Evening star., 1935-01-23
STATE PLAYS LAST
TRUMP IN TRIAL
Counts Heavily on Ladder
Testimony Against Bruno
Hauptmann.
By the Associated Press.

Bruno Richard Hauptmann, giving 10
the Jury the account how it traced
the kidnap ladder directly into the
attic of the aliens Bronx home.
Counting heavily on the effect such
final testimony would have on the
Jury, the State was ready to curtan
sharply its list of witnesses in order
to rest its murder case against Haupt-
mann before the days session ends.
Once again a heavy SnowStorm set
in as the court house doors opened,
but like yesterday the snowy weather
had no effect on the size of the eager
crowd which jammed the underSlZed
court room to capacity long before
convening time.
Mrs. James Farley
Among Early Arrivals.
One of the early comers was Mrs.
James A. Farley, wife of the United
States Postmaster General. With two
friends she occupied a pew reserved
for State witnesses. 1t was we'll back
in the center of the audience. but
few realized her presence until mo-
tion-picture camera men and news
paper photographers turned their
Photographic battery on her. the
Postmaster Generals wife appeared to
qualify as one of the best dressed
women in court.
Hauptmann was brought in, and the
photographers switched their atten-
ton to him. The pallid eX-convict
squinted and blinked in the glare of
the Kleig lights. He seemed relieved
when it was over.
Supreme Court Justice Thomas w
Trenchard, bundled up in his long
black coat, was in chuckling good
spirits as he threaded his way through
the court to his chambers. Comments
on the weather amused him.
The opposing legal staffs were on
the stage early maintaining their
records for being prompt in bad
weather and tardy in good. Attorney
General David T. WilentZ, the State
chief. and the bulky Edward j. Reilly
head of Hauptmanns legal staff, chat
ted together as they waited for court
to convene.
The jury came in and had its picture
taken again.
Mrs. Hauptmann
Pushes Way Through Crowd.
Hauptmann's wife, Anna, came into
court alone and had some difficulty in
pushing through the crowd.
A State detective bumped her with
an armful of large photographs, which
he carried to the prosecution table.
Mrs Hauptmann stood by the de-
fenSe table talking to Reilly, before
taking her seat.
Court was called to order at
1902 am.
AS soon as Justice Trenchard
mounted the bench the jury was polled
and then the old jurist said to counsel:
You may proceed when ready"
After court convened Col. Charles
A. Lindbergh, Col H Norman Schwarz-
kapf and Col. Henry Breckenridge
crossed the court room to their ac-
customed seats.
Iindbergh, as he sat down, en-
gagged in brief laughing conversation
with SchwarZkopf
Trooper Kelly, carrying his finger
printing paraphernalia, took the wit
ness stand for the remainder Of his
deferred cross-examination by Reilly.
Reilly picked up an ordinary yellow
sheet of scratch paper and asked the
fingerprint expert to demonstrate his
methods of detective prints.
This paper" said the Brooklyn at
torney, has been handled by two or
three of the defense counsel"
Holding it with f1ngertips, he offered
1t to Kelly.
When Kelly first testified, Reilly
questioned the effectiveness of his
effort to find fingerprints on the
ransom note from the Lindbergh
nursery.
Kelly used dry powder method.
Justice Trenchard
Guards Against Breeze.
While Kelly manipulated his brush
and powder at the end of the judges
bench, Justice Trenchard retired to
chambers to put his sack coat on
beneath his robe. Cold air was flowing
III through the cracks around the win
dows behind the bench.
Kelly worked industriously with his
brush and fingerprint powder to de-
velop the impressions left on the paper.
No one seemed much interested in the
technical interlude, except Col. Lind
bergh, who watched Kelly with in
tereSt.
When Kelly had finished examining
the first half of the paper, Reilly in
quired if he found any prints.
"On the half I have brushed over
I find the ridge markings of fingers"
He scrutinized them carefully before
adding, "I would say they are of no
value"
Take your time, Mr.. Kelly" Wilentz
injected.
Reilly elected from Kelly that a
single smudged print on one half of
the sheet was all he could discover,
after several of defense counsel
handled the paper several days ago.
@. What would remove fingerprints,
a cloth?
A. An object touching them.
O. If that note had been gone
over with a cloth. a Washrag or
towel, the prints would be removed?
A. Yes sir.
Describes Search
For Prints in Nursery.
Reilly turned the witness back to
description of how he searched for
fngerprints in the kidnap nursery.
@. You found no fingerprints on
the window?
A. No f1ngerprints of value
@. What do you mean "of value?
"A. Where there is complete ridge
formations enough to make an iden-
tification.
@. Isn't it fact that you can
compare print if you have even two
ridges?
A. It's pretty hard thing to do
Reilly recalled that Mrs. Lindbergh
and Betty Cow both sought to close
the warped shutter in the nursery
window.
@. Did you find their finger prints?
"A. No.
Kelly said there was a greasy area
along the side of the crib which might
have been from hands or rubbing
medication which had been put on the
II.