Evening star., 1935-02-02
WiIentz, Heartened by Con-
fIicts in Defense Witness
Testimony, to Fight Shift
ing Guilt to Dead Couple.
REILLY AIDE CRITICAL
OF EXPERTS TESTIMONY
Trial Will Last All Next Week,
Observers Believe-Statement
on Ladder Reported Offered by
Former Jersey State Employe.
Students Testimony Expected.

Copyright. 1895. by the Associated PressJ
FLEMINGTON. N. j.. February O.
The shadowy figures of Violet Sharpe
and Isador Fisch, long since dead, were
projected once more in uncertain out
line against the background of Bruno
Richard Hauptmanns defense today
in his trial for the murder of the
Lindbergh baby.
Into what part of the kidnapping
puzzle the defense planned to place
them was not explained as week end
recess cut short the trial until Monday.
Previously the State eXonerated
Violet Sharpe, the maid in the Morrow
home. who committed suicide when
the investigation was at its height.
Chief Defense Counsel Edward j.
Reilly earlier declared he would not
attempt to link Fisch. Hauptmann's
former business partner, with the
actual kidnapping.
But through surprise witness the
defense yesterday adduced testimony
vaguely linking to the crime the Nor
row maid and the German fur dealer,
who is accused by Hauptmann Of leav-
ing behind him the $4,000 ransom
money when he went to Germany to
die
The witness was Peter H. Sommer
q former f1ngerprint man in the New
York City Magistrate Courts.
Saw Couple and Child.
Sommer related how he saw a
woman resembling Violet Sharpe and
a man who looked like Fisch board a
Forty-Second street crosS-town car. in
New York City at a Jersey ferry ter
minal, bearing blond baby dressed in
a one-piece sleeping suit. A second
man assisted them. he said. This was
on the night of the kidnapping, March
/, 1882, he testified.
Sor1mer's story was due for a sharp
attack Monday by Attorney General
David T. Wilentz when trial is re-
sumed.
In cross-examination yesterday the
attorney general produced what he
considered damaging conflicts in Som
mers testimony and ordered full
investigation of the witness back
ground over the week end.
Sommer, who charged the attorney
general with trying to confuse him.
foundered about in a maze of "I
wouldn't say yes and I wouldn't say
no" answers when court adjourned.
John NJ. Trendley. 67-year-old hand
writing expert of East ST Louis, Ill,
NJ tho (y,ly, f,fhar Iafaroca mil Nf
the day. His testimony. under the
careful guidance OF defense counsel,
was directed in refutation of the con-
tention by State experts that Haupt-
mann was the author of the ransom
note left in the Lindbergh nursery.
Chief Defense Counsel Reilly was
busily engaged in New York today in
terviewing some IS prospective defense
witnesses.
IF I can get through 10 witnesses
q day shall certainly rest the defense
case Thursday" Reilly said.
Final Drive Prepared.
The prosecution staff was equally
optimistic Of the possibility of con-
cluding the trial by the end of next
week, and took advantage of the week
end recess to make ready for the final
intensive drive preparatory to giving
the case to the jury.
George K. Large, special assistant
attorney general, said the verdict
would probably come next Saturday
IN the event the defense wound up its
testimony by Thursday. and added
he did not consider Hauptmann's de-
fense sufficiently strong to require
many rebuttal witnesses.
"A person who has no more de-
fense than that ought to plead guilty."
Large said of the defendant. "Ob-
viouSly the rebuttal by the State is
being reduced by the breakdown of
defense witnesses. What is there to
rebuff"
But despite the optimism of both
legal staffs, feeling persisted in court
that 1t would require somewhat longer
than week to bring the case to
close. The defense average has so
far been but two witnesses a day,
due to the extent of cross-examina-
ton by the prosecution. Wilentz in
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