The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-01-16
HOFFMAN HIRES
LIEUT.. HICKS TO
AID PROBE


ogist to make last-minute secret
investigations into the Lindbergh
baby's kidnapping and murder, in
order to aid the governor IN de-
Gliding the extent Of guilt OF Bruno
Richard Hauptmann, the Baltl'
more NewS-Post said in an eX'
elusive story today.
On the eve of Hauptmann'S
scheduled execution. the News
Post added, the Investigations are
still being carried on. Earlier In
vestigationS by Lieutenant Hicks,
the News-Post said, formed the
basis of report and certain eX'
hibits submitted to Governor
Hoffman. It was understood these
documents were to be presented
before the New Jersey Court OF
Pardons which last Saturday de-
MED Hauptmann's plea for COM
mutation Of his death sentence.
Whether the exhibits were pre-
sented before the court by the gov
ernor and, if so, what weight they
we're given by the tribunal, must
remain secret because the court
enioined secrecy on all persons
connected with the petition for
clemency.
Called in Loring Case
Lieutenant Hicks, who was
called into the Loring murder
case at Mt. Rainier, Md: the Gas
ton B. Means case and other inves-
LEGATIONS, submitted to Governor
Hoffman a report which con-
tanned. the News.Post has learned,
the following points: .
1. That discrepancies in the
description of the Lindbergh
baby and of the body identified
as the baby's, particularly con-
corning deformed toes, leave
real doubt as to whether the
body of the first,born Of the
Lone Eagle and Anne Morrow
Lindbergh ever has been found.
2. That the kidnapping and
death of the child may have
been done by one person and the
eXtortion notes sent by another.
and that Hauptmann, as shown
by certain points in the exhibits,
may not have been guilty in
either case
Statement of Double"
3. That the statement Of a
double" who bears a startling
likeness to Hauptmann that he
had been on the Lindbergh prop
erty the day of the crime casts
doubt upon the testimony of two
witnesses who placed Bruno
near the scene Of the crime,
The double. John F.. Seaman,
real estate man. was not called
as a witnes. Amandus Hook ,
muth. aged witness who identi-
fled Hauptmann as being near
the Lindbergh estate soon after
ward was shown to have cata'
racts On both eyes.
4. That certain peculiarities
of the handwriting of II of the
10 ransom notes more nearly
resemble the writing and nu~
merals of Isidor Fisch. associate
of Hauptmacn, now dead than
the chirography of Hauptmann.
The nursery note" was written
left-handed ard is not definitely
linked with the ransom notes.
One ransom note does not show
peculiarities Of the writing of
either Fisch or Hauptmann and
is mystery note"
Lieutenant Hicks emphasized, 1t
was learned. that Edward ].
Reilly, then chief of defense coun-
sci. during the Hauptmann trial,
did not contest the identity of the
body found as that of the Lind
bergh baby.
The Child's Toes
The criminologist quoted from
a letter written to Mrs. Dwight
Morrow, grandmother of the dead
baby, by DR.. Philip Van Ingen, OF
New York, May 4. 1882, soon after
the baby disappeared, in which,
describing the doctors eXarnina-
ton of the baby the previous Feb
ruary 18. DR.. Van Ingen wrote:
"T especially noted the fact
that both little toes were slightly
turned in and Overlapped the
next toe. This is unusual in
child of his age"
When the body was found, the
left leg was missing, but the Off
cial report of the coroner and au-
topsy physician read:
"The first toe of the right
foot completely Overlaps the
large toe and the second toe of
the right foot partially OverlapS
the large toe"
Pictures of Seaman and Haupt-
mann, in various poses tending to
show what was termed their re-
markable resemblance, were in
cIuded in the Hicks exhibits, it
was learned.
On the basis of the various
points enumerated and others,
Lieutenant Hicks built up the
contentious that neither had it
been proved that Hauptmann was
on the Lindbergh estate the night
Of the kidnapping nor that he had
written the eXtortion notes.
He based the latter contention
almost solely on his own con-
firmatory tests and studies of
handwriting and numerals in the
ransom notes originally made by
j. w. Pelletreau,' of Jersey City,
handwriting expert. He contend
ed, as said above, that the writing
shows peculiarities similar to
those of Fisch's chirography
rather than those found in