Evening star., 1935-12-10
HOFFMAN DENIES
FIGHT FOR BRUNO
Jersey Governor Asserts He
Never Gave Opinion
on Innocence.
RACKGROUND--

BACKGROUND
On cold March night in 1882, in
FAINT son of Charles A. Lindbergh
lUGs kidnapped, neper again seen
aliUe by his family. On Septenl-
Der "a, 1884, Bruno Hauptmann,
Bronr carpenter, tUaS arrested for
the crime; after circuS-like trial at
Pennington, N. j., i0as found guilty
in February, 1885. In October, NeD
jersey Court OF Errors and Appeals
upheld Uerdict; petition for reUie10
submitted to United States Supreme
Court on November IL, denied yes
terddy. Condemned mans hopes
no1U rest in NetU jersey Board of
PdrdonS, GoU. Hoffman and de-
tectiUeS who seek netU evidence,
ne1O suspects.
TRENTON, December 10 (P).-Gov.
Harold G. Hoffman said today any
representations that he had pledged
himself to save Bruno Richard Haupt-
mann from the electric chair were
absolutely untrue"
"I have never expressed to any
one." the Governor said, "an opinion
as to Hauptmann'S guilt or in
nocence."
Asked whether he had been advised
by a defense attorney at conference
yesterday that he had power to COM
mute Hauptmann'S death sentence to
life Imprisonment regardless of the
vote of other members of the Court
of Pardons, the Governor said vehe-
mently:
III deny that"
"Hauptmann couldn't get clemency,"
the Governor said, unless majority
of the court, including myself, voted
for it. If I alone voted for clemency,
the death sentence would not be dis
turbed and Hauptmann would be ex-
ecuted."
Denies Motives Political.
Asked whether his conference with
Hauptmann in the State Prison death
house and later with DR.. Erasmus
Hudson, a defense witness, and the de-
fense attorney indicated" there was
some doubt in his mind as to Haupt-
mann'S guilt, the Governor replied:
1T indicates no such thing. No one
in the world knows how I'll vote on
this thing Some people say my moves
are political They are not political.
If it could be proved to me that not
only Hauptmann, but any man is in
nocent, wouldn't be moved by pop
ular clamor or maudlin sentiment II
I never got another vote. 1t is mat
ter of duty to satisfy myself about
this case. I've got the greatest bur-
den"
The Governor said that Mrs. Hoff-
man had refused" to comment on
the case to inquirers. The Journal
quoted her as saying she was sorry"
for Mrs. Anna Hauptmann and the
couples child.
Interview Details Guarded.
The Governor steadfaStly declined
to reveal what took place in his inter-
view with Hauptmann. He justified
his visit by saying that the case was
before the Court of Pardons from the
moment there was a conviction"
Asked if he had any new evidence
in the case the Governor said the only
thing before him were representa-
tions by both sides" Some persons,
including Col. H. Norman Scharzkopf,
the Governor said. think Hauptmann
! guilty, and others, including Ellis
Parker, Burlington detective, think
/ him innocent.
The Governor denied he had in his
possession an affidavit purporting to
show the ladder evidence was
framed"
The Governor left for Detroit to at
tend a Safety Council meeting today.
He said he would return tonight and
denied the trip had any relation to
the Hauptmann case.
Meanwhile, the fight to save Haupt-
mann from the electric chair started
anew with what his lawyers said was
new evidence on the kidnap ladder.
Hauptmann's plea for a United
States Supreme Court review denied,
his counsel planned another attack
on "rail Is" of the ladder, one of the
viction of the Bronx carpenter as the
kidnap-slayer of Charles A. Lind
bergh, jr.
C. Lloyd Fisher, chief defense at
torney, predicted disclosures more or
less sensational" in his attempt to
oisprove Government testimony that
rail 16" of the ladder was made from
a floor board in Hauptmann's attic.
Two Courses Remain.
Since the highest courts one-word
refusal to reopen the conviction, only
two principal courses of action re-
main for the convicted slayer. They
are:
1. Application to Justice Thomas W.
Trenchard, Pennington trial judge. for
new trial on a possible claim of new
evidence.
2 Application to the Court of Par
dons for Communication of Hauptmann's
death sentence to life imprisonment.
Hauptmann heard the conclusion of
his Supreme Court appeal stoically in
his death house cell. His wife tele-
phoned message to him, through a
prison attendant, and promised to
visit him today.
Gov. Hoffman several days ago in