Evening star., 1934-09-24
PARDON OFFERED
PAU[|N IN 1882
Failure to Aid Case Cost
Freedom-Lindy May
Visit Prisoner.

(copyright, 1894, by the Associated PressJ
COLUMBUS, Ohio, September a.
George Paulin, Ohio Penitentiary con-
vict, carried a promise of a pardon
from Gov George White when he went
to New Jersey in 1882 to tell Col
Charles Lindbergh and police authori-
Ties OF information he claimed to have
of the kidnapping of the aviator'S baby,
Paulin contends New Jersey authori-
ties refused to permit him to pursue
the case under his own plan of action
and that he withdrew.
The disclosure of Paulin's acquaint-
ance with Bruno Richard Hauptmann,
kidnapping suspect, was made Saturday
by Warden Preston E. Thomas. The
Governor said Paulin's insistence that
he knew of the kidnapping plan and his
offer to confront Hauptmann and
accuse him face to face now are being
made without promise of executive
clemency.
Offer Was Withdrawn.
The offer of a pardon. the Governor
said was withdrawn in 1882 when
Paulin failed to lend substantial as
sistance.
Gov. White said he personally sent
a letter to Gov. A. Harry Moore asking
the latter to arrange conference with
Paulin with Col Lindbergh and New
Jersey authorities. The warden said
he was with Paulin when he conferred
with Lindbergh.
Unconflrmed reports received here
said Col Lindbergh, now flying back
to New York with his wife, may stop
here to interview Paulin.
Paulin's mother came to the prison
to see her son this morning.
Still further corroboration Of Paul.
Inns contention he knew Hauptmarfh
and was tipped before hand of the
latter's intention to kidnap the Lind
bergh baby, was offered today by
Warden Thomas and his daughter
Amanda, mail censor at Ohio Peni-
Tertiary.
Miss Thomas termed the comment
by Samuel j. Foley, Bronx district at
torney, that the Paulin angle was
bust" an insult to my intelligence"
She and her father mapped out
step by step how they were able. they
said, to learn definitely that Paulin
was an old acquaintance of Haupt-
mann, a carpenter. now held as
suspect in the Lindbergh kidnap
killing
Knew Name at Once.
"On last Thursday afternoon was
upstairs lin the residence) listening
to the radio" Miss Thomas related.
They were broadcasting a Columbus
base ball game. Suddenly they broke
in with an announcement that a
man named Bruno Hauptmann was
held in the Lindbergh case.
Il ran downstairs to dad and said,
That's the man who wrote all those
strange letters to Paulin.' I asked
dad to get Paulin out and ask him
about it.
They brought Paulin in and told
him what I had heard over the radio.
He wouldn't say anything. Then I
went out and bought an extra paper.
We showed him the headline. 1t gave
the name Bruno Hauptmann. We
did not show him the rest of the story.
"Paulin then said: I don't know
how he could have killed the child.
He was a good enough woodworker TO
know how 70 build ladder strong
enough to support himself Now,
understand, we had not permitted
him to read the story. 1t was not
until Paulin mentioned that Haupt-
mann was woodworker that We
knew he was one"
Wardens Story Same.
Warden Thomas told the same
story, pointing out it would have been
impossible for Paulin to have received
word of Hauptmanns arrest, either
through radio or newspapers, before
he was called into the warden's Office
on that afternoon.
I've had many a strange tale told
me since I've been warden here" he
declared. Il don't fall for something
that has nothing to it."
Miss Thomas asserted the mention
of Hauptmann's name Immediately
caused her to recall letters addressed
to Paulin before the Lindbergh kid
naping, which, she said, were signed
either Bruno" or "Hauptmann"
These, she went on, included the
note which Paulin said was Haupt-
mann's tip to him that he planned
to kidnap the Lindbergh child-which,
decoded, read, Will kidnap Lindy
baby, hope for me-"
Preceded kidnapping.
They declared the note was accom-
panied by an envelope addressed in
the same handwriting and bearing a
Perth Amboy. N. j., postmark of sew
eral weeks before the child was stolen
from his bed.
Paulin said he tore the signature
from the note and the return address
from the envelope when, after the
KIDNAPPING, he showed them to the
warden. After that, he said, and be-
fore he journeyed with the warden to
Hopewell, N. j., to make an offer to
mediate for the return of the child
and the payment of the ransom, he
destroyed both the note and envelope.
as well as other items of correspond
ence.