Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1935-02-15
HAUPTMANN
FOUND GUILTY
OF KIDNAPPING
Jury Returns Verdict Of First
Degree Without Any Rec
concentrations
CRIMINAL WILL GO TO
THE CHAIR IN MARCH

The verdict in the Lindbergh baby
kidnapping and murder case, came af-
ter eleven hours of deliberation and
after the case had been in progress
for six weeks. By the unanimous
vote of four women and eight men,
Bruno Hauptmann was found guilty
of kidnapping and numbering the Lind
bergh baby, and will be executed some
day in the week of March 10, &C.
cording to the sentence imposed by
Justice Thomas w. Trenchard, of the
Supreme Court of New Jersey. The
trial took place at Pennington, N. J.
All the world is familiar with the
facts in this famous case of kidnap-
ing, which took place nearly three
years ago. Before his marriage, Lind
bergh had achieved unprecedented
fame by his lone flight in an airship
from America to the shores of Eu-
rope. Possibly, no man was ever fet-
ed as he was, and no young man ever
deposited himself with greater poise
amidst the honors showered upon him
by an admiring world.
His marriage with the wealthy
Anne Morrow added to his popularity
and gave his added significance in the
social and financial world. So when
his first born had attained the years
when he was most interesting, kid
napers looked upon him as attractive
material for their diabolical activity.
On the night of March 1, 1882, the,
little son of the famous Lindberghs
was stolen away. Search was i'm
rzediately started only to end by find
ing the decomposed body of the babe
not far from the home from which
it had been snatched.
Altho' those guilty of the crime
knew the child was dead, they added
horror to their dastardly crime by
seeking to obtain ransom money for
the deliverance of the boy whose
corpse lay half buried in a nearby
wood. The story of the negotiations
between "John" and "Jafsie" is still
fresh in the minds of everybody. How
$4,000 ransom money was paid over
to some one in cemetery, and how
the return of the babe was awaited.
Then the finding of the boy whose
skull had been fractured and death
thereby caused.
The hunt for the kidnapers still
continued, but not until some of the
registered ransom money had started
to circulate was anything accomplish
ed. The bills were traced to Bruno
Richard Hauptmann, he was arrested
brought to trial and his conviction re-
suited on Wednesday of this week.
He was found guilty of murder in the
first degree and no recommendation
offered.
The prosecution weaved a net Of
circumstances around the prisoner
which could not be torn away. The
ladder; positive Identification by Lind
bergh and "Jafsie"; his rise to af-
fluence; his failure to establish the
Fisch story;-all found weighted mean
ings in the mind of the jurors.
The defense alibi; the attempt to
make it an "inside jobs" "gang"
deed; wholesale denial of all state
testimony; had no effect and Haupt-
mann now stands convicted of one of
the most noted crimes in the history of
the nations. EXCEPTIONS to the
Judges charges; take on the appear
ance of an appeal, but such proceed
ings require the expenditure of con
siderable money, and it is doubtful
where. it is to be obtained, and it
now looks as if the convicted man
must die.
It is fact, however, that the opin-
ions of those who followed the trial
have been divided. True, no one saw
the deed committed, and conviction on
circumstantial evidence has many OPP
ponents. Yet many versed in legal
procedure claim it is the strongest
kind of evidence. The defense had,
many thought, weak case, and their
witnesses were not of the best char
acter. Unless an appeal is taken,
Hauptmann will go to the electric
chair in March and apparently an ap-
peal will not reverse the lower courts
decision.