The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-07-31
RANSOM LETTERS
PUT IN EVIDENCE
Parents of Loeb and Leo
pold May Take Stand
to Save Them.
CORTLAND Is GRILLED
Attorney for Slayers Seeks to
Kill Evidence About Friend
ly Judge" Talk.

week OF the trial or RlcnarQ hoeD anu
Nathan Leopold, Jr., for the kidnapping
and staying of IA year old Robert
Franks, Robert E. Grove, states at
torney called handwriting experts IN
furtherance of what he has termed his
perfect hanging case"
John Tyrell of Milwaukee, hand
writing expert, with record of APP
pearances in that capacity at more
than 200 important trials, identified
the original ransom letter which de-
manded $4,000 from Jacob M. Franks
father of the slain boy, and another
letter left in parlor car for Mr.
Franks as having been written on an
Underwood portable typewriter-a bat
tered Underwood, fshed from a Jack
son Park lagoon, where, according to
their confession, Loeb and Leopold had
tossed it previously had been intro
duced in evidence.
"Train" Letter Received.
The train letter directed Mr.. Franks
to toss the money, securely wrapped
from the moving train at a designated
place, as Mr.. Tyrell explained to Chief
Justice John R. Caverly, in whose
hands their fate finally will rest. Leo.
pold and Loeb strained forward tt
catch sight of the typewriting speci.
mems which had guided Mr.. Tyrell ii
his determinations and which had beer
passed to defense counsel. They ex.
changed few smiling condolences over
these.
AS Mr.. Tyrell waded through the
exhibits with his professional explana-
tions and reasons for conclusions
reached, Attorney barrow of the de-
tense counsel to save time Informed
Judge Caverly that the defense was
satisfied with the identifcations anC
explanations.
Exhibits in the case reached I'D al
this stage.
The day opened with another indi.
cation that the defense was not
through with the accusation that Leo.
pold had hoped to escape death by
pleading guilty before a friendly
Judge" Police Sergeant James j
Cortland, who quoted this alleged re-
mark, was back on the stand to correct
a detail of his testimony on which he
made notes of this talk. Mr.. Darrow
took advantage of the opportunity tt
question him closely as to the identity
of persons with whom he discussed the
alleged remark at Fairbury, ILL.,, and
Bloomington. 1t was indicated this
part OF the sergeant's story would be
checked up.
Loeb Changes Ties.
Court opened promptly at 10 a. m
For the first time since the trial
opened Loeb appeared wearing a four
in-hand tie in place of his usual pre-
else bow Leopold wore his usual
dark four-in-hand.
Robert E. Grove, states attorney
called back to the stand Sergeant ]
j. Cortland, saying he wished the wit
ness to identify some of the notes
from which he read the bomb shell
of last Friday, when he quoted Leopold
as wishing to plead guilty before a
friendly judge"
The questioning had to do largely
with the exact dates on which Cortland
made the various memoranda. Judge
Caverly frowned and shook his head
as the tedious process continued. At
torneys barrow and Grove conferred
briefly as to the purpose of the state,
the former nodding and starting q
cross examination.
"Mr. Officer" Mr.. barrow said, "you
now say these certain sheets we're
written on July "a. You wrote them
all at home and at the same, time?"
''Yes sair" said Cortland.
Cortland Admits Error.
Didn't you testify the other day
that these six sheets now marked ex-
hibit four, were written at different
times 81
81 was mistaken" Cortland said.
The court was informed that the
six sheets in question were, accord
ing to Cortland, "the outline of my
testimony as prepared by me the
night of July a."
Then Cortland was excused.
Larry Cuneo, Mr.. Groves private
secretary identified various statements
written by Leopold at the Hotel La
Sale the Thursday before Decoration
Day, "a to SO hours before the first
confessions.
The purpose was to form basis for
testimony on comparisons of hand
writing, it was explained.
Cuneo testified that Leopold had re-
marked three days after these speci-
mems of handwriting were made, that
he had made "slip" because he had
used "a characteristic letter "" in
this writing Of Thursday.
Cuneo next identified some speci-
mems of Loeb's writing, about hun
dred sheets of letter head paper go
ing in.
Taxi Driver Found no Fares.
Charles Robinson, a taxicab driver
testified that on May %, 1924 he was
sent to 5053 Ellis avenue, but found
no customer. The number is that of
the Franks home and the call was the
one sent to Mr. Franks by the kidnap-
pers telling him to ride in the cab to
certain drug store and there await
further instructions. Mr.. Franks tes-
titled the first day of the hearing that
he did not take this taxicab ride be-
cause he already knew that his boy
was dead
George w. Mcclellan, Chicago, man
ager of the Underwood Typewriter
company, explained the company's me-
thods in trading typewriters reported
stolen and testified that the numbers
on the portable Underwood fished
from the Jackson Park lagoon were on
the "stolen list" sent out from COM
pany headquarters in New York.