The Washington times., 1934-12-17
n. J. CONCEALS
'JAFS|E' ROLE
At TRIAL
This is the Sirth OF a series of
articles on the forthcoming trial
OF Bruno Richard HGuptntGnn
and the Lindber0h case.
BY JAMES L. KILGALLEN
Copyright, 1884, by international
News Service)

Copyright, 1884, by International
News Service)
PENNINGTON, N. j., Dec. II
UN.SD D.-Dr. John F. Condor,
otherwise known as "Jafsie," is
the mystery man" in the Lind
bergh case.
He may be one of the most
valuable witneSseS-poSsibly the
States high card-at the forth
coming trial Of Bruno Richard
Hauptmann for the murder OF
little Charles A. Lindbergh, jr.
Just how much DR.. Condor
knows about Hauptmann no one
seems to know, with the excep-
tion Of perhaps Attorney General
David T. Wilentz. Until DR..
Condor takes the stand, when
the trial opens January 2, this
information will no doubt be
withheld.
Paid Ransom
DR.. Condor, a 72-year-old New
York city educator, attained
fame by acting as chief inter
mediary for Col. Charles A. Lind
bergh in efforts to contact the
kidnapers of the Lindbergh baby.
It was "JafSie" who paid the
$4,000 ransom to a mysterious
John" in st. Raymond's Gene
terry, the Bronx, New York city,
on the night of April 2, 1924
month and a day after the baby
was kidnapped.
On the night this ransom was
paid, Colonel Lindbergh drove to
the cemetery with DR.. Condor.
Colonel Lindbergh, however, re-
mained in the car while "Jatsie"
Jared forth and conducted the ne.
gotiations.
Colonel Lindbergh informed the
authorities he heard the mySteri-
Gus stranger with whom DR.. Con-
don dealt call out in the darkness:
"Hey, doctor"
Viewed Hauptmann
Subsequently, Lindbergh, dis.
guised with smoked glasses, viewed
Hauptmann in the Bronx county
courthouse. He also heard Haupt-
mann talk. Whether he recog-
nized the voice of Hauptmann as
that Of the man who called out
to DR.. Condor that night is not
yet officially on the record.
Whether DR.. Condor recognized
Hauptmann as the man with
whom he did business that night
has been variously reported. The
latest Observation-Disclosures
officially, however-is that he did.
When "Jafsie" first viewed the
prisoner last September in a New
York city police station shortly
after his arrest, DR.. Condor was
quoted as having identified him
as the man he talked to in the
cemetery the night of April 2,
1882. But a day or two later an
nouncement was made that he
was able to only partially iden-
tify him."
Talked With Prisoner
And then suddenly, on October
IS last, DR.. Condor, without any
advance ballyhoo, showed up at
the Hunterdon county IN. JO jail,
where Hauptmann has been con-
fined since his extradition to New
Jersey, and talked for an hour
and 10 minutes with the prisoner.
From circles close to the prose
cution it was strongly limited fol-
lowing this visit that DR.. Condor
positively recognized Hauptmann
as the man to whom he gave the
$4,000 ransom money in the cem-
etery.
The belief that DR.. Condor
made the Identification was based
largely upon statement by At
torney General Wilentz, who told
reporters:
II can say this-frOm the gen.
eral tone around the attorney
generals office and the State
police headquarters, you ought
to be able to Surmise."
Believed Identified
Newspaper men were agreed
that the tone" in these sources
at the time was that DR.. Condor
had made the Identification. One
Official had told them:
"It is safe to speculate that
DIR. Condor identified him."
How important DR.. Condon's
testimony would be at the murder
trial, If he has identified Haupt-
mann as the person with whom
he dealt, was the subject of much
speculation. It would admittedly
link the defendant to connection
with the kidnapping and ransom.
There was difference of opinion,
however, as to the weight of this
evidence in the murder charge.
DR.. Condor was a New York
teacher and school principal for
S6 years. He retired three years
ago, occasionally giving lectures.
T0mOrrow'S article will deal
with the seemingly difficult
task of the State Of New jersey
to place Hauptmann at the