The Washington times., 1938-01-22

One is Ex-Governor Harold Hoff-
man, and the other is Lloyd
Fisher, the sparkplug of the
Hauptmann defense. Fisher is still
not convinced that Hauptmann
was properly convicted on the evi-
dence.
It was in connection with this
that Fisher told the writer the
amazing story Of the man who
could not think up a lie that
would save his skin.
BELIEVED IN CLIENT
Before presenting this story, the
; reader should be reminded that
Fisher, both as defense attorney
and as a man believes Hauptmann
innocent Of the actual killing OF
the Iindbergh baby is convinced
that the German was not in New
Jersey at the time of. the crime
on the testimony that placed him
there.
And here is what Hauptmann,
only a few PAGES away from the
last Judgment seat Of the con-
demned, told his attorney during
one of those last desperate visits
to his cell:
"I want to live, Mr.. Fisher.
But I can't think of a lie to tell
how I could have done that. All
night long I have been trying
to think Of a story to tell. But
no matter how would tell it, in
an hour the police would know
It is a lie when they would in
vestigate. They will check up
whatever story I tell and see
. that it is a lie.'
DRAMATIC DILEMMA
Fiction has rarely presented
such q dramatic dilemma If
Hauptmann was telling the truth.
There is also the possibility that he
preferred to die rather than con-
fess. But, if he was innocent OF
the murder, circumstances had so
trapped him that the truth was
killing him and he lacked the
imagination and perhaps also the
knowledge of the terrain around
the Lindbergh house to enable him
to make up the lie that would
stand up under police testing, and
thus save his neck.
On the other hand, since Haupt-
mann's death, not one cent OF ran
som money has turned up. No ac'
completes have turned up.
There are only three possible
ways for the Lindbergh case to be
reopened, Lloyd Fisher saba
falling out of thieves, with some
one squealing, a dcathbed confes-
sion, and by the finding of more
ransom notes. And the last is out,
because no one is looking for ran
som notes any more, and even if
one were picked up the trail would
be cold"
REVISIT SCENE
We visited the cell Hauptmann
had occupied during the long, mad
weeks Of the Pennington trial.
Then back over the cold, dead
Lindbergh trail from Pennington
to Trenton, via the lonely Lind
bergh house on the mountain back
Of Hopewell.
It stood atop the hill, bleak and
tragic. A woman appeared at an
upstairs window and made note
Of our car registration. It was
the wife of the caretaker, Lyons.
They live alone there. Strangers
are not welcomed.
Down Sourland Mountain, past
the Hochmuth's little cottage. into
Hopewell and then a left turn
down the lonely road towards
Princeton and a stop by the road
side. Many feet had trampled
path in the new snow, leading to
the little depression that once hid
the mortal remains Of Charles
Augustus Lindbergh, jr.
HOFFMAN INTERVIEWED
Here in Trenton, Governor
Hoffman had just become pri-
vate citizen again.
Harold Hoffman, chunky,
chubby, pleasant-faced, convivial
man, made many enemies for him
self, and unquestionably made
many mistakes in his handling
of the case subsequent to the con-
Viction. But no one talking with
him can doubt his honest convic-
ton that the State of New Jersey
and the police failed in their du-