Evening star., 1936-04-01

Hoffman which Hauptmann wrote
while the hour set for execution drew
near, and which was delivered to the
Office of the Governor by a prison
guard late in the same afternoon.
With my dying BREATH" and "be-
lieve at least a dying man" were
phrases that stood out in the letter,
written by the same hand which the
prosecution charged wrote the Lind
bergh ransom notes.
Bruno Scores Condor.
He scored DR.. John F. Condor, the
ransom Intermediary who identified
him as the man to whom the ransom
money was paid; Attorney General
Wilentz, who prosecuted him, and
even had word of censure for his
"chief lawyer" at the Flemington trial.
II assure your excellence that am
not guilty of this crime" the Ger
man-born carpenter wrote.
why did people say on the wit
ness stand they saw me near Hope
well? Up to the present day I have
no idea where the Lindbergh house
in Hopewell IS located"
The letter, which ran several pages,
frequently addressed itself not only to
the Governor, but others. In one
place Hauptmann wrote:
"Mr. Wilentz, with my dying breath,
swear by God that you convicted
an innocent man. God will be
Judge between me and you. I beg
you, attorney general, believe at least
dying man."
Gov. Hoffman released copies of
the letter without comment.
Earlier in the week he had an
| nounced that he would not grant a
second reprieve to the man he be-
lieves was convicted at a trial that
''reeked with unfairness, passion and
| prejudice"
Governor Is Silent.
The Governor, who kept himself
available by telephone with the prison
in the event of any last-minute de-
velopments that might call for swift
action by him. said he had no knowl-
edge Of Col. Kimberling's decision to
delay the execution until the warden
telephoned him shortly before official
announcement was made. He made
no comment.
A crowd of at least $500 persons
was gathered in the neighborhood of
the prison as the execution hour
neared.
Among them were many women.
Small children darted about in nearby
streets, sensing the excitement with
out realizing that it epitomized one Of
the strangest crime dramas of all his
tory.
The prison area was roped of, and
only persons having business there
were permitted inside the police lines.
Through the barred windows of the
prison could be heard the shouting of
convicts. 1t is always that way when
a fellow prisoner dies.
The turmoil among the prisoners
reached its height an hour before the
hour Hauptmann was to die. With
half an hour remaining, the clamor
died, and silence broken only by q
sort Of drone took its place.
Great Lamps illuminate Scene.
Outside the main door of the prison
a group of 100 or more persons, all Of
whom possessed credentials to be with.
in the police lines, stood about. Across
the street, directly opposite the prison
eptro pra uera ronund tho tr1yckc ~
the movie makers, with great lamps
of binding brilliance mounted on
them.
The prison searchlights added their
brightness to the cool night.
Further down along the prison wall
other huge lamps were focused upon
the door which-following the execu-
tion-was to be flung open to permit
the newspaper men to race out and
across the street to the prison garage,
which, for the occasion, was turned
into workshop. from which the story
would speed over hundreds Of wires.
In a corridor close to the modest
Office of the pleasant, soldierly warden
the official witnesses waited They
had gathered at 7:15: but at O'Clock,
when Hauptmann was to have started
his walk to the chair, they were still
in the corridor-uneasy and uncertain
what the delay BODIED.
Witnesses Are Searched.
Twice while they waited, the wit
nesses were searched for weapons.
,,ti~y, hAirn 70 -
prevent anything that might upset the
tragic drama of man being put to
death in the electric chair.
Robert Elliott, the executioner, had
gone down to the death chamber to be
ready for the execution, and two
clergymen were extending the solace
Of their church to Hauptmann.
To those who waited, tense, in the
corridor above. shooting frequent
glances at their watches as the execu-
ton hour came, there came Albert
Hermann, who Is clerk Of the Pardons
Court and also secretary to Gov.
Hoffman,, and said:
There has been . delay Of 4S
hours"
Still the witnesses waited. At sos
pm. came Col. Kmberling himself,
announcing the stay Of execution
personally and giving the reason for It.
The news was carried to the con-
demned man by his counsel, Lloyd
Fisher. Hauptmann was with Rev.
D. g. Werner, his former pastor in
the Bronx
He took the news calmly and with
out at once saying q word. DR..
Werner described it afterward:
II was with him to the last mo-
ment. He expected to 60. He was
prepared for death. When the news
came he said nothing. He was just
happy"
Bruno Expected to Be Saved.
Fisher said Hauptmann said to him
Didn't I tell you at O'Clock that
something would happen h my