Evening star., 1936-12-27
1896 BIG NEWS YEAR
Continued From First Page.)

inuuiring countenances. Then, on
December 10, came the news OF the
abdication Of King Edward VIII. OF
his "irrevocable determination" to re-
nounce the throne. On December IL
the Duke of York, as George VI. was
proclaimed King, while his brother,
now Duke of Windsor, was on train
bound for Vienna, and Mrs. simpson
visited quietly with her friends, the
Rogers, at the Villa Lou Vel. The
sequel to the story belongs in 1897.
MO GREATER example Of suspense
from the individual standpoint,
was ever reported in the public press
than that which recorded the uncer-
tainty attendant upon the execution
Of Bruno Richard Hauptmann. SEN
fenced to die the week following
March IS by Justice Thomas w.
Trenchard. after jury of eight men
and four women had filed into the
Flemington court room after II hours
and "a minutes deliberation, to de-
clare him guilty of the murder OF
Charles A. Lindbergh. jr, Bruno Rich
ard Hauptmann was given 30-day
reprieve. This reprieve ended on
February is and he was resentenced at
its expiration.
Newspapers of March 81 bore the
headline. Death set for March 81"
On March %, they stated, "Haupt-
man plans new mercy plea" but on
March 81 they related In their COL
umns that the criminal had been told
there was no hope. Must die to-
night" declared the headlines.
March 81 passed. The morning
papers Of April proclaimed, "Haupt-
mann gets a stay for at least 48 hours
at grand jury's request, while body
Sits Wendell confession Another
day passed. The news Of April 2
was: Execution of Hauptmann set
for tomorrow night. Further delay
possible. Wendell action put off," On
April the world was told that the
Jurors had dropped the Wendell case
and that Hauptmann was Ito die to-
night" But the papers added, "Un-
less he gets new stay"
The inevitable end was written.
however, to the tragedy Of the Lind
bergh baby's death when Hauptmann
was put to death, and the papers Of
April 4 stated briefly, "Hauptmann put
to death for killing Lindbergh baby"
So was finis written to the most ap-
palling crime of the century.
The story that eliminated in the
unprecedented triumph of election
night might begin almost anywhere
In 1896. Perhaps it began on Janu-
ary 4, when President Roosevelt, sec
onding a precedent established by
President Woodrow Wilson made his
way to the Capitol to speak before
a night session Of Congress. in an
address that was broadcast through
out the United States.
On April 2, 1917, Wilson, escorted
by q troop of Cavalry as a precaution
against q pacifist demonstration, had
made his way to the Capitol for
the reading of war message that
then glowed brightly. President
Roosevelt, surrounded by the usual
guard of Secret Service men, arrived
before q joint session Of the Seventy
fourth Congress, and at 9 pm. his
voice went out over the air as he dis
cussed foreign and domestic affairs
and the "autocracy" that "endangers
peace"
On June q. following precedent
he himself established in 1882, he
Travelled to Philadelphia to the con-
vention, there to accept his renomina-
ton at the closing ceremonies, while
q moving machine, drawn by couple
Of bored mules, rumbled over the pave
ments outside, inQuiring of Mr.. Hoo
yer by means Of placards attached to
its sides, "But where's the grass you
said you would grow?" A front-page
story in the New York Times. on
July /, announced that Mr.. Roose-
welt was happy over Lehman's decision
to run for q third term, while COL
umns were devoted to Lehman yields
to pressure; Lehman puts party
FIRST" and similar announcements.
DEsuLToRY throughout the dog
days, the campaign began to
show signs of life in mid-August
when the stop Roosevelt" group and
the Elect Roosevelt" group began to
make headlines. On August 16 heret-
ical blooms of sunf1owers were re-
moved from the flower border of the
S~,,~fo1v, o,,fe;da tho Tsroo c1Irv RI,i1d.
ing in Washington; Mr.. Landon went
on q tour and attacked Roosevelt In
Q speech at Buffalo. President Roose-
welt visited the drought area. BY Oc-
tober. the campaign thickened, with
Al Smith announcing he would sup
port Gov. Landon, and campaign
speeches pouring thick and fast right
up to election night itself, through
the loud speakers Of domestic flresides
the country over.
Meanwhile, the Rev. Charles
Coughlin, ripping of his coat. vest
and neckband, had, on July 10, ad-
dressed with a great display Of ora
tory and dramatics $4,000 men and
women bemused by dreams Of milk
and honey at the convention of
Townsendites in Cleveland, on which
occasion he had hurled unlovely epi-
thets. including ''iar," at the head
of the President. During the week
OF July 26 the Rev. Coughlin sent
apologies to President Roosevelt for
calling him liar.
The New York Times Of November
3. under bold headlines, went on to
say: 1.-THE land slid into the Roose-
velt column last week. Never since
its foundation has the Republican
party suffered such ubiquitous rout."
That same day the Rev. Coughlin
quit the air, disbanded his union, and
silently slipped away.
Upon June Is. in 1886, q long,
haFd-fougtt battle in postwar Amer
lean politics came to an end. Here
was news event Of vital importance
to 3,518.191 World War veterans, who