The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-09-22
GRAY HAIRED OLD
 LADY DEFENDS HIM

(Continued from Page 1.)
 ble and a sofa. There was wood- | burning range. A few pots hung
 from the walls. The room was
 neatly scrubbed.
 Mrs Hauptmann, only 4 feet,
 inches in height, burst into tears
 when she began to talk. Then, her
 pale bule eyes lighting up, she sat
 on the edge of her red plush sofa and expressed hope that the
 charge against her son was all a mistake.
 She squared her shoulders and pointed almost defiantly to an en- | larged photograph of Hauptmann portraying him as a cool, confident youth. Her gesture seemed tc
 mean that the photograph proved the original could not commit such
 a crime as the Lindbergh kid.
 naping.
 | Richard, she said-Hauptmanr
 is called Richard here-sent smal
 sums home to augment the old agt
 pension of 60 marks ($24.25) 6 month on which she, widow, sub. | clStS. I1S dAWoyo ACAAACihOOAOo AASA
 birthday with a gift, and sent hel
 presents at Christmas, she said and in addition sent money. The last remittance, this spring, was
 one of 200 marks ($S0.S5), she | said. @ When he sent that, Mrs Haupt-
 mann said, he said he had pros- poets of making a start. His let ters, she commented, seldom gave details of his work. Sometimes he
 would say he was workless, some
 times that he was employed. Discussed Hold-UpS | Mrs Hauptmann discussed the two hold-u for which Hauptmanr
 received 21s year terms each, onl, to escape and stowaway to the
 United States.
 q forgave him." she said, "be. cause he was just back from the
 war and was at his wits end. He
 had nothing to eat. Besides. al that time (about 1920), robbery
 was not such a crime as 1t is to- day. Nobody had anything. "I do not defend stealing. But everyone was getting along any
 way he could then"
 Mrs Hauptmann raised five chil. dren in the little home. The father died during the war. Two sons were killed in it. Another sor
 lives in Dresden.
 There is also a daughter, mar
 ried for 28 years, who lives in Lo!
 Angeles, California. l She showed an album sent by Hauptmann, which included snap shots of his life in the United States and picture post cards o
 a trip he made in 1881 to Califor'
 mia to visit his sister, Mrs Emms | Goeckner.
 ] Hauptmann's wife comes from
 the neighboring town of Mark graeningen. She visited the moth
 CT here twice, the last time 1T
 1882.
 | Hauptmann himself, until hi l first conviction, apparently led th' ordinary life of a school boy. Ht finished grade school at IA, ant
 worked at odd jobs. He was called to the World war before he fin lished his apprenticeship at hi
 trade of mechanic.
 | After his first conviction fol
 robbery he earned name for iazi ness.
 It was learned that Hauptmanr
 owed his liberty ,here to gypsies He had a gypsy for cell mate 1T prison. They became close friends
 The gypsy clan. learning of theil friendship, arranged for Haupt mann's escape. The gypsy wal
 only serving a term for vagrancy His mother got clothes for Haupt mann, who escaped from his cell
 stripped at the prison gate, ant
 arrived without clothing at thu gypsy camp. He dressed there
 and was taken by the gypsiel
 across the French frontier in covered wagon.