Evening star., 1935-02-09
STATE ANSWERS
ATTACK ON LADDER
Officer Called to Testify How
Nails Were Pulled From
Board.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated PreSS.
PENNINGTON, N. j., February g..
The prosecution today launched its
final blows OF rebuttaI at the case
Bruno Richard Hauptmanns attorneys
have built up to save the defendant
from death in the electric chair for
the murder of the Lindbergh baby.
The State was determined to prove
conclusively that neither Isador Fisch.
Hauptmann'S dead business associate,
nor Violet Sharpe, the suicide maid,
had the remotest connection with the
crime, as the defense has Striven to
tnsinuate.
Mrs. Dwight w. Morrow, grand
mother of the murdered child, and
associates of Miss Sharpe were ready
to give a complete account of the
whereabouts of the maid on March
/, 1882, the night defense witnesses
have said woman resembling her
was in the company Of a man resem-
bling Fisch, carrying blanket
wrapped baby.
The prosecution bent its efforts to
show FiSch was not, as a defense
witness testified, in ST Raymonds
Cemetery on April 2, 1882, when the
$4,000 ransom was paid.
Other blows will be delivered by
Arthur j. Koehler. Federal wood eX-
pert, who said he traced the kidnap
ladder directly to Hauptmann, and
additional witnesses.
Hauptmann Looks
Tired at Beginning.
Hauptmann was serious faced when
his guards led him in after Supreme
Court Justice Thomas w. Trenchard's
arrival. The Bronx alien stared at
the audience before sitting down. He
looked tired.
The jurors were seated in the box
at Gas am. They gazed about at
the chattering crowd and the court
officers, who were bringing in the
kidnap ladder and other wood ex-
hibits.
Court convened promptly at 10 am.
Attorney General David T. Wilentz
and the prosecution staff arrived after
court convened. trailing across the
room during short delay
Judge Frank Cleary of Somerville.
who sat In the Hall-Mills murder
trial 10 years ago, was a guest of the
prosecution.
In the trailing line of principals
arriving late in court were Col. Charles
A. Lindbergh. Col. H. Norman
Schwarzkopf and Col Henry Breckin-
ridge.
Detective Louis Bornmann of the
State police was the first witness
called
He told how he obtained the attic
floor board in Hauptmann's garret.
1t Is from this board the State con-
tends one of the ladder uprights was
cut.
@. Did you get possession of the
nails IN that board? A. I pulled the
board up, broke it of. and a police
carpenter removed the nails with a
pair of pliers.
@. And you then took possession
OF the nails? A did
Q. How many nail holes we're
there?
A. Eight.
Wilentz showed him a package of
nails.
@. Are those the nails?
A. Seven are here.
@. And you gave me one yesterday
which was admitted as evidence?
A. Yes.
Police Officer
Points to Nail Holes in Board.
Bornmann laid the attic board on
the jury box rail and counted the
nail holes, pointing to each as he
talked.
The police officer then inserted one
OF the nails in the hole from which it
had been extracted and Wilentz ex-
hibited the board.
The attorney general offered the
nails for Identification.
c. Lloyd Fisher, Of the defense
counsel began cross-examination.
@. Did you testify that the defense
could visit Hauptmann's house at any
time?
A. If it was present.
@. oh, "If it was present" cid you
testify to that before?
Wilentz objected and was sus-
tained.
Fisher asked if Bornmaln, who at