The Washington times., 1935-01-29
'EVAS|0NS, LIES
AROUSE RAGE
Of WILENTZ
BY ADELA ROGERS
ST. JOHNS
Copyright. 1885. by International
News Service)


News Service)
PENNINGTON, N. j., Jan. 20.
Let's face it. For a few moments,
raw and horrible, it looked as.
though there was going to be a
free-for-all between Mr.. Bruno
Richard Hauptmann, defendant
and Mr.. David Wilentz, Attorney
General of New Jersey.
On one side, Bruno Haupt-
mann, Shrewd, alert, playing the
great drama of his life to an
audience of II people who can
free him or send him to the
electric chair. A man in despera.-
ton, fighting for his life, his eyes
shifting again and again to that
jury to see how they were taking
it, conscious every minute of the
last part of his cross examina-
ton of those IL peers.
And David Wilentz, young, hand
some, vibrant-and exaSperated
almost beyond human control, try.
ing to fight his way through
Hauptmann'S evasion, to batter
his way through Hauptmann's
smiles and laughter, to force this
man before him to answer queS.
tions in definite words.
Picking Up Jelly Fish
Did you ever try to pick up a
jelly fish?
That's what David Wilentz has
been trying to do with Haupt-
mann. To pick up a jelly fish
that melts and wiggles and flops
about in his hands until finally
the young attorney general yells
wildly,
"If have to stay here all :,
year, Pm going to make you
answer this question"
But Hauptmann doesn't answer.
He is past master of not answering.
He sits there now relaxed, smiling,
laughing openly, and does not
answer. He doesn't remember"
He doesn't know" There were
so many questions asked him in
the Bronx"
We cannot tell whether Haupt-
rlann is telling the truth or lying
we have been trying for days.
But we are sticky with his own
admitted lies.
Then you didn't tell the
truth in the Bronx extraditiOn
prOceedingS?"
Wilentz pleads, leaning down
until his hands almost touch the
floor.
"Then you lied to District
Attorney Foley. you lied in the
Greenwich police StatiOn?"
And Hauptmann, smiling, ar.
rogant, says over and over:
Il didn't tell the truth"
IN "A WHITE RAGE
Evaporation drives WilentZ to
white rage-to a deliberate self.
control that is apparent to every
one. He holds himself in check,
he starts over again, he speaks
with patience and kindlineSS and
decency. But behind it IS that
white rage of evaporation, while
he tries to pin Hauptmann down
to some statements. to some
facts, to some explanations.
All, he is shrewd Hauptmann. I
never knew how shrewd until to-
day when I watched that swift,
canny side glance at the jury. He
says something he looks at
Wilentz, his pale, pathetic, hand.
some face is study in a thousand
mysterious emotions. He says, so
gently:
"YOu must be patient with
me, think in German, it is
necessary for me to translate
into English before answer"
He says it magnificiently, and
then his eyes shift to the Jury
for one quick, comprehensive look.
Bravo, Hauptmann. You know
the audience you must convince,
You know the audience you must
make believe you if you are to.
live and breathe and enioy the
bright sunshine of the summer
that is not so far away from us
now.
Admits He Is Liar
But this We know.
BY his own admission, Mr..
Bruno Hautpmann is a liar. Un.
derStand me. I do not say that.
l do not know. I am only quoting
Mr.. Hauptmann. l am taking his
word for it. am figuring him as
he has showed himself to us in a
series of such confused and amaz.
ing untruths under oath.
We wait for the truth-and
Bruno says he has not told it,
that he has lied, and lied, and
lied. He goes on with these
strange evaSions, and We crawl
after him in the mire of these lies
that he drags up from the past,
in the mire of his many tales
about the thousand and one CO.
incidences that seem to brand him
the Lindbergh kidnaper.