The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping

[Elizabeth]

Apparently Olive Whateley gave tours of the house to interested motorists while it was under construction.

[Elizabeth]

There was no mention of any floorboard missing from the attic until police had convinced Mrs. Hauptmann to move out and had been in sole possession of the house for a couple of weeks. Another case of "we know he did it, but let's make the case iron-clad". With a lumber yard nearby, there was absolutely no reason why he should have used a board that had any chance of being traced to his house. And, although the concept of the ladder was somewhat clever, no professional carpenter would have constructed something so awkward to use. Apparently, the State of New Jersey continues to refuse DNA testing on the wood in the ladder and the wood in the section remaining in the floorboard.

[Elizabeth]

On the subject of Lindbergh's claim to have heard a noise like an orange crate breaking, and also his claim that he heard "Cemetery John" calling out 3 words at the cemetery and was able to identify that voice with Hauptmann's three years later: after years of flying with no hearing protection in open cockpit planes, his hearing was undoubtedly impaired, and this fact makes me doubt these aspects of his story. I mentioned this to my brother, who is an early aviation researcher, and he said he'd noticed this as a common factor among early pilots he'd interviewed.

When I first read about this case, over 50 years ago, the first odd thing that struck me was that Betty Gow's initial reaction was to go to Lindbergh and ask him, "Colonel, do you have the baby?" Well, why would he? The baby had been bathed and put to bed some time before, and in those days, in that social class, it was not usual for a father to have much contact with his own baby at any time. I've since read in more than one book that, not long before, Lindbergh had taken Charlie and hidden him, causing a great uproar in the household, as one of his "practical jokes". Just some of many suspicious actions by him.

[RivkahChaya]

Vesica Pisces is just two overlaid circles so that the perimeter of each lies on the center of the other. It's not too far-fetched that someone could come up with that symbol without realizing it had a name. It's pretty simple, and lots of things can be used to make a circle with ink and a sponge.

Fisch is a common enough name that I'd be satisfied with "coincidence."

[rtcahilljr]

Thanks for mentioning my book, Hauptmann's Ladder: A Step-by-Step Analysis of the Lindbergh Kidnapping. I hope you enjoy it.

[GUT]

I'm not sure that Fisch wasn't being set up as a patsy in the event the police should get too close.

Now that raises the question, by whom, Bruno??

Surely it could only have been someone not so close to Fisch that a lead to Fisch might lead to them.

[Tom_Wescott]

G'Day Tom




One of the first things I picked up about the case was just that. But a pretty stupid clue to leave if so! But I'm not sure that Hauptmann and Fisch were exactly smart.

I'm not sure that Fisch wasn't being set up as a patsy in the event the police should get too close.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[GUT]

G'Day Tom

I wrote on this some time back and observed that the 'signature' at the bottom of the ransom letters was a Vesica Pisces. This roughly translates to 'fish', which I found intriguing since Hauptmann's alleged accomplice was Isidor Fisch.

One of the first things I picked up about the case was just that. But a pretty stupid clue to leave if so! But I'm not sure that Hauptmann and Fisch were exactly smart.

[Tom_Wescott]

Thanks Tom, almost as interesting a case a Jack.

The hero the villain the conspiracy the money, the suicide. The ladder, the orange crate.

The baby that lives on as does MJK, maybe they're together with Elvis.

I wrote on this some time back and observed that the 'signature' at the bottom of the ransom letters was a Vesica Pisces. This roughly translates to 'fish', which I found intriguing since Hauptmann's alleged accomplice was Isidor Fisch.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[GUT]

Thanks Tom, almost as interesting a case a Jack.

The hero the villain the conspiracy the money, the suicide. The ladder, the orange crate.

The baby that lives on as does MJK, maybe they're together with Elvis.

[Tom_Wescott]

G'Day Tom

Any idea of the nature and scope of the book?

Hi Gut, no not yet.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[GUT]

G'Day Tom

Any idea of the nature and scope of the book?

[Mayerling]

I don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but there's a new book coming out called Hauptmann's Ladder by Richard Cahill. I'm looking forward to it.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Wonder if it will dispute the evidence of the expert on wood used by the prosecution.

Jeff

[Tom_Wescott]

I don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but there's a new book coming out called Hauptmann's Ladder by Richard Cahill. I'm looking forward to it.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Mayerling]

Actually, "greenstick fracture" comes from the way a live branch comes apart in shards if you twist it.

I realize orange crates were really used for oranges. But euphemistically, any cheap, flimsy wooden crate was called an "orange crate."

I think the wood for them was heat dried so there was no moisture to contribute to spoiling the oranges, but it made the wood splinter easily.

Anyway, as you have pointed out, they broke easily; so maybe the assumption that one had broken was not unreasonable.

Anyway, we can rest easy that they are not a good source for wood to make ladders with.

Sorry, I couldn't resist making that point.

Jeff