The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-02-14
I'VE TOLD ALL
He CRIES OUT
To REILLY
BY JOHN A. CLEMENTS
JAIL, LEXINGTON, Feb.

Az ID DIukkO EblCkAkbIA x4dORI-
mann, almost in collapse and half
on his knees, clinging to the cold
steel bars of his bull pen cage,
talking, pouring out his ravaged
soul to his burly chief Of counsel.
Attorney Reilly, himself shaken
as he has never been moved in his
more than quarter Of a century
Of criminal practice, went to see
his client.
A few hours before, Hauptmann
had stood stiffly erect between two
vigilant guards and listened to
Justice Trenchard pronounce his
doom. In measured speech the
veteran jurist specified the method
and the time, almost the day, that
the man before him must go to his
Maker.
SObs For First Time
Hauptmann took it standing up.
He glanced once at his wife, hest
tated a second and marched to his
cell. He Slumped on his cot,
buried his face in his hands and
for the first time since his arrival
in Pennington Sohbed-to the
wonderment of astonished guards.
He sobbed:
"My God! My God! What
have they done to me? How
could they do it? How could they
believe that ever had anything
to do with this? My God, Mr..
Reilly, 1 told the truth. My
Annie told them the truth. Are
they trying Richard Hauptmann
or are they making me the man
they want to make me?"
REILLY SPEECHES.
Mr.. Reilly, veteran of nearly
1000 homicide cases, could give
him no answer. For one Of the
few times in his long career he
was speechless.
For a full minute he looked at
Hauptmann. Guards stood by
transfixed by the sight Of the
Slashing. fighting Brooklyn attor-
new, who had been reduced to
muteness by the poignant appeal
Of the man charged with the most
hideous crime of the century.
Then Hauptmann continued:
''Mr. Reilly, cannot tell you
any more today than / did when
you came here first. / do not
know more, I cannot tell you
any more. He asked me every
thing he could think of and I
told him all 1 kenw. Why did
they not believe me? I told you
everything. What can do?
Will you tell Anna. Please, Mr..
Reilly, that 1 want to see herr"
eyes, Richard, will. We
have only started to fight"
AS Reilly replied he turned
quickly and left the cell Of the
man for whom he had fought
for six gruelling weeks. He was
viSibly shaken and went directly
to his quarters in a local home.
A half hour later C. Lloyd
F her, youthful, forceful and
Scrappy local attorney for Haupt-
mann, called on him. He was
still buried in the covers of his
barren cot. He no longer Sobbed.
The same cold fury at the world
that has Shone from the peculiar
blue eyes of the former machine
gunner again gripped him. He
no longer was eloquent-no longer
passionate in his almost hys-
terical denials. He was calm and
angry at the world.
FISHER NERVOUS
"Mr. Fisher, 1 do not UNDER
stand. When I first came here
you told me to say the truth.
II told you everything I knew.
Annie did. tOO-and our friends.
What can dO?"
Attorney Fisher listened in sill
ence. He was nervous and for
the moment almost speeches..
For Is minutes Hauptmann
talked. He poured out his soul to
the vigorous youngSter who has
fought bitterly for his freedom.
He told of his meeting ISador
Fisch. He told Of the deep grief
Of his mother in Germany when
she was to hear that tragic story
from a cable his wife sent to
Kamenz, Germany.
He poured out q torrent Of
words about the whole case. He
was not to be stopped. He was
On his way to death-to oblivion
and he wanted to talk.
When he finished. Fisher gave
him the meager comfort that he
could and silently left his cell.
Still Hauptmann talked.
''WilI they let Annie see me?
Can't the sheriff let her in?
How does she feel? Is the baby
all right? Do you know when
they will take me away? Can I
see her in the other jail?"
Guards, a greatly augmented
guard, stood silently by. They
were ordered not to talk.
Hauptmann, the iron man. The
unbreakable-had broken.
He wanted his Annie. He wanted
the one human in the world who
believed him innocent. He wanted
the mother Of his child.
my God, my God" he said, and
silently went to his cot with the
thin mattress and the shining
light overhead and the ever
vigilant guards closely watching
him.
Crushed by Verdict
Hauptmann this morning lay
liStleSsly in his cell, apparently
crushed by the jury'S verdict.