Evening star., 1936-03-28
Gov. Hoffman Summons
Mercy Body to Weigh Ger
man-Born Carpe ter's
New Plea for CIemency.
GOVERNOR ALSO SEEKS
ADVICE ON REPRIEVE
Attorney General Refuses Opin-
ion, but Insists Convicted Kid
naper Is Guilty-Hicks Re-
turns and Will Report Imme-
diately to Jersey Executive.
BACKGROUND

oAS "A NIxtS ="
Kidndp and murder OF the in
tant Charles A. Ltndbergh, jr., in
March, 1892, for more than ttCo
years remained one OF the iUorld's
most famous unsolued crimes.
September "a, 1884, Bruno Haupt-
mann, Bronr, N. Y, carpenter,
pas arrested and charged 1Oith the
act. February 13, 1885, he lUas con-
picted and sentenced to death.
In October the Netp Jersey Court
OF Errors and Appeals upheld the
Uerdict. Reuiew pas later denied
BY the Supreme Court OF the United
States.
Sentenced to die on January II,
HduptmGnn tDds giUen reprieDe
January is by NetD jerseys GoU.
Hoffman.
tcopyright 1896. by the Associated Press.)
TRENTON, N. j., March 28.-
Gov. Harold G. Hoffman, pushing
his effort to halt Bruno Haupt-
mann'S execution until the Lind
bergh murder case is solved to his
satisfaction, called the Court of
PardonS today to meet Monday
morning to consider the Ger
man-born carpenters new plea
for clemency.
The mercy court turned down
a previous appeal by Hauptmann,
but his counsel has said he pos
SeSSeS new evidence to warrant
a new trial.
The Governor also sought some
legal advice that would say he
had power to issue second re-
prieves for Hauptmann, despite
the reiterated opinion of the at
torney general that no such au-
thority exists.
Robert w. Hicks, Washington crimi-
nologist, returned by plane today from
Cuba where he has been investigating
angles of the Hauptmann case, and
the governor arranged to hear his re-
port Immediately.
In Perth Amboy Attorney General
David T. Wilentz said today, "Haupt-
mann is as guilty today as he was the
day he was convicted"
He declined to make public his posi-
ton regarding another gubernatorial
reprieve, saying Gov. Hoffman had in
Cicated he would ask him his opinion
and that he would withhold it until
that time"
May Act on Tuesday.
There was a growing belief. as de-
velopments moved swiftly, that a re-
prieve would be issued some time be-
fore o'clock Tuesday night, the hour
set for the execution of the German
born carpenter for the Lindbergh baby
murder.
Some conjecture was heard that the
Governor might delay any possible
reprieve action until shortly before the
scheduled hour of execution, in the
hope that Hauptmann, in desperation,
might make new statement.
Anthony M. Hauck. jr., the Hunt
erdon County prosecutor whom the
Governor in scathing attack yes
terday dubbed the "errand boy for the
attorney general" said he would go
to the courts, if necessary, to force the
execution of the public enemy No. l
of the world" as Hauptmann was
called by the prosecution at Flem-
ington.
IT would rather be the errand boy
for the attorney general" Hauck said.
than the errand boy of a murderer"
This sharp exchange between the
chief executive and the chief assistant
OF the attorney general in the Haupt-
mann case, came in the midst Of
last effort by Hauptmann's chief of
counsel, c. Lloyd Fisher, to have the
Court of Pardons, which Gov. Hoff-
man heads, consider a new plea for
communication of the death sentence.
The court will convene on Monday at
IL am.
The general opinion in sources close
(See HAUPTMANN, Page 81