waiting about 15 minutes was arrested.
He was then questioned again, and almost repeated the same
story.
Melchen accompanied by Medina and Dr. Claret, went to Gray's
home, 837
NW 1st St, where a search was made with permission of his
mother for a
tie or adhesive tape such as used in binding up the
doctor. This
tape and piece of tie were brought over by Sgt. Bryant of
Miami
Beach. It was then ascertained from Mr. Gray that J
Roy Gray
arrived home sometime in the early hours of the morning, had
his
breakfast about 7.30 and left the house at 8.00AM, but that
her son
Fred had not been home all night. A roll of 1"
adhesive tape,
similar to that used to bind up the Doctor, was found in the
dining
room, which was used as sleeping quarters, on the
dresser. Mrs
Gray was asked if she knew whether or not Fred or J Roy had
taken any
of the adhesive tape out of the house in the past day or
two, and she
replied that she could not tell. Melchen and Medina
and the
Doctor returned to Police Headquarters and ascertained from
J Roy Gray
that his brother
Page 3
Fred was employed as a jitney driver between Miami and Miami
Beach. When asked if he had seen his brother Sunday,
he said "No
I haven't seen him since Saturday". Melchen then
called Sgt.
Bryant at Miami Beach, and requested Sgt. Bryant to pick up
Fred Gray
and bring him to Miami., which he did. On being in
Miami Police
Station, Fred Gray stated that he resided at 837 NW 1st St.
and that he
was 30 yrs old. On being questioned by all concerned,
he stated
that he had not seen his brother Roy to talk to, since
Saturday, but
later changed and said he had seen his brother at the jitney
stand on
SE 1st near Burdines. On being questioned as to his
movements
between 6.00PM Sunday night, Dec. 9th, and 7.00 AM Dec. 10th
he stated
that he worked until about 6.30 PM and he arrived in Miami
about 7.00
PM Sunday night, and that he went to the Biscayne Hotel to
visit
another jitney driver named Sam, where they had several
drinks of
liquor in Sam's room and that he left Sam about 9.30PM, and
went out to
W Flagler St, and 17th Ave, where he played poker up to
about midnight,
and that he caught the last trolley to town to Miami Ave
& Flagler
St, and that he took a jitney to Miami Beach and went to
Liggetts Drug
store and met a miss Wheeler who was employed there and
remained with
her until 6.30AM at an apartment house on Meridian
Ave. He could
not remember the address, and that he went to work at
7.00AM, and had
not seen his brother up to this time, Sgt. Melchen then
called Sgt.
Bryant at Miami Beach and asked him to bring Miss Wheeler
over, which
he did immediately, and Miss Wheeler stated that Liggetts
closed their
store at 10.00PM and that the assistant manager Mr. Babbitt
or Bobbitt
drove her home in Miami immediately after closing the store,
and that
she remained home all night. Fred Gray was then
confronted by
her, and asked if this was the Miss Wheeler he referred to,
which he
replied "I'm awful sorry I brought her name into this, I did
not meet
her at all last night. "Miss Wheeler was then
permitted to return
to her work. On repeated questioning, Fred Gray
refused to state
where he was between 12.00midnight and 7.00AM. Since
the name of
Sam was mentioned, Sgt. Melchen sent Detective Jenkins after
Sam at the
Biscayne Hotel, Miami, who according to Fred Gray, was
supposed to
occupy room #6. He was not in, however, later was
located and
brought in, and he stated that his name was Sam Geller, of
Bayonne N.J.
that Geller was not his real name, but Sam Garelick was his
real
name. When asked if Fred had been to his room, any
time between
6.00PM Sunday night, and 7.00AM today, he stated "Absolutely
not". When questioned as to his moves between these
hours, he
stated that he arrived home at 6 to 6.30PM from Miami Beach,
went to
his room in the Biscayne Hotel, and about 11.00 or 11.30PM
went across
the street on Miami Ave to a restaurant and he immediately
retired to
his room. That he went over to Miami Beach about
7.00AM
today. Fred Gray was then confronted with Sam Geller
and Gray
again repeated that he was in Sam's room #6 at the Biscayne
Hotel, from
9.00 until 6.00AM this morning, and that they both drank
several drinks
of liquor, and that he, Fred, arose about 6.30AM, and
proceeded to
Miami Beach, to work, leaving Sam in the room. Fred
Gray's
attention was then called to the variation in his statements
as to
time, and he stated that he was wrong, and did not get to
Sam's room
until about midnight, and remained until 6.30AM. Sam
absolutely
denied this. Fred was then remanded to the jail and
Sam was
questioned again, and stuck to his original story.
About this
time Sgt. Bryant called from Miami Beach and said that he
had found a
piece of shoe-string in the room where the doctor had been
bound and
tied, and the shoes of J Roy Gray were checked and laces
found to be
O.K. and Fred in the meantime was being brought back for
further
questioning, and it was found that his shoe string on the
right shoe
had been broken off. Gene Bryant was requested to
bring this
piece of shoe string over, and Fred was again questioned by
Melchen
Bryant and Medina, and when asked why he could not account
for his time
between 6.00PM Sunday night, and 7.00AM Monday morning, and
informed
that he had apparently lied on two instances to this
question, he
replied "I don't want to tell where I was". It was
then that he
was informed that his brother was under arrest, charged with
the
kidnaping and that he was a suspected accomplice and was
again informed
as was his brother and Sam Geller before they were
questioned, that
anything he might say could be used either for or against
him. He
stated that he had nothing more to say. He was then
ordered
placed back in the jail, and as he was being taken over, by
Potterton
and Medina, he asked Mr. Medina if he could talk to him and
Melchen
alone. Mr. Medina returned him to the Detective
office, Mr.
Medina then told Melchen that the boy wished to make a
statement, which
he, Fred Gray, did, and which Mr. Medina took down on the
typewriter,
and when the statement was completed, Fred Gray read it and
signed it,
and it was witnessed by Medina and Melchen. Copy of
this
statement is attached. In this statement, Fred stated
that he,
his brother, John Roy Gray, Sam Geller, and
Page 4
Curly Millard, were implicated in this kidnaping.
Detectives Papy
and Chambers were then ordered by Sgt. Melchen to go to
Miami Beach
where Millard was a starter for the jitneys and have Millard
picked up
and brought to Miami for questioning. Millard was
picked up at
his home 145NW 30th St, and brought to the Station. In
the
meantime Geller was again questioned by Medina, Melchen
Chief McCreary,
etc, and he stuck to his original story. Before
Millard arrived
at the Miami Police Station, J Roy Gray was brought over to
be
questioned again, and after being warned again, he stated to
Medina and
Melchen that he "just had to tell the truth" and he made the
statement
copy of which is attached, in which he implicated his
brother Fred, Sam
Geller, himself and Curly Millard as the four and only four
persons
implicated in this kidnaping case. In the meantime,
Fred Gray,
when show the piece of shoe string which was found in the
apartment
building at Miami Beach stated that he realized when told at
first
about the shoe string that it was his, and that his
statement
implicating those mentioned was true, and that if his
brother got the
money, they were to meet his brother later, and share
the money
share and share alike. J Roy Gray in the meantime, had
finished
his statement, which Medina typed, as he spoke, and after
reading same,
signed it voluntarily and said, in the presence of Melchen
and Medina,
that he was glad to get it off his chest. Geller was
then
questioned again by Melchen, Medina, Mr. McCreary and he
still stuck to
his original story. Geller and the two Gray boys were
remanded to
the jail and Millard was brought in to be questioned in the
presence of
Mr McCreary, Melchen and Dr. Claret, and McLendon, and he
stated after
being warned properly, that he didn't know whether he had
anything to
say or not, and wanted to know what it was about, and was
informed by
Melchen about the kidnaping of Dr. Claret, and of the
developments up
to this time, and then he said give me until tomorrow
morning and I'll
tell you all about it". He was then remanded to the
Jail and the
investigation closed for the time being.
Dictated by Melchen to Hanford
12/10/34 11.50PM to 12/11/34 1.50AM.
Notations:
Detectives Hancock and Williams have received an AVO to
contact the
officials at the Granada Apts, and check the records of
telephone calls
from the desk to the Biscayne Hotel, phone 29402, to see if
the call
was made about 9.00PM 12/9/34 as stated by J Roy Gray.
Barker has received an AVO to photograph and make several
copies of the
check and note in question and to turn the note, check and
photographs
over to the Detective Bureau for evidence.
Officers in this case:
J. O. Barker, Supt of Identification, Detectives Roy
Hancock, J. H.
Williams, Ed Chambers, C. M. Ingle, J, Medina, Det. Sgt.
Melchen,
Clerks Hanford and Schwelm, Chief of Detectives L. O.
Scarboro, and
Chief of Police, S D McCreary all of the Miami Police
Department.
Also Detectives C W Potterton, B M Howard Joe Jenkins, J A
McLendon,
and C C Papy.
Miami Beach officers, so far as known were Sgt. Gene Bryant,
and Chief of Police R T Teaney, Detectives Wichman and
Carpenter.
Evidence being held:
One pair of shoes with right shoe string broken, taken off
Fred
Gray. One Piece of a blue tie. One piece of
adhesive
tape. One piece of broken shoe string, the check and
note
hereinbefore mentioned. One piece of sashcord.
End of Page
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