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Show WOHLD WATCHES Willi TRIAL Millions Follow the Greatest Great-est Courtroom Drama of Modern History. By W. C. WEBBER Flemington, N. J. This small American town holds the center of interest for the entire world as day by day the intense drama of the trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, charged with the murder of tiny Charles Lindbergh, son of the famous fa-mous flyer, unfolds. Flemington, small New Jersey town of less than 3,000 population, is the focus of all eyes, as prosecution of the former for-mer German carpenter proceeds. Batteries of brilliant opposing legal le-gal counsel, clicking telegraph instruments, in-struments, flare of flashlights all the accompaniments of a modern . murder trial have been unable to obscure the human element in this case and drag it down to the level of the usual sensational court case. Mothers and fathers everywhere have followed with sympathetic interest in-terest each bit of testimony, the actions of the characters in this moving drama, and are weighing each scrap of evidence that is presented pre-sented against this man who Is' charged with one of the most hideous hide-ous crimes of modern times. Supreme Court Justice Thomas W. Trenchard, presiding over the Hauptmann trial, has a reputation for sternness. His task is not easy as the state of New Jersey attempts to send an obscure little German carpenter to the electric chair for the murder of the Lindbergh baby. The Interplay of human emotions often tends to make the administration adminis-tration of cold justice difficult. Tells of Last Day. Most pathetic figure of the drama is that of Mrs. Lindbergh, the former for-mer Anne Morrow. A slender figure fig-ure in black,. she told her story in a clear, small voice. Under the questioning of Attorney General David Da-vid T. Wilentz, chief prosecutor, she told of the idyllic afternoon she spent with her son on the day he disappeared, of how she had gone for a walk and finally of the tragedy tra-gedy and the bewilderment of the kidnaping. She finally identified the flannel shirt, the thumb guard, and the sleeping garment the child wore. At one point the tremendous tremen-dous emotional strain she was undergoing un-dergoing was indicated when she was unable to testify In answer to a question regarding the toys of her dead baby. She bowed her head silently, and the prosecutor passed on to another question. Mrs. Lindbergh's eyes were filled with tears and her voice trembled with emotion. There were moments when she was obviously near the breaking point, but she went bravely brave-ly on to relate the horrifying occurrence oc-currence of that dramatic day, and concluded her testimony by identifying identi-fying the clothing. What that ordeal or-deal must have cost her can only be conjectured. Sees Hauptmann. When she entered the courtroom it was the first time she had seen Hauptmann, the accused. Her eyes went to him repeatedly, but no expression ex-pression crossed her face. Two chairs away from Mrs. Lindbergh sat Mrs. Hauptmann. Hauptmnnn' face disclosed no emotion, but was turned steadfastly toward the witness wit-ness chair. He gave no Indication of Mrs. Lindbergh's presence, hut lils wife became more nervous. She shifted in her chair and her head j twitched as the mother told her i story. Colonel Lindbergh followed hin wife on the stand. His testimony was direct and clearly given. He testified that he board a noise "like the breaking of a crate" supposedly supposed-ly when the kidnaper's ladder broke and killed the child as the criminal climbed down from the nursery. He did not realize at the time that it might have been a ladder breaking. Near the' close of his .recital of the shocking crime came a sensational sensa-tional moment when Lindbergh identified Hauptmann as the man whom he believed to be guilty of kidnaping his son. He vigorously combated suggestions by the defense de-fense that members of his own household had been involved. The fear and sorrow that swept over the bouse on Sourland mountain moun-tain was revealed for the first time when Betty Gow, Scotch nurse, took the stand. She was the last person to see the child alive. In quick, staccato sentences she told how Colonel Lindbergh turned . away from the empty nursery and looking look-ing into his wife's eyes said : "Anne, they've stolen our baby." Nrse Collapses. Sharp cross-examination which contained a hint that she was involved in-volved in the crime brought flashes of anger from the nursemaid. Most attempts on the part of the defense de-fense to pry into her private life were challenged by the prosecution and the court generally sustained the objection. She left the stand in a virtual collapse whici at times caused her to sob hysterically. . This line of questioning was 'in line with statements of the defense council that the Lindbergh kidnaping kidnap-ing was an inside job. Miss Gow's friendship with "Red" Johnson, since deported from this country for illegal entry, was referred to FIGHTS FOR LIFE ; t f ' . p Bruno Hauptmann, German ex-Carpenter, ex-Carpenter, Who Is on Trial on Charges of Murdering the Lindbergh Lind-bergh Baby. His Stolid Actions Have Amazed Spectators. in the questioning. She admitted she told Johnson that the baby would be at Hopewell on the night of the kidnaping, but In answer to a direct question declared she had not told Hauptmann. Miss Gow was accompanied In court the day she testified by Mrs. Elsie Whatley, widow of the Lindbergh Lind-bergh butler, whose activities were mentioned several times during the testimony. The nurse said she had spent an hour In Mrs. Whatley's room the night of the kidnaping, and that during that time the baby was alone on the second floor of the house. When she discovered the baby was gone, she Immediately Immediate-ly notified the Lindberghs, she stated. Defense Attorney Rellly's questioning ques-tioning has tended to show that police po-lice had not Investigated actions of members of the Lindbergh establishment estab-lishment sufficiently to absolve them from suspicion. Two were particularly pointed out in the cross-examination; Betty Gow, and Ollvpr Whatley. butler, who later died in a hospital. Trooper Testifies. An important witness In establishing estab-lishing details of the discovery that the child was missing was Corporal Cor-poral Joseph Wolfe of the New Jersey Jer-sey state police. Wolfe testified that he found the ransom note on the south window sill of the east wall. Traces of mud on a suitcase near the window were also discovered, discov-ered, Wolfe said. He Identified the state's ransom note exhibit as the one he saw in its envelope the night of the kidnaping and declared that as soon as Trooper Kelly arrived, ar-rived, they checked the note for fingerprints and found none. Indentations in the earth beneath the window, evidently made by the ladder used in the case, were described de-scribed by the trooper. He also was the one who while searching the grounds found the discarded kidnap ladder sixty or seventy feet from the house. The stoical attitude of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, accused murderer, mur-derer, is that of an intensely interested inter-ested spectator. This man whose arrest ar-rest was the culmination of one ot the longest searches in the annuals of crime, watches proceedings of the trial with a detachment that is amazing. His impassive face tells nothing. He rarely stirs in court, rarely speaks. He might be simply one of the audience, for all the emotion emo-tion he displays. He enters the courtroom as calmly as if he were paying a social call, instead of being on trial for his life. Identifies Prisoner. His composure was broken, bow-ever, bow-ever, when he was identified by two witnesses .s having to do with the case. Joseph Perrone, New York taxi-driver, testified that Hauptmann wat the man who had given him a note to be delivered to Dr. John F. Condon (Jafsie), intermediary in the negotiations with the kidnaper. When Perrone stepped down from the witness stand, walked across the thirty feet that separated the witness wit-ness chair from Hauptmann, and putting his hand on Uauptmann's shoulder, identified him as the man whose actions he had described, the prisoner gave his first sigu of emotion. emo-tion. "You're a liar," Hauptmann muttered mut-tered in so low a tone that only those sitting close to him could hear. His Identification as a man whom he had seen in an automobile near tb" Lindbergh home on the day of the kidnaping by Amandus Hoch-muth, Hoch-muth, eighty-seven-year-old Prussian army veteran, just previous to this, caused Hauptmann to only shake his head. 'he testimony of both Lindbergh and his wife had also failed to shake the composure of the accused man. Testimony of Dr. J. F. Condon, the 't'Jafs-ie" of the ransom notes, another important figure in the case, is expected to have considerable weight with the jury. The retired educator conducted the ransom negotiations whiclx resulted in payment pay-ment of $30,000 which he alleges were made 'o Hauptmann. Coudon is accompanied wherever ho goes by.Al Reich, a former pugilist who acts as a bodyguard. Reich was also with Condon on the night when they went to the Woodlawn cemetery ceme-tery where "Jafsie" established bis contact with the extortioner, sitting in conversation with him for nn hour on a park bench. Marked Contrast. Condon positively identified Hauptmann Haupt-mann as the person to whom he paid the ransom money. Attorney Reilly in cross-examining Condon, implied that the witness himself was one of the kidnaping gang. Condon Con-don vigorously denied nny such part, declaring that his only purpose pur-pose was "to get back Colonel Lind-, Lind-, bergh's baby." Opposing counsel in this most interesting in-teresting criminal case of modern times present a marked difference. David T. Wilentz, attorney general of New Jersey, who is directing the fight to send Hauptmann to the electric chair, is wiry, dapper, dark-eyed, dark-eyed, olive-skinned. He has not handled han-dled many criminal cases In his career and he has never before been prosecutor in a capital case. He has been thrust Into a glare of publicity public-ity as brilliant as any lawyer could ask for, and appears calm and confident con-fident as to the final outcome of his efforts to convict the prisoner. He has the support of five assistant assist-ant attorney generals, of a former judge, George K. Large, and Anthony An-thony jr. Hnuck, Jr., present prosecutor prose-cutor of Hunterdon county. In direct contrast to Wilentz Is Edward Jny Iieilly, chief of defense counsel. In is thirty years of practice prac-tice he has tried, according to his own estimate, 2,000 murder cases, among them some of the most spectacular spec-tacular acquittals ever recorded In New York. His methods have become be-come almost a legend among criminal crim-inal lawyers. Florid, weighing 200 pounds, and a former army captain, he Is entirely the opposite of his opponent Itellly admits that be will receive no pay for his efTorts on behalf of Hauptmann. Associated with Iieilly are C. Lloyd Fisher, a native of Fleming-ton Fleming-ton and defender of John Hughes Curtis, the Norfolk (Va.) shipbuilder shipbuild-er who was convicted In 1!).'!2 of obstructing justice In the Lindbergh case; Egbert Rosccrans, defender twelve years ago in the "cat and swamp murder" cases; and Frederick Freder-ick A. I'oiyj. Meanwhile, millions watch the drama that :s being played dally in the little town of Flemington, the little New Jersey town where the most sensational trial of modern times is being held. |
