Imperial Valley press., 1932-06-29
REPORTER
TESTIF|ES
AT TRIAL
Asserts Curtis Sought To
Collect Money For His
Story.
LINDBERGH PRESENT
Flyer Remains AT Hear
ing Though Finished
AS Witness.

BENNINGTON. N. j.. June %.
U.P)-John Hughes Curtis Has d.
rectly charged today with having
"aided the people who were guilty
of kidnapping Charles A. Lindbergh,
Jr."
The charge was made by Frank
j. Wilson, special agent of the de-
partment of internal revenue, test
flying as a prosecution witness in
Curtis trial for obstructing justice.
His testimony, admitting that part
Of Curtis complicated stories about
negotiations with the supposed kid
napers, was true, was in direct con-
tradiction to the states contention
that Curtis had lied.
PENNINGTON, N. j., June 90.
UP) - The state of New Jersey
added a new chapter to the John
Hughes Curtis hoax story today.
Through the testimony of a New
York neWspaperman the prosecution
in Curtis trial on charges of OBJ
structing justice introduced evil
dence intended to prove that the
Norfolk boat builders imagination
expanded rapidly under the pros
pect of obtaining cash.
William E. Haskell, jr., of the
New York Herald-Tribune testi-
fled that in an effort to collect
$4,000 from that paper, Curtis de-
clared that he had made contact
with the Lindbergh baby kidnapers
and that at one time he had to
restrain Col. Charles A. Lindbergll
from jumping off a yacht and
swimming to the supposed kid
napers' vessel.
Haskell was the first witness OH
the third day of Curtis trial on
charges growing out of his al
legedly faxed negotiations with the
kidnapers and slayers of the Lind
bergh baby. He was called by the
prosecution to support its conten-
ton that Curtis perpetrated a cruel
hoax on the Lindberghs for pub
licity and profit, hoping to sell his
story to the press for a large fee.
Curtis description of the con-
tact at sea was vivid, Haskell said
He told of rough seas which pre-
vented transferring the baby from
the kidnapers' boat to Curtis.
Although excused as witness
Colonel Lindbergh occupied a chair
within the enclosure and followed
tocti,a,CYou aarnfI111u
Haskell revealed that Edwin
Bruce, friend of Curtis, had dis
cussed motion pictures which
Bruce had taken of Lindbergh dur
ing several of the sea expeditions
Fisher pressed for details, but
Haskell, exercising the newspaper
mans ethics Of withholding infor-
nation obtained in confidence
asked to be excused.
On cross examination, Haskell
wcs a friendly witness to the de-
fense. He said he was positive in
his own mind that Curtis actually
had been in communication with
the kidnapers He declared there
was no possible way Curtis could
have profited unless the baby was
returned.
Identifies "AIec"
Haskell referred to character
called Alec" and then with dra-
matte suddenness revealed that
"Alec" was none other than Colonel
Lindbergh. Curtis never referred
to him by any other name, he said
Haskell told of talking to Curtis
after his hoax confession was
made public.
Curtis told me he would have
signed anything in order to gel
some sleep" he said. Il asked him
if he had really been in contact
with the kidnapers and he replied
Indignantly:
"'Yes, I certainly was, and the
story is still to be told and is il
Norfolk"
Haskell's crosS-eXamination wa;
brief. The next witness was Frank
I. Wilson. Baltimore, special agent
Of the intelligence division, depart
ment of internal revenue.
Wilson testified that Curtis hac
provided him with a description ol
the kidnapers boat and of the mer
aboard it. With this description
Wilson set the coast guard on {
lengthy and expensive search.