The Washington times., 1935-02-05
ODD ROLE GIVEN
SCHWARZKOPF
At TRIAL
By ADELA ROGERS ST. JOHN
Copyright, 1885. by International
News Service)

Copyright, 1885. by International
News Service)
PENNINGTON, N. j., Feb. 5.
On the stand is Col. H. Norman
Schwarzkopf.
For years, ever since the night
of March /, 1882, we have heard
that name.
Colonel Schwarzkopf is head Of
the New Jersey State police. Now
he is on the stand. Now we look
upon him.
He is a big, quiet, squarebuilt
Dutchman. He is the typical
head of a State police. He is a
man whose integrity and honor
are beyond question.
Called BY Defense
He has been called by the de-
fense counsel for Bruno Haupt.
mann, chiefly. we judge, because
the prosecution did not call him.
And, at last. we see Schwarzkppf
in person and know him for what
he is, a big, honest Dutchman,
welded to routine and definite
carrying out of orders, ready to
take over all and any problems
except one so drastic and so
dramatic as the kidnapping OF the
Lindbergh baby.
There is no way for this man
on the witness stand to fight his
way out of this incredible, unbe-
lievable, unexpected situation.
There is no way for this quiet
Dutchman to become suddenly,
Sherlock Holmes, or Philo Vance
or DR.. Thorndyke.
We know him now for what
he is, was, and always will be
good, honest, slow-thinking man.
about as capable of dealing with
this terrific crime as any other
good, honest policeman.
He came into this case, ready
to give everything he had. ready
as he shows us today, to put his
organization into the work, ready
to do anything he could after
that breath-taking phone call on
the night of March l, 1882, rocked
his department to its tounda'
tionS.
His Hands Were Tied
Now, when Colonel Schwarzkopf
started to the Lindbergh baby,
and find the Lindbergh kidnaper.
he had a problem to face beyond
anything we can conceive. Some
body had that baby.
No matter what price was paid,
no matter what chance the kid
haper had to escape, the one thing
for those first weeks was to get
back the baby.
Pay the ransom-any price.
Let the kidnapers escape.
Let them get the ransom
money.
But get back the baby.
While they have in their pos
session the baby, never mind what
happens, never mind what amount
of money they collect, never mind
what they get away with. AS long
as there is a chance of getting
the baby back. let them get away
with money, with anything. Let's
get back the baby.
Isn't that easy to understand?
If it had been your baby-or
wouldn't we have done the
same?
And Lindbergh did it!
Baby's Life First
We know it now. We imagine
even more than we know. We
think somehow as we watch these
two men in the courtroom that
Lindbergh said to SchWarzkopf:
II want my son. Never mind
if we find the kidnapers. Never
mind if we ever get back the
ransom. You keep out of this.
You keep out of it and give me
chance to get back my son
alive, whether or not you ever
find the kidnapers.
And we can imagine that Col
onel Schwarzkopf, big and quiet,
wouldn't argue with Indy, with
the frantic father of the missing
child. We can imagine that in
those first days they didn't think
of this day, when the alleged
kidnaper would be on the witness
stand. They thought only of how
to save the baby.
So, it is impossible to judge
Colonel Schwarzkopf. He vas
the victim of circumstances. He
was the man who had to wait
while Lindy tried to get back his
baby.
Who can blame him? Who can
blame Lindy?
Forgot the Future
And remember back. who car
fail to Sympathize with LindJ
and with this big Dutchman, who
let everything wait as they trieo
to save a baby-a baby who was
in the hands of vicious, oruta
kidnaper?
There we find the unanswer
able parts of this mystery.
But there, too, we find the days
when the kidnaper had possession
of the Lindbergh baby, anc
Schwarzkopf forgot the future
Forgot the trial of a kidnaper
and thought of only one thing
how can we save the baby?
They didn't. They couldn't.
That is what makes kidnapers
the vilest of all criminals. How
can you fight them?
I feel very sorry for Colone