The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-04-04

But the state saved its best until last when Arthur Koehler, depart ment of agriculture wood expert went to the witness chair. Ee told an enthralling detective story of how he had taken grains of saw dust, splinters, hicks on boards and came to the conclusion that Hauptmann's tools were used in building the ladder that the kid- naper abandoned under the Lind bergh nursery window. He went further than that; he swore that one rail of the ladder was ripped out of the flooring in Hauptmann's own attic.
 Last Prosecution Witness
 "The state rests" said Wilentz.
 The state had woven a tight. strong web of circumstantial evil dence. Hauptmann was seen near HopeWell on the day of the kid naping; he was identified as the man who collected the ransom and wrote the notes; he was identified as the man in the two cemeteries; he was caught passing ransom bills; ransom money was found in his own home. But the state could not produce witness who saw Hauptmann climb into that win dow and kidnap the baby.
 Tt all reads like 8 movie scen- ario," shouted Reilly, opening for the defense.
 Hauptmann could not have com mitted this crime, the defense contended, because on the night of March 1, 1882, he was sitting in bakery in the Bronx waiting for his wife to get through work so he could escort her home. Several persons said they saw him there. Elvert Carlstrom saw him, and remembered that uptm a n Il laughed at him because he spoke broken English. Louis Kiss, then a bootlegger, saw Hauptmann there, too Mrs. Hauptmann said he was there.
 Defendant Guided by Reilly
 Then Hauptmann got on the stand. Under Reilly's guidance he explained that a man named Isidor FiSch, a former business partner gave him the ransom money that was found in the Hauptmann gar age. Where Fisch got it, Haupt- mann didn't know and no one else knew because Fisch went away tc Germany and died of tuberculosis
 "Hauptmann, did you kidnap the Lindberg baby?" asked Reilly.
 No"
 Were you ever in Colonel Lind bergh's house in your life?"
 No, never was"
 Did you build that ladder?" Hauptmann looked at the ram shackle ladder, laughed and said T am a carpenter"
 Affluence Was Explained
 Why did Hauptmann quit work and live in ease after the ransom was paid? Because he had made some money in the stock market.
 Peter Sommer testified he was sure it was not Hauptmann who | Kidnapped the Lindbergh baby be- cause he saw the actual kidnapers on the WeehaWken ferry, escaping from New Jersey. A woman was with them, he said, and she was | Violet Sharpe, maid in the home of Mrs. Dwight Morrow who later committed suicide She carried a blonde, curly-haircd baby. Isidor l Fisch was with her.
 The defense rests" said Reilly. 1 Wilentz walked up and down ir front of the jury box, waving his l arms.
 "Hauptmann is Public Enemy
 No. of all the world" he shouted He is the kind of man who Woulc 1 cut out your heart and then go up stairs to dinner. I hate to be 1T 1 the same room with him. The state of New Jersey asks you to bring back the only verdict possible ir 1 this caSe-murder in the first de- gree"
 Judge not lest ye be judged, cautioned Reilly, reading the Bible | to the jury. Don't send this mar to his death and then, years iron now, learn that somebody else ha' confessed on his death bed"
 The jury retired at 11:23 a. m. February 13. At 10:28 D. m. the bel in the courthouse tower tolled-sig' nal that a verdict had been reached in capital case.
 Hauptmann never flinched as h' stood up to hear Trenchard say:
 Bruno Richard Hauptmann, you have been convicted of murder 1T the first degree. The sentence i that you, Bruno Richard Haupt' mann, suffer death at time anc place and in a manner provided bJ ! I.