The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1935-02-16
CONVICTED SLAYER
OF L|l(DbERCH BABY
BECOMES no. 17,40
Motors from Pennington Jail
TO New Jersey Penitentiary
At Trenton
PUBLICLY ACCUSES FlSCH
Tells Reporters He Believes
Dead Friend Had Help IN
Kidnapping
PUBLICLY ACCUSES FlsCH
BULLETIN


crnor Harold q. Hoffman received .
letter Saturday which threatened
him, Supreme Court Justice Thomas
w. Trenchard and the Hauptmaun
Jury with the death Of revenge II
Bruno Richard Hauptmanns SEN
tence to death in the electric chair u
not committed to life imprisonment
by February ~.
The governor made no comment In
making public the letter, but said he
would turn it over to the department
of justice. Written In . long scrawl.
it was received In IN envelope with q
washington, D. G., postmark showing
it had been mailed from the capital
at 8 p. m, Feb. Is.
Trenton, N. j., Feb. l6.-(P)-Bxuno
Richard Hauptmann, convicted muir.
derer Of the kidnapped Lindbergh
baby. rode the a miles from Flem-
ington to the New Jersey state prison
Saturday to become Prisoner No.
l7.4o0," IN his death cell Just six PAGES
from the electrocution chamber.
I'm innocent" were his last words
As he disappeared from sight through
the prison doors, still manacled to
Harry McCrea, Hunterdon county
jail warden, ana Lieut.. Allan Smith,
head Of the state police detachment
assigned to guard him after hts 70.
noval to New Jersey from the Bronx.
HauptmannS face was expression.
less. Smiling as he left the Fleming.
ton Jail, he spoke fewer and fewer
words as the motorcade Of four ~.
tomobiles neared Trenton.
Escort Evades Mob
For the last time. IL his counsel's
appeal fails, until he dresses for his
execution set tentatively for March
q, he wore the light grey suit that
he wore for every session Of the trial
for his life.
The state police escort evaded the
mob Of some 700 persons who were
gathered at one end Of the prison.
They went around the opposite end.
Rushed up the steps into the
prison, Hauptmann was hurried to q
side office where his commitment pa
pers were given to Prisons Clerk Irv-
ing Bleam.
Immediately labeled Prisoner No.
17,400" he was led away to the death
house. Down the main corridor he
walked between his guards, out
through the small yard where he
saw sunshine again for perhaps the
last time and then through the door
into the little red brick house Of death.
Assigned to Cell
He was assigned to Cell Number 9,
adjoining the death chamber-just
six PAGES from the electric chair. Il
is the last one on the first tier which
is unoccupied save by Hauptmann.
There, less than Is minutes after
he entered the prison. he had his din
ner Of pork aud sauerkraut, dessert
and coffee.
Hauptmann appeared on the front
steps Of the jail at 9:35 Z. n.. hand
cuffed to Warden Harry o. Meccrea
and It. Allen Smith.
The trio. surrounded by state troop
ers. paused on the steps long enough
to satisfy photographers. At the rear
Of the jail they got into waiting cars
and started the trip to Trenton.
The motorcade included four auto |
mobiles In which were Sheriff John |
II. Curtiss. deputy sheriffs and . de-
tachment Of state troopers.
No motorcycle escort was provided |
because Of the slippery condition Of
tho road.
Maintains Innocence
Hauutmann was In the back seat !
Of the second car with his pair Of |
manacled guards. The car was driven |
by Sergeant James Crawford Of the |
state police. Beside him sat Sheriff
Curtiss.
When Hauptmann paused on the
Jail house steps, he smiled broadly |
and spoke In German to . represent
alive Of q German newspaper.
II am innocent" he said. Come
and SEQ me (meaning at the state
prison at Trenton)."
Going through the necessary legal
steps to appeal the verdict which
carried the sentence Of death N the
electric chair March 10, Hauptma:in
developed . new loquacity In post.
trial protestations Of innocence.
In . newspaper interview from his
cell Friday night. the convicted man
expressed the belief that lsador Fisch
must have done the kidnapping"
& was the first time Hauptmann
has publicly accused Fisch. his dead
susaness partner. and the man upon
whom the defense sought to saddle
tho crime during the trial BY assert
ing he had left the $4,000 In ransom
bills with Hauptmaun.
Funny" Hauptmann said to the
reporters, "But ct first I don't think
Fisch could do the kidnapping to get
the money.
Believes Ffsch Had Help
"But later I do. He can't do It
alone, either. No. He can't"
To reports that authorities were
searching for an accomplish In the
lCoutlnued on raSe esYeM