Evening star., 1935-01-10
BY KATHLEEN NORRIS.

IN. A. N. A0.-They told us when
we got to Pennington court house
that some Of the men and women in
the crowd that was packed about
the steps and along the sidewalks
outside the old building had been
there since 3 o'clock. At 3 o'clock
on a cold. foggy Winter morning they
had gathered there; they had been
waiting ever since-just for a quick
glimpse of Lindbergh, or to see the
arrival of "Jafsie."
"Jafsie" Is John F. Condor. He Is
the all-important witness who identi-
fled Bruno Richard Hauptmann as
the mysterious John" of the kid
naper's letters. the shadowy figure
with whom he talked at the cemetery
gate on March night almost three
years ago. Strangely enough, in no
other witness has the public seemed
to take so acute an interest as in this
one: perhaps because it is for him to
unite the criminal and the crime. if
he can. This affable Bronx school
teacher has a grim and terrible part
to play in this drama. and with a
certain dramatic energy he has set
himself to play it.
Hazy Recollection Of Figures.
Some women. like myself, have
followed the confused mazes of the
Lindbergh tragedy only at intervals
since first it broke across the front
pages Of our newspapers almost three
years ago, and have since retained
only hazy recollection of who Red"
Johnson and Betty Cow and "Jafsie"
are. There was hope in those days
that was destined to bitter disap-
pointment: there was an infinite
tumble of so-called clues. most of
them worthless. We didn't know
what to believe or what to discredit,
and. for my part, when the innocent.
>eloved baby was presently found
dead. and all hope and all fear died
together. turned away from any
further reading in the matter What
did it matter whom they suspected or
how successfully they trapped him?-
the child was dead. No triumph of
police or detective skill could bring
him back So I had to- refresh my
mind on "Jafsie" when this trial
began.
Jafsie is all the old-fashioned
school teacher, articulate. alert. rel
ishing well-rounded periods and using
phrases and words that suggest his
academic training.
Eight Children in Family.
HNE,, r,tl,n~ h,d .;clt obaal drn,, ~
he began roundly. Il saw early that
the burden was too great" The taxi
was presently zone owned by or at
the disposal Of the chauffeur.
Don't be cowardly,'" he charged
the man who called himself John,
when John would have run from him.
You're my guest!' I praised him
and l meant it." said Jafsie, rather
graphically. but always with his air
of scholarly relish. What would
your mother say?'" asked him. He
coughed," the Bronx school teacher
continued. "and I warned him. The
inroads of pulmonary disease I
said"
Sometimes he speaks involuntarily
without due regard for correct court
procedure, and then, with touch
of boyish affection, he will clap his
hand over his mouth, and widen his
eyes to an apologetic "oo-oo-oo?"
But altogether one must trust him.
A little simple, a little garrulous. a
little of the dominic, yet Jafsie has
contributed an all-important element
to the understanding of the most
dreadful tragedy of our day.
Notes Read in Court.
They read those ransom notes in
court. The hideous cruelty of them
might make Torquemada stir jealousy
in his dishonored grave. Could any
man, born OF any woman, bear to pen
those words that were message for
the waiting mother, over in that big
empty house in Hopewell-that house
with no baby in it any more. no
happy woman's talk of maps and cribs,
Of cereal and top milk? THE baby
is absolute WE'LL" the notes told her.
They were penned days after his
stripped little body had been flung
aside in the woods.
The news that came back to that
agonized little mother must have
buoyed up her trembling heart for
those endless days and weeks of
vigil. The kidnapers wrote that her
child was well-said repeatedly that
he was safe and well-went so far as
to add just what would comfort her,
that he was eating more than her
published diet list had indicated he
would eat. Put yourself in her place,
you mothers who read this, imagine
her cruel alterations between hope
and despair, and then think what
these false messages would mean-just
how you would twist them and turn
them, wringing them dry of every
drop of comfort. Charles and Ann
Lindbergh met the conditions gal
lantly, they followed directions to the
letter.
Explored Northern Harbor.
When an airplane trip was decreed
by the despotic torturer, the famous