European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 29, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Kidnapped 11 six decades have not diminished the nation s fascination with the Lindbergh Case by Sam Blackman Quot the associated press the passage of 60 years has muted but not silenced the controversy Over the kidnapping on March 1,1932, of 20-month-old Charles a. Lindbergh or. Was Bruno Richard Hauptmann the kidnapper and did he act alone a note with Many misspellings left on the Windowsill of the baby a Nursery in the new Jersey Mountainside Home of his famous father Charles a. Lindbergh and his Mother Anne Spencer Morrow demanded $50,000 for the return of the child. It was paid. The state said Hauptmann got the Money. Hauptmann a defense was that the Money had been left to him for safekeeping by a Friend who had since died. The note was one of the pieces of evidence that led to his conviction. The state contended the baby was killed in a fall when a crude ladder used in the kidnapping broke under the combined weight of Hauptmann and the baby. Hauptmann a 36-year-old German born Carpenter was arrested sept. 19, 1934, in the Bronx Section of new York City after he used a $10 Ransom Bill to pay for Gas at a service station and police found $14,600 More in his garage. He died in the electric chair in the new Jersey state prison in Trenton on april 3, 1936, Hauptmann a 93-year-old widow Anna one of the last surviving principals in the Case is trying again to Clear his name. At a news conference a few months ago in Flemington ., where the trial was held she said a my husband was never never near the Lindbergh Home. They killed an innocent her lawyer Robert a Bryan of san Francisco who has represented her for years said Quot the trial of the Century was probably the greatest fraud in the history of this mrs. Hauptmann testified that her husband called for her the night of March 1 at the Bronx bakery where she had worked since 1929. She said they Quot went Home together about half past nine Quarter to 10&Quot and stayed there. On Cross examination she was asked if she had not told a new York City police detective when Hauptmann was arrested Quot that you had no recollection of what happened March 1,1932 that you did not know whether your husband was with you or there was some sparring Between the prosecutor and the witness but no direct answer. At her recent news conference mrs. Hauptmann asked that new Jersey gov Jim Florio declare her husband unfairly convicted. Florio s director of communications Jon Shure said later that Bryan Quot submitted some documents and they Are being reviewed in the attorney general a the controversy seemingly endless arose because the Case against Hauptmann was based largely on circumstantial evidence. 1 books have been written decrying and upholding the verdict. One of the most recent the Lindbergh Case written in 1987 by James Fisher a former Fri agent and a professor of criminal Justice at Edinboro a state College said Quot the evidence was overwhelming. Very few cases Are proven that Well particularly cases where you done to have a confession and where you done to even have an an earlier Book Scapegoat was written by Anthony Scaduto a former new York Post reporter who contended Quot every piece of physical evidence introduced against the accused Lindbergh kidnapper at his trial was either manufactured by the police or distorted by so called expert the Case has gone to the . Supreme court several times and been rejected. Hauptmann s widow has contended through her attorney that her husband was the innocent victim of a conspiracy to conceal evidence. She sought monetary damages. A few years ago a san Francisco court of historical review and appeals an unofficial body that studies controversial cases recommended that the Case be reopened by new Jersey authorities who say they Lindbergh right with col. H. Norman Schwarzkopf. Anne Lindbergh holds her Newborn son about 20 months before the kidnapping. Support the verdict and saw no reason to do so. Before leaving office 10 years ago gov. Brendan Byrne ordered the 90,000 pages of Lindbergh files opened saying there was Quot no need to preserve secrecy at this late but Byrne a former judge said Quot the jury decision was a sound one and Justice was Lindbergh a 25-year-old airmail Pilot became the most famous figure of his time almost overnight a Small town boy from the Midwest he had flown his single engine plane the spirit of St. Louis from san Diego to St Louis to new York. Six Days later a on May 20, 1927 a Quot the Lone Eagle Quot As he was now called was aloft again heading Over the Atlantic with a Compass five quarts of water and five sandwiches but no radio too heavy. He left behind famous competitors for a $25,000 prize for the first nonstop flight to Paris among them Richard e. Byrd the Polar explorer. Six pilots died trying. Lindbergh landed at Lebourget Airport some 3,600 Miles away and 33vfe hours later and introduced himself to cheering thousands. In late 1927 he was invited by Dwight w. Morrow ambassador to Mexico to be his guest there. It was at the embassy where Lindbergh met the morrows daughter Anne whom he married in 1929. The couple who had lived in rented rooms in an Uptown new York hotel after their honeymoon decided to build a House they chose a site in the Courland mountains near Hopewell ., 60 Miles from new York. It was there that tragedy struck. The fieldstone House was liable but not yet finished and the Lindbergh usually spent Only weekends there. Most other Days they were at the Morrow estate in Englewood The Lindbergh baby had a slight cold. It was raw and Windy and so Anne decided it would be Best to stay Home that tuesday March 1. Lindbergh returned from new York the Hauptmann defense made much of the fact that the Lindbergh had decided to stay in Hopewell that night. How could a kidnapper have known col. H. Norman Schwarzkopf superintendent of the state police father of the general who led the coalition forces in the Gulf War and his staff questioned All servants in both the Lindbergh and Morrow households to determine if it could have been an inside Job. One of the servants committed suicide prompting the police to say it indicated Quot guilty knowledge of the others said she was Quot frightened to Lindbergh who was Reading in a downstairs room., testified at Hauptmann s trial in january 1935 in the Flemington court House that he heard a strange noise which he said sounded Quot like the slats of an Orange crate falling off a nurse Betty Gow went to the second floor Nursery about 10 p m. And discovered the baby missing. She checked the parents. No neither had the baby Lindbergh ran to the Nursery saw the empty crib and said Quot Anne they have stolen our the note on the Windowsill said Quot dear sir Quot have 50000$ ready 25000$ in 20$ Bills 15000$ in 10$ Bills and 10000$ in 5$ Bills after 2-4 Days we will inform you where to deliver the Mony we warn you for making any Ding Public or for notify the police the child is m gut the note said the Quot signature a for future letters would be two interlocking circles with three Bruno Hauptmann smiles the morning after being condemned to death. Square holes. Early on there were Many bizarre developments fed by speculation that underworld figures had kidnapped the baby. Among them a gangster Al Capone under an 11-year sentence for income tax evasion offered a $10,000 Reward for the baby s return. He told Arthur Brisbane a Hearst columnist that he would restore the child to the Lindbergh in return for his Freedom. Lindbergh and Law officials turned him Down. A the Lindbergh announced they had authorized two minor underworld figures Salvatore Spitale and Irving Bitz to act As go Between in dealings with the kidnappers. A in Washington Gaston b. Means a private detective with a Shady past tried to interest Well known social figures including mrs. Evalyn Walsh Mclean owner of the 44v�-Carat Hope Diamond in the Case. She gave Means $104,000 $100,000 Ransom $4,000 expenses on his Promise he could return the baby alive. Meantime a 72-year-old Bronx educator or. John f Condon upset that the Lindbergh had authorized two underworld figures to act As go Between pondered what he could do. He wrote a letter to the Bronx Home news offering $1,000, in addition to the $50,000 Ransom asking the kidnappers to get in touch with him and promised never to reveal their names. The letter was published March 8. Surprisingly he received a reply saying Quot Handl enclosed letter personally to or. Lindbergh. It will explain it went on to say if the press and police were Quot notified everything Are and a final instruction Quot after you get the Money from or. Lindbergh put these words in the new York american Quot Mony is Condon took the letter to Lindbergh at Hopewell. Lindbergh conferred with his Friend and adviser Henry c. Breckinridge. They were convinced the writer knew something because the signature seemed the same. And the interlocking Symbol which had never been printed in the newspapers was on the letter. They authorized Condon to go ahead and so on March 11 continued on Page 16 Page 14 b the stars and stripes saturday february 29, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 15
