Running Head: BRUNO 1 NEW JERSEY V. BRUNO HAUPTMANN 7 New Jersey v. Bruno Hauptmann Bruno Hauptmann born 1889 in Germany. Hauptmann, stowaway to America from Germany had a military and criminal background in Germany. In 1936, he was found guilty of the kidnaping and murder of Charles Lindbergh Jr. Although he was found guilty, Hauptmann has maintained his innocence throughout the trial. Is it possible he was innocent? I will be examining evidence and statements of many parties involved not to determine guilt but proper procedure. Hauptmann had too much evidence against him to be guilty of some crimes, but not enough substantial evidence to be guilty of what he was convicted of. Incident Summary On the evening of March 1, 1932, Charles Lindbergh Jr. was abducted. The kidnapper/kidnappers, using a ladder, climbed into the second story nursery room windows, of the Lindbergh’s East Amwell, New Jersey home, taking Charles Lindbergh Jr. Charles Lindbergh Jr. was discovered missing the same evening by the Bessie Goway, the nanny. The Lindbergh’s then notified the local authorities, who then turned the investigation over to the New Jersey State Police. The Autopsy The autopsy was supposed to be performed by a county physician Dr. Charles Mitchell. Dr. Mitchell, who suffered from suffered from arthritis guided the county coroner Walter Swayze through the procedure in witness of Dr. Ingen, the child’s pediatrician. The medical examiner concluded that Charles Lindbergh Jr. died from a blow to the head so he could have been murdered in his room or dropped being carried down the ladder. The Autopsy report also determined the child had been dead for two to three months. The Investigation H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr., superintendent of the New Jersey state police led the investigations. Although in charge Charles Lindbergh Sr., used his fame in power to become the authority in the kidnapping case of his son, interfering with investigative procedures of the New Jersey State Troopers. Investigation of the crime scene turned up the ransom note on an open window sill, muddy footprints in the nursery, a broken ladder some distance from the property, and more footprints leading into the woods, nearby the property. Five days later a second ransom note came through mail demanding 20, 000 more dollars added to the original ransom making it a total of 70,000 dollars. The second ransom note was postmarked from Brooklyn, New York. Further communication was done by newspaper add, and an intermediate was chosen by letter sent to the intermediate directly. The intermediate Dr. John F. Condon received 10 more letters of instructions with multiple delivery methods, negotiations of up to 100,000 dollars. After multiple meetings with the alleged kidnapper, the original 50,000 dollar ransom, mostly of gold certificate money, was handed over and a location to find Charles Lindbergh Jr. was given. The location near Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, which turned up an empt.

1. Running Head: BRUNO
1
NEW JERSEY V. BRUNO HAUPTMANN
7
New Jersey v. Bruno Hauptmann
Bruno Hauptmann born 1889 in Germany. Hauptmann,
stowaway to America from Germany had a military and criminal
background in Germany. In 1936, he was found guilty of the
kidnaping and murder of Charles Lindbergh Jr. Although he was
found guilty, Hauptmann has maintained his innocence
throughout the trial. Is it possible he was innocent? I will be
examining evidence and statements of many parties involved not
to determine guilt but proper procedure. Hauptmann had too
much evidence against him to be guilty of some crimes, but not
enough substantial evidence to be guilty of what he was
convicted of.
Incident Summary
On the evening of March 1, 1932, Charles Lindbergh Jr. was
abducted. The kidnapper/kidnappers, using a ladder, climbed
into the second story nursery room windows, of the Lindbergh’s
East Amwell, New Jersey home, taking Charles Lindbergh Jr.
Charles Lindbergh Jr. was discovered missing the same evening
by the Bessie Goway, the nanny. The Lindbergh’s then notified
the local authorities, who then turned the investigation over to
the New Jersey State Police.
The Autopsy
The autopsy was supposed to be performed by a county
physician Dr. Charles Mitchell. Dr. Mitchell, who suffered from

2. suffered from arthritis guided the county coroner Walter Swayze
through the procedure in witness of Dr. Ingen, the child’s
pediatrician. The medical examiner concluded that Charles
Lindbergh Jr. died from a blow to the head so he could have
been murdered in his room or dropped being carried down the
ladder. The Autopsy report also determined the child had been
dead for two to three months.
The Investigation
H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr., superintendent of the New Jersey
state police led the investigations. Although in charge Charles
Lindbergh Sr., used his fame in power to become the authority
in the kidnapping case of his son, interfering with investigative
procedures of the New Jersey State Troopers. Investigation of
the crime scene turned up the ransom note on an open window
sill, muddy footprints in the nursery, a broken ladder some
distance from the property, and more footprints leading into the
woods, nearby the property. Five days later a second ransom
note came through mail demanding 20, 000 more dollars added
to the original ransom making it a total of 70,000 dollars. The
second ransom note was postmarked from Brooklyn, New York.
Further communication was done by newspaper add, and an
intermediate was chosen by letter sent to the intermediate
directly. The intermediate Dr. John F. Condon received 10 more
letters of instructions with multiple delivery methods,
negotiations of up to 100,000 dollars. After multiple meetings
with the alleged kidnapper, the original 50,000 dollar ransom,
mostly of gold certificate money, was handed over and a
location to find Charles Lindbergh Jr. was given. The location
near Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, which turned up an
empty search, Charles Lindbergh Jr. was not found. On May 13,
1932, a little over two months later Charles Lindbergh Jr.’s
body was found a few miles from his home in a shallow grave in
the woods by a trucker pulled over for a break.
Ten days later the Department of Justice extended all resources
and affiliated organizations to the New Jersey State Police. The

3. investigation continued for two years with many cold trails and
fraud cases to collect rewards. Until President Roosevelt’s
Proclamation requiring the return of all gold and gold certificate
money’s to the U.S. Treasury. The most prevalent lead for the
case was to follow the money as the ransom money gold
certificates were circulating in certain parts of New York City.
Dr. Condon the intermediate was bought to have a sketch drawn
to of the perpetrator. Also to record events of their
conversations and a description of his dialect.
The passing of the gold certificates gave the authorities the big
in the case. The New York City Bureau Office got a call from a
manager at Corn Exchange Bank. A gold certificate was
deposited and the deposit came from a local gas station. The gas
station attendant suspicious of the gold certificate wrote down
the license plate number of the vehicle on the bill. The license
plate number was registered to Bruno R. Hauptmann.
Arrest
Hauptman’s home was staked out the night of September 18,
1934, and the next morning he was taken into custody. With 20
dollars gold certificate on his person.
Arraignment
On Richard Hauptmann was arraigned on charges of Extortion,
brought by the New York State District Attorney, Samuel J.
Foley, informed by Judge Lester W. Patterson. The plea of not
guilty was entered by Hauptmann’s attorney, James M. Fawcett.
Bail is set at 100,000 dollars.
Extradition
On October 9, 1934, A New Jersey Grand Jury indicts Bruno
Hauptmann for the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh
Jr. Hauptmann’s attorney filed a Writ of Habeas Corpus, which
is an order to the court to produce valid reason to extradite Mr.
Hauptmann on the given charges. The grounds to dismiss the
extradition were based on Hauptmann’s employment timesheet

4. giving him an alibi of being at work at the time of the
kidnapping. The Management team for which Hauptmann
worked, with a threat of contempt of court for ignoring
subpoena, committed perjury and Hauptmann’s loses the
hearing.
Extradition Appeal
The appeal was also denied, separating the matter of evidence
and the demand of extradition that the Governor conceded to.
The matter of the conflicting evidence is to be sorted out during
the trial and the order to extradite stands. On October 19, 1934,
Bruno Hauptman was moved to Hunterdon County Jail, were he
awaited trial on the kidnapping and murder charges.
Trial
The trial began on January 2, 1935. Bruno Hauptmann was
denied bail and charged with felony murder, burglary. Because
kidnapping was not punishable by it was made burglary because
the child and its clothing were stolen, and because it caused a
murder it was punishable by death. The District Attorney
Wilentz only sought the death penalty. Wilentz convinced the
jury with mainly inculpatory evidence that Hauptmann was
guilty and executed these crimes alone. One of the most
important pieces of evidence is the ransom notes. There were 13
ransom notes in total. 8 different handwriting experts were
called to testify to the similarities of Hauptman’s handwriting
and matching literacy skills. The second most influential piece
of evidence is the ladder used to climb the child’s nursery
window. Apart of the ladder allegedly came from a lumber store
from the Bronx, near Hauptmann’s place of residence,
coincidently matching the flooring of his attic. A wood expert
was called to testify to the probability that the wood actually
came from the attic. While his home was being searched the
police found a Dr. Condon, the ransom intermediate, also one of
the men who identified Hauptmann as the man who collected the
ransom. Multiple eye witnesses testified to seeing Hauptmann

5. around the Lindbergh property with a ladder in the vehicle,
most of them being discredited by the defense as fame or
fortune seekers. The most concrete form of evidence was the
fact that Hauptmann had the money, and his financial history, as
well as his criminal history. Back in Germany, where
Hauptmann originates, he was convicted for a burglary,
executed by climbing into a second story window by ladder. All
matters provide motive and evidence.
Hauptmann’s only credible alibi was the he was working during
the time of the kidnapping and ransom money exchange. The
issue was brought up during the extradition hearing, but the
evidence, received by the police disappeared. Still no evidence
of his presence at the Lindbergh home, no witness of the murder
of the child exists. With the circumstantial evidence stacked
against him, Hauptmann would be found guilty and sentenced to
die by electrocution.
Appeal
Attorneys for Bruno Hauptmann appealed in June 1935, to Court
of Errors and Appeals of New Jersey. With 16 points to argue
against the decision, but the decision stood, all Justices
affirmed the Decision by October 9, 1935. The United States
Supreme Court denied the second appeal December 9, 1935.
Punishment
Bruno Hauptmann dies by electrocution April 3, 1936.
Sources
Aiuto, R. (n.d.). CRIME OF THE CENTURY. Retrieved
November 17, 2018, from
https://crimeofthecentury.weebly.com/body-found.html
Robbins, A. (1935). THE HAUPTMANN TRIAL IN THE
LIGHT OF ENGLISH CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. American Bar
Association Journal,21(5), 301-305. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25711826
"Bruno Richard Hauptmann Trial: 1935." Great American
Trials. . Retrieved November 04, 2018 from

6. Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/law/law-
magazines/bruno-richard-hauptmann-trial-1935
Hernandez, P. (2017, September 19). Who Was Detective X?
Retrieved November 4, 2018, from
https://www.nist.gov/featured-stories/who-was-detective-x
Coggins, W. (n.d.). Excerpts from the Trial Transcript: The
Trial of Bruno Hauptmann. Retrieved November 4, 2018, from
http://www.famous-trials.com/hauptmann/1400-excerpts
. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2018, from
https://www.nj.gov/state/archives/sintr003.html