The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-01-28
Light Ladder
Unable tOHOld
ann
Koehler's I e slim ony
Adds Weight to Con-
federate Theory
BY Allen Johnson

| PENNINGTON, N. J., Jan. ~
I The most startling testimony thus
far adduoed at the Hauptmann trial
! has been completely "muffed" by
the capitalist press, THUS strength
ening the conviction that a class
reason lies behind their grotesdue
handling Of the proceedings.
The testimony in question was
adducsd by Arthur Koehler, the
States star witness against Hsupt-
mann, whose proof that part. of
the wood in the "kidnap ladder
was taken from the flooring n
Hauptmann's home in the Bronx
was considered the most telling blow
that the prosecution had thus far
delivered at the defendant.
Keshler. the U. S. Governments
leading wood expert, admitted UNI
der pIodding by defense attorneys
that the ladder supposedly built by
Hauptmann was actually built by
IAN inexperienced school boy"
Houptmahn is ADMITTEDLY a highly
experienced carpenter"
The government agent also con-
coded that the ladder would not
have broken under Hauptmanns
weight even if he had walked down
it with the baby under his arm, as
the State contends he did.
Confederate Seen
Thus the States leading witness
against Hauptmann has destroyed
the possibility of Hauptmanns hav-
ing committed the crime alone. for
the evidence that the wood in the
ladder matched the wood in Haupt-
mann's attic means nothing in it.
self. The police who literally
wrecked Hauptmanns home seek
ing additional ransom money could
easily have stolen the feet of the
defendants flooring that was found
in the ladder The probability that
they did so is bolstefed by the fact
that only part Of the ladder was
built of wood found in Haupt-
MAINS home and that the police
have themselves admitted that every
inch Of the ladder has been repeat
eddy broken down and rebuilt for
purposes of examination.
Hauptmann himself, when he took
the stand, proved to be dtid to the
scores of prizefighters, Park Avenue
matrons and Tammany district
leaders who filled the court. room
Friday to lavish pity on the ex-
burglar who had been convicted in
Germany of holding up women
pushing baby carriages at the point
Of a gun.
Under the almost maternal SOL
icitude of Reilly the giant expo
liceman and Secret Service agent
who is Hauptmann's chief defense
attorney, the defendent resstablisf-
ed his poise and vehemently denied
any connection With either the ex-
tortion of the ransom money, the
KIDNAPPING or the murder. In doing
SO he ovefstspped the claims of one
Of his own attorneys, G. Lloyd
Fisher, who has ititinated that
enough evidence may exist to con-
Wet Hatiptf1iarifi Of extortiofi.
Claims He was At Bakery
On the night of the kidnapping,
Hauptmann said, he was patiently
sitting in Bronx bakery, waiting
Until his wife had finished her
work On the night the ransom
money was passed, he was peace
fully twangiilg mandolin in one
of the regular musical evenings
he held in his home, he continued.
And on the night he is charged with
passing a IS ransom note at a movie
theatre, he was actually the guest
Of honor at a birthday party given
for him by friends.
Fiseh was the criminal who gave
him $4,000 in ransom money, the
Nazi contended, but Gid not ex-
plain why the Jewish furrier, who
at one time may actually have en-
gagged in shady fur transactions
with Hauptfiiann, was borrowing
quarters about the time Haupt-
mann says he had Lindbergh's $780,
900 in his possession.
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