Evening star., 1936-04-03
TRENTON IS TENSE
AS RUMORS FILTER
Crazy or Credible, Reports
Born of Hope or Fear
Spread Over City.
nv the Associated Press.

nv the Associated Press.
TRENTON, N. j., April 3.-Rumors
crazy rumors, credible rumors, some
born of hope and others of fear, some
wrought of malice, some Of sympathy
and other plainly created by tired
spirits-seeped through Trenton to-
day, contributing to the muddled
status of the Bruno Richard Haupt-
mann case.
They seemed, as in the days past,
10 come from nowhere. was almost
impossible to trace one to its starting
point.
They moved like a fine mist through
the streets from the State House to
the prison, two miles away, where
preparations for the execution-fxed
for tonight, but by no means certain
to take place-were carried on.
Like apparitions they swarmed out
of the dusk of doubt and uncertainty.
They reappeared ever and again,
strange voices amid the clamor Of
voices in the hotel tap rooms, the
Hobbies. the restaurants.
They foresha dowed a day of mount
ing tension, of excitement bound to
surpass that of Tuesday when Haupt-
mann was saved from the chair at the
last minute.
Streets Again Roped OF.
The streets at the prison were roped
of again. the newspaper photogra-
pliers, the reporters and the sound
truck men gathered. The idle and the
curious waited about. And everybody
fed on rumors, exchanging them,
denying them. mocking the more
elusive and the plainly nonsensical,
fretting over the ones that sounded
reasonable.
There were rumorS:'
That Hauptmann would never die
IN the electric chair because the
stars were favorable.
That the grand jury's action in
dScounting its investigation of the
Paul H. Wendell case still left a
loophole for Hauptnann to escape
the chair.
That the action meant the end OF
the Wendell case SO far as Hauptmann
Is concerned.
That the house in New York where
wendell said he had been held cap
tive had been located.
Condor on Way.
That Dr.. John F. (JafSie) Condor
ransom negotiator, was on his way
10 Trenton.
That Jafsie would not come here
That Gov. Harold G. Hoffman
would reprieve Hauptmann anyhow
That landlady of the late Isador
Fischs had signed an affidavit for
the Governor that Fisch had once
been visited by gray-haired man
with a mustache and that ransom
money was offered for sale in Nor
walk, Conn.
That the landlady did not make
such an affidavit.
That Wendell had brother in
Wichita, Kans. (Wendel denied it,
That arrests were to be made in
the Wendell detention.
That Mrs. Hauptmann might take
her son, Manfred, to the death house.
That the grand jury would adjourn
and leave Hauptmann to his fate.
That Robert H. Elliot, official exc
eutloner, was unnerved by the events
Of Tuesday night-the double disap-
pointment and loss of $500.
Elliott Reported Shaken.
That Elliott was shaken ANYHOW
by the thought of pulling the switch
on Hauptmann.
That Hauptmanns spiritual ad.
wiser. the Rev. John Mathiesen. would
appeal again to Supreme Court Jus
tice Thomas w. Trenchard for a new
trial.
That the letter Hauptmann wrote
the Governor Tuesday had helped him
lot, because "a man who was about
TO die couldn't sound that sincere"
Inese, and, OF course, many more.
Some were repeated with a kind of
morbid gayety. Some were believed
even when officially denied.
Tonight, unless the execution is
called OF far enough in advance to
make unnecessary the preparations,
the crowds will gather once more;
police and newsmen will swarm about
the entrance ia the glare of search
lights; down from the cell blocks will
come the confusion of convicts' voices.
In the garage, temporary headquar-
ters OF the press, the typewriters will
clatter, the telegraph keys and auto
matte printers will chatter, voices will
sing out orders; there will be a jam
OF men and women. controlled excite