The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-06-27
LAW WRANGLE
STARTS CURTIS
HOAx|NG TRIAL
Indy, Betty Cow Present;
Farmers, Reporters
Jam Courthouse.
BO0TLEGGERS AT WORK
Defense Counsel Argues
Motion to QuaSh
Indictment.
BIZ United Press

PENNINGTON, N. j., June 81
The trial of. John Hughes Curtis,
Lindbergh hoaxer, opened in a cir
Gus setting today and Immediately
adjourned to the private chambers
of Judge Adam o. Robbins, where
opposing counsel wrangled over a
defense motion to bar one of the
prosecutors.
The 102-year- old courtroom was
jammed with curious farmers, house
wives, reporters and photographers.
At the prosecution counsel table sat
Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh, VIC
tim of Curtis cruel hoax, neatly at
tired in gray, well composed, but Wis
IDLY aged after the ordeal of the last
four months.
Next to him was Colonel H. Nor
man Schwarzkopf, in charge of the
hunt for the kidnapers and muir
derers of the Lindbergh baby. They
chatted quietly.
Ten feet away, at the defense
table, was Curtis, sleek, dignified,
confident. He talked to his 11-year-
old daughter Constance and his two
brothers. Curtis and Lindbergh
seemed unaware of each others
presence.
Betty Cow Present
Nearby was Betty Cow, the Lind
bergh nursemaid, dressed in white,
demure, self effacing. Her escort
was Ollie Whatley, the Lindbergh
butler,
The street outside was damned
with motion picture cameramen.
The counters of the general store
we're ready for land office bust
ness during recesses. Local boot
leggers, their cars parked in side
streets, circulated in the crowd, SELL
ing "off the hip"
Sheriff William B. Wean enliv-
ened proceedings by chasing pho
tographers out of the gallery.
The lawyers we're wrangling ever
whether or not Harry L. Stout,
Pennington lawyer, would be per-
mitted to serve as special prosecu-
tor. He was alleged to have con-
suited with Curtis when Curtis con-
templated retaining him for the
defense.
Judge Adam o. Robbins finally
ruled that Stout could serve, de-
spite his former connection with the
Virginia boat builder.
Claims Charge Unspecific
Judge Robbins returned to the
bench after the argument in cham
bers and Lloyd Fisher of defense
counsel began arguing motion to
quash the Indictment, charging
Curtis with obstructing justice, on
the ground of lack of. evidence.
Ryman Herr, Fishers law part
ner, took up the argument and pre-
Sented seventeen reasons for dis
missing the Indictment. He said it
was unSpecif1c and violated Curtis
constitutional rights. He severely
criticised the state police for holding
Curtis without warranty of law"
although the entire police force
of $50 men worked on the case for
seventy-f1ve days at the expense of
the taxpayers, the only person they
could bring in was John Hughes
Curtis" Herr said.
Herr alleged the indictment
failed to specify crime.
Il don't want to see a miscar-
riage of justice by the state in its
ardor, in its desire to covict some
body. 1t should not be on the rec
ord of the court that it had an
swered the clamor of the public.
THE court should not be made
a party to miscarriage of jus
tice to appeaSe the temporary re-
action of the public to police an
nouncement," he said.
Court then r ecessed for luncheon.