CRIME: Lindbergh Law and After

On June 17, 1932, Congress passed the Lindbergh Law making kidnapping across state lines a Federal felony. This act pitted the U. S. Government directly against the virulent "snatch" racket for the first time. Free from the corruption of local politics, superbly trained and equipped with tip-top morale, the Department of Justice's Division of Investigation buckled to its new and difficult work with a will. Up to last week it had acted in 31 kidnapping cases, returned alive all but one kidnappee. Of the 74 "snatchers" whom Federal agents had helped...

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