Evening star., 1936-04-08
Says She Talked With
Hoffman, but Expenses
We're Not Mentioned.
Convinced Lindbergh
Case Not SoIved by
Execution.

case with the executive, she did not
put up "even a nickel" Her state
ment contained many hitherto un-
disclosed details of the case.
Gov. Hoffman never mentioned ex-
penses to me-" Mrs. Mclean said. He
did come to see me here at my home
before he granted Hauptmann the
reprieve. I made certain investiga-
tions of the case, entirely on my own,
and I learned some things that con-
vinced me the Lindbergh kidnapping
had not been solved by Hauptmann's
conviction"
Mrs. Mclean said that she deter
mined, prior to Hoffman's grant Of
his 30-day stay of execution to the
condemned German carpenter, to lay
her opinions before either the Gov
ernor or President Roosevelt. She
talked over the case with the late
Charles Curtis, former Vice President.
Curtis, she said, told her he knew
Hoffman and would try to arrange an
interview.
"A few days later" Mrs. Mclean
said, "the Governor called here. He
said he agreed with me that Haupt-
mann's conviction did not close the
case. The Governor did not tell me
he was going to issue stay Of execu-
ton when he left.
Warned of Imposter.
THAT was the only time saw
Hoffman. I spoke with him two or
three times on the telephone there
after. I called him. The only tele-
phone call had from Trenton was a
warning his secretary, Miss Nc
Laughlin, relayed to me that man
who was coming to Washington to see
me was an imposter. Miss Mclaughlin
did say, We are up against terrific
odds, and the Governor Is putting up
his own money That is the only
reference to money that ever passed
between anybody in Trenton and my
self"
Mrs. Mclean revealed that Attor-
neys Nugent Dodds and Neil Birhn-
shaw, who petitioned the United
States Supreme Court for writ o.
habeas corpus for Hauptmann. actec
at her request. Both men we're on the
Attorney Generals staff in the
Coolidge administration and are per-
sonal friends of Mrs. Mclean.
The petition was denied, it will bt
recalled. and the attorneys said they
had intervened at the request of c
Lloyd Fisher, chief Of defense counsel
At the same time, Paul S. Clancy, ed
itor Of the magazine American Astrol-
ogy, announced he and associates hac
arranged to retain the two Washing
ton lawyers for $4,000 Ito establish
Justice" Clancy later retracted the
statement as to the retainer.
Mrs. Mclean also said she had paid
the men nothing, having told them o1
her convictions in the case and asked
them to intervene if they believed her
| Samuel Liebowitz, the lawyer who
twice interviewed Hauptmann in his
cell and refused to defend him because
he refuses to tell the truth" also en-
tered the case at Mrs. McLean's re.
quest, she said, but received no fee
Liebowitz was convinced Hauptmanr
had guilty knowledge of the origin o.
the ransom money found in his pos
session, but told Mrs. Mclean, she said
that he would not defend the convic
unless he told all he knew.
Didn't Know Liebowitz.
Mrs. Mclean said she did not know
Liebowitz; he had been recommended
to her as an outstanding criminal law
yer, and after consultation had Offered
to redefend Hauptmann for nothing i
the Bronx carpenter would confess tht
extent of his completely.
Mrs. McLean's statement that Dodd'
and Burkinshaw were working for her
and that Curtis had acted as inter
mediary between her and Hoffman
was the first public Identification o
the parts played by these men in thu
losing fight to save Hauptmann from
electrocution.
mot that I had any conviction
Hauptmann was innocent" explained
Mrs. Mclean. II just thought, as tn
Governor thought, that the KIDNAPPING
1 WAS IlOL SOltCo Wy AAAo SOAANANOAoAA' -
my independent investigation learne'
certain things from certain people il
New Jersey-there is no use hurting
any one by mentioning names nov
that it is all over-I was impressed b,
the hysteria of the trial at Fleming
ton-and the summation Of Attorne,,
General David E. Wilentz settled m,
belief. He started out by telling tn
Jury the baby was killed in a fall from
the ladder and summed up with tn
accusation it was murdered in bed. 1
he was not more certain than that a
to how the baby was killed, he shoult
have delayed the trial.
Mrs. Mclean was asked why she hat
interested herself in the Lndbergf
kidnapping in the first place.
Received Many Threats.
I have seen charges in the news
papers that did it for publicity" she
replied. "Of all the silly and infuriat'
ing lies! I wouldn't have to go tt
such torture and expense to get my
name on the front page If wanted Il
there.
Remember this: I have probably
received more kidnap threats than
any other person. I still get them
I have an amazing collection Of them
II am threatened, my children are
threatened. The children are under
constant guard. They have beer
coached what to do If the worst hap
pens. Probably no one in the world
felt more acutely for the Lindbergh'
than I did when the baby was stolen
because have lived under the shadow
of just such a tragedy for years and
years.
Naturally, in learning to defend
myself and my family from the crimi'
nal world I have learned much-very
much, indeed-which believed woult
be Of aid to the Lindberghs. ] went
into the negotiations with CASTOR B
4 a 4,