New Britain herald., 1924-05-29
Hoffman Found Guilty Sentenced
 10 20 Frs. To Life h Sing Sing
Convicted Slayer of Mrs. Maud A. Bauer Suffers Collapse When the Jury Brings in Second Degree Murder Verdict - Raves at Prosecutor Each.

New York, May c9.--Harry L, Hoff- man, charged with the staying of Mrs. Maud A, Bauer on lonely Staten Island road, was found guilty of mur- der in the second degree by jury at 7:l0 this morning.
 20 Years to Life
 Hoffman, stunned at the verdict. collapsed into chair. his head buried in his hands, as he eomprehended the significance of the words of the iury's foreman. He remained in this posi- ton as his attorney waived hts clients right to forty-eight hour stay for sentence. and stood dazedly, swaying on his feet, as County Judge Tiernan imposed sentence of from twenty years to life imprisonment in Sing Sing prison.
 Tho conviction of Hoffman. mo- ton picture operator, married and the father of two children, was the climax of one Of Staten Islands most sensa- tional murder cases.
 Murder Last March
 lt had its inception late on tse af- tcrnoon of last March 25 when the body of pretty Mrs. Maude Bauer, young mother Of two daughters. was found by tho side Of lonely staten Island road. She had been shot beat cn and stranglcd and there was ovi- dcnco that she had successfully fought of an assault
 A large part Of the police depart mcnt wont to work on tho case, with but slender clues to pursue, Witnesses were found who told Of having seen Mrs, Bauer, driving her mother and daughters 'n hnr small car, stsiling the mutcr in the mud ot lonely road whom she had swerved to avoid cole lision with truck. Her mother told CT 3 passing motorist. lone man in a coupe, who stopped and rendered his services to Mrs. Bauer as she was walking toward a distant house 10 seek assistance.
 These. with a good description Of the mystery metorist, were the only tangible clues. For more than a week the police. spurrcd on by q clamor Of Staten Island residents for an arrest, pursued inc search which ended in the arrest of Hoffman, who fitted the description of the man sought.
 E,idcncc Con, ircing
 From the first he stoutly maintained his innocence. and fellow motion picture operator. Racey Parker told the police Hoffman had bern with him in inc projection room of a theatcr. at the time Mrs. Bauer was murdered. But the police had learned that three days after the murder. Hoffman had sent 10 his brother a gun of the calibre or the automatic pistol with which Mrs. Bauer had been shot. They also found bullet hole in inc upholstery of his motor car, coupe identical 10 that described by hose who had seen the mystery motorist. There were other suspicious circumstances.
 Parker. a few days later. rcpudiat- cd the alibi he had offered for Hoff- man. declaring his fellow operator had asked him to frame" if, as he feared the police would arrest him for the Bauer murder.
 Damaging Testimony
 District Attorney Each produced I2 prosecution witnesses in building up his cirCumstantial case at inc trial which opened Monday Of last week, The most damaging testimony was offered by Barbara Fans. 1s-year-old school girl. who identified Hoffman as the man who had offered Mrs. Bauer a Tiff" and by a firearms expert who declared that only bullets from Ho1- mans gun could have caused inc death of Mrs Bauer.
 The case uent to the jury late last night.
 Prisoncr CoIlapScs
 Hoffman. on his Nay to the prison van after sentence had been imposed, passed within a few feet Of District Attorney Facli and shrisked at him.
 Now you and your Iying witnesses can divide up your reward. l sm in- nocent and you know it,
 He suffered an emotional collapse in his cell and cried aloud.
 II is understood that the verdict Of the juryu had been held ID eight hours by tso cf it's members uho held out Tor a teflict of murder in the first degree.