Evening star., 1936-04-20
.L|NDBERGH CASE
BREAK FORECAST
Arrest of "ReaI Kidnapers''
of Baby Predicted by
Hoffman Lawyer.

BACKGROUND
Electrocution of Bruno Richard
Hcuptmann closed the books OF
New jersey lap on the heinous
kidnapping and murder OF baby
Lindbergh. Last-hour efforts OF
Gou. Hoffman to add reprieues for
the conuicted man t0ere blocked.
His investigation continues apdce
along with the rebound" probe OF
the reported kidnapping OF Paul
Wendell, Uhou urepudiated "confes-
sion" phich he declared ,Das forced
from him by torture.
BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, April 20-Arrest of per-
sons he termed the real kidnapers" of
the Lindbergh baby within several
weeks at the most" was predicted to-
day by Bernard J. Finnigan, young
Chicago lawyer, who said he was TAX
ing part in Gov. Harold G. Hoffman's
investigation of the case.
After flying home from the East
Sunday with claim to discovery of
hidden cache of $1,000 of the kidnap
ransom money" Finnigan declared
solution" of the case may be only a
few hours away"
ANY one of several expected breaks
may precipitate the case at any mo-
ment," he said in an interview.
Finnigan asserted Gov. Hoffman OF
New Jersey now has evidence showing
that Bruno Richard Hauptmann. exc
cuted for the child's death, was "a
positively innocent man.
"a number of other people" were
the kidnap plotters. the lawyer added,
explaining he couldn't say why he
thought so without saying too much. "
Some one will issue warrants"
against these people after Gov. Hoff-
man weaves the tangled threads of the
case together into closely knit whole
Finnigan said.
At that time, he went on, the Gov
ernor will make all the evidence
public"
Finnigan said he could not say"
whether the real kidnapers" were un-
derworld characters, or what their
motive was.
He insisted, however, that the ran
som money he said he uncovered 'in
New York State" with the aid of a
client. Stephen Spitz, would "unques-
tionably" lead to cleanup of the
case.
Spitz, a convicted forger who left
jail here to seek the money, said he
bought" it in Trenton, N. j., for 40
cents on the dollar Finnigan said
1t was available to Hoffman. He
said "a lot more" ransom bills will
be produced"
Finnigan and Spitz left Chicago
April /. The lawyer returned today
alone. He Travelled under an assumed
name.
The attorney said he made the trip
East at the request of the New Jer-
sey Governor. for whom he said he
had been working ION a number of
phases" of the Lindbergh case since
January l."
He said friends of the Governor"
got Spitz out of jail here by paying
an 1892 balance of $1,000 fine
against Spitz
Finnigan criticized Chicago officials
who made public the fact that he was
trying to gain Spitz's release in order
to make the ransom" search. He
said:
If it hadn't been for the unwar-
ranted and deliberately harmful state
ments made by a few Chicago citi-
zens who were given statements in
confidence by Spitz and myself, our
Job would have been finished in time
to save Hauptmanns life
Spitz claimed to have bought"
the ransom money" from two men
ramed "Adolph Blaustein" and Fred
Menk" in August, 1884. He said he
then claimed he hid it.
Finningan said he told Spitz's story
to Justice Department agents and
the New Jersey attorney general las
early as March, 1885" with no result.
urnNApTNrc CuApCES ETIEn