The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-04-04

who prosecuted the Hauptmann case, on whether he should proceed with the execution in view of the Grand Jury action.
 Wilentz advised him that the court of pardons and Justice Thomas w. Trenchard, original Hauptmann trial judge, had earlier rejected pleas that they intervene on the basis of the Wendell case. He added, however, that if Hoffman should issue reprieve-even though such reprieve be illegal - the warden should delay execution.
 Thus it stood until D. m. when Mrs. Hauptmann, still hoping that she could prevent the execution, slipped away to Bennington and filed charge of Kidnapping the Lindbergh baby against Wendell. That effort to force the Hunterdon County jury to act failed.
 Calls on Governor
 But at 5:10 p. m., Wilentz sud- denly stalked down the state house corridor to the governors office. His face was set in an angry frown and he would say nothing except that the governor had asked him to call.
 Wilentz was accompanied by his chief legal aid, Theodore Backus. They vanished inside the governors inner office.
 Reporters pressed against two uni- formed guards who stood with backs to the door. But Wilentz didn't come out again.
 Six o'clock-Two hours to the exe- cution time.
 Smoke from cigarettes curled around the great crystal chandeliers of the governors outer office and around the high mirrored mantle and the ancient oil paintings of early governors of the state.
 x-thirty-One of the governors closest and most trusted legal ad- visors went into the office. Would he tell Hoffman that 1t was political suicide to grant another reprieve? Would he tell him that it was not fair to his loyal friends or to the party.
 Seven o'clock - Reporters who were to witness the execution fled hurriedly toward the prison. Pho- i tographers stood elbow-to-elbow on the huge mahogany table in the center of the room.
 Statement of Governor
 en-thirty-At last the door opened. The governors secretary came out, drove the photographers off the table and got on it himself.
 Read loud," some one shouted. In a firm voice, he read state ment by Hoffman reciting the facts of the first reprieve and stating that, in view of the attorney gen. erals opinion, he (Hoffman was without power to grant another re- prieve.
 Hauptmann's last chance faded into the cigarette smoke as the words echoed across the big room.
 The scene shifted back to the prison, where Hauptmann prayed in his death cell.
 Fisher Had Waited
 Fisher waited at the warden'S of- flee at the prison as the witnesses to the execution were searched and stood outside the barred gate lead- ing to the death house.
 He kept the receiver of a tele- phone damned against his ears. Also with a telephone before him was Hoffman in the State House, with an open line to the prison.
 But Mrs. Anna Hauptmann, lock- ed in her hotel room and verging on hysteria, knew nothing of the im- mediate developments. She knew only that the battle of two years appeared hopelessly lost; and she cried out the name: "Richardl" in tones of agony.
 Death Gate Opens Fisher, too, knew that it was lost when the gate to the execution chamber opened and the witnesses began filing through. The telephone slid from his fingers. His long body dropped Imply in the chair. Lines carved deeply into his strong, young face. He was beaten, even if he refused to give up.
 Eight o'clock found all eyes on the gate. But it was almost 70 min utes later that the guard gave the first signal that the execution was over. He walked into the little tower house. beneath which leafless tree cast it's shadow on the wall. There he got the key to the big gate.
 He's going to unlock 1t now" a guard outside the wall said. "He lets it down in 8 little basket. That'a