MY LINDBERGH BABY KIDNAPPING ESSAY
Who kidnapped Charles Lindbergh’s infant son is a question that remains a mystery even today. What really happened on the evening of March 1, 1932 at the Lindbergh estate in Hopewell, New Jersey has been a subject of discussion for more than seventy five years. It is true that one man, Bruno Richard Hauptmann was arrested, tried, convicted, and executed for the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby. However, there have been so many suspects, investigations, conspiracy theories, and corruption surrounding the disappearance and murder of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr.; it is difficult to pin the crime on just one individual. With researching the Lindbergh Case, I scoured through numerous websites with information on the case, I recall seeing some television movies profiling the case in the past as well. There are dozens of reference materials including books, movies, magazine articles, interviews, and there is even a New Jersey State and Police Museum that archives the case files of the Lindbergh Kidnapping Case and the Trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann. Every source seems to have a theory on what really happened to the Lindbergh baby. In the following essay, I will describe in detail the events of the Lindbergh Baby kidnapping and murder along with the prosecution and execution of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, the man guilty of the crime.
“According to Falzini, in 1927, the American people were in desperate need of a hero. Our nation was suffering through the moral and political corruption brought about by prohibition and the exploits of organized crime.” (Falzini 1) Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh rose to international fame and was idealized as an American hero after becoming the first aviator to make a solo flight nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Paris, France. At the time of the kidnapping in March 1932, the Colonel and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, were residing in the Morrow Family Mansion called Next Day Hill in Englewood, New Jersey. The Lindbergh’s had been spending weekends in their newly built four hundred acre estate in Hopewell, New Jersey. On the day of the kidnapping, the Lindbergh’s were still at their estate in Hopewell due to baby Charles still recovering from a cold and not at the Morrow Mansion as they typically would be during the week. Sometime between 8:00pm and 10:00pm when the nursemaid, Betty Gow, checked on Charles Jr., the baby was kidnapped. When police were alerted, they noticed one of the windows in the baby’s room was closed but a shutter standing wide open. They discovered a handmade ladder that was used to reach the bedroom window. Upon further inspection, part of the ladder was broken. The theory was that the kidnapper made their way up the ladder but then the ladder gave way and broke on the way down carrying the infant. The Police found a white envelope containing a ransom note on the window sill above the radiator. The note demanded money for the safe return of the child. According to Fisher, here is a transcript of the first ransom note below.
Dear Sir!
have 50,000 $ redy 25 000 $ in
20 $ bills 1,5000 $ in 10$ bills and
10000 $ in 5$bills. After 2-4 days
we will inform you were to deliver
the Mony.
We warn you for making anyding public
or for notify the Police the chld is in
gute care.
Indication for all leters are
singnature and 3 hold (SYMBOL) (Fisher 5)
During the initial weeks of the investigation of the kidnapping, there were numerous exchanges of ransom notes with the kidnapper or kidnappers in the mail or in ads placed in the newspaper. One week into the investigation, Lindbergh was contacted by John F. Condon, a retired school teacher who offered his services as a ransom intermediary. From this point on, any communication of ransom demands and the child’s whereabouts were addressed to Mr. Condon as a go between. On April 2, 1932, Condon and Lindbergh went to St Raymond’s Cemetery, where a $50,000 ransom with marked bills was paid to the kidnappers. Lindbergh and Condon were told where to find the baby however the child was not at the designated location. For the next several weeks, Colonel Lindbergh worked tirelessly with police to locate his missing son. On May 12, 1932, a shocking discovery was made, Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. was found dead in a wooded area a couple miles from the Lindbergh estate in Hopewell. Charles Lindbergh and Betty Gow both confirmed the child’s identification and by his clothing worn at the morgue.
After more than two and a half years from the investigation of the kidnapping and discovery of the Lindbergh baby’s body, the police received a tip of an exchange of some of the ransom money. Since President Roosevelt ordered the change of gold notes to greenback bills in 1933, Police were hopeful the ransom money would be identified more easily. A gas station attendant, who was suspicious of a gold note he received, copies down the license plate number of the customer. The license plate number was tracked back to Bruno Richard Hauptmann, a carpenter who resided in the Bronx. Upon searching his residence for a period of one week, Police found almost $15,000 in ransom money in his garage. They also discovered a gap in the attic floor board which is later identified as a rail in the kidnap ladder found at the Lindbergh estate. During another inspection of the residence, police find John Condon’s, the ransom intermediary for Lindbergh, phone number and address written on a piece of door trim inside a closet. Hauptmann is arrested on September 19, 1934 and brought in for questioning. He denies any involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. Hauptmann is indicted for murder and his trial began in January 1935. Experts would testify that Hauptmann wrote the ransom notes – his handwriting samples matched those of the notes. Lindbergh and Condon, both identified Hauptmann as the person who they exchanged the ransom with at the Cemetery. A wood expert confirmed the markings on the wood board that was used in the kidnap ladder matched those of Hauptmann’s tools in his garage. A piece of evidence that was deeply incriminating is Hauptmann not being able to provide an alibi of his whereabouts on the night of the kidnapping. Another fact was the discovery of the ransom money in his possession in addition to the positive identification of many who had witnessed Hauptmann spending the ransom money. This was during a two year period during the Depression when Hauptmann was out of work and had no income but continued to live beyond his means with traveling to and from Florida. Hauptmann’s past criminal record of grand larceny, house burglary, armed robbery, and escape in Germany did not help his case. The fact that he was an illegal citizen here in America was a problem for his defense as well.
Among the conspiracy theories in the case, there was speculation that Colonel Lindbergh accidently killed his son and covered up the crime with reporting the kidnapping. Another lingering mystery is the suicide of Violet Sharpe, a maid at the Morrow estate. Upon being questioned multiple times on her whereabouts on the evening of the kidnapping, Ms. Sharpe provided contradictory information. She committed suicide by swallowing poison rather than continue to be interrogated by the Police. Some suspect that there were multiple perpetrators involved in the kidnapping and murder of the boy. This theory holds true even with assuming Bruno Richard Hauptmann was involved in the crime. Many believe he was one of the perpetrators however; he did not work alone and had other conspirators involved in the kidnapping. Some scandalous rumors haunted the case also including one that Al Capone had some of his mobsters kidnap the child. Another was that Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s sister, Elisabeth Morrow threw the child out the window because she was in love with Colonel Lindbergh and jealous of the baby boy. There was no evidence to substantiate some of the ridiculous accusations presented in the press. In the end, I thought to myself about this crime and the time period it took place. There were no CSI forensic units at the scene of the crime like we have in today’s world. I was impressed with reading about what evidence the police and investigators were able to determine and confirm in the case. For example, numerous experts found the handwriting on the ransom notes to be from Hauptmann, the kidnap ladder contained distinctive markings made by Hauptmann’s tools retrieved from his garage where the ransom money was found, and one of the rails from the ladder had been a floor board in Hauptmann’s attic.
The Lindbergh Case with the kidnapping and murder of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. has been dubbed the Crime of the Century. Anyone associated with the case was permanently affected by the crime and its aftermath. Those that reaped the benefits of this more so than others were writers, who have written countless books, magazine articles, and newspaper columns on the case. A positive that came from the case was that Congress passed the Lindbergh Law in June 1932, which makes ransom kidnapping a federal offense. After the trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, The Lindbergh Family left America and moved to England to flee the press and the public.
After sifting through all the conspiracy theories and intricate plot designs, everything comes back to the evidence in the case of who kidnapped Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. The evidence clearly shows that Bruno Richard Hauptmann had the means and the opportunity to kidnap the Lindbergh heir on March 1, 1932. The ransom money in his possession, the floor board of the kidnap ladder, the positive identification of multiple witnesses, and the expert testimony of the handwriting of the ransom notes all contributed to Hauptmann’s conviction and eventual execution on April 3, 1936 of the crime of the century.
Works Cited
Fisher, Jim. The Ghosts of Hopewell: Setting the Record Straight in the Lindbergh Case Southern University Press (1999)
Falzini, Mark. Studying the Lindbergh Case – A Guide to the Files and Resources available at the New Jersey State Police Museum (2006) Web
“According to Falzini, in 1927, the American people were in desperate need of a hero. Our nation was suffering through the moral and political corruption brought about by prohibition and the exploits of organized crime.” (Falzini 1) Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh rose to international fame and was idealized as an American hero after becoming the first aviator to make a solo flight nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Paris, France. At the time of the kidnapping in March 1932, the Colonel and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, were residing in the Morrow Family Mansion called Next Day Hill in Englewood, New Jersey. The Lindbergh’s had been spending weekends in their newly built four hundred acre estate in Hopewell, New Jersey. On the day of the kidnapping, the Lindbergh’s were still at their estate in Hopewell due to baby Charles still recovering from a cold and not at the Morrow Mansion as they typically would be during the week. Sometime between 8:00pm and 10:00pm when the nursemaid, Betty Gow, checked on Charles Jr., the baby was kidnapped. When police were alerted, they noticed one of the windows in the baby’s room was closed but a shutter standing wide open. They discovered a handmade ladder that was used to reach the bedroom window. Upon further inspection, part of the ladder was broken. The theory was that the kidnapper made their way up the ladder but then the ladder gave way and broke on the way down carrying the infant. The Police found a white envelope containing a ransom note on the window sill above the radiator. The note demanded money for the safe return of the child. According to Fisher, here is a transcript of the first ransom note below.
Dear Sir!
have 50,000 $ redy 25 000 $ in
20 $ bills 1,5000 $ in 10$ bills and
10000 $ in 5$bills. After 2-4 days
we will inform you were to deliver
the Mony.
We warn you for making anyding public
or for notify the Police the chld is in
gute care.
Indication for all leters are
singnature and 3 hold (SYMBOL) (Fisher 5)
During the initial weeks of the investigation of the kidnapping, there were numerous exchanges of ransom notes with the kidnapper or kidnappers in the mail or in ads placed in the newspaper. One week into the investigation, Lindbergh was contacted by John F. Condon, a retired school teacher who offered his services as a ransom intermediary. From this point on, any communication of ransom demands and the child’s whereabouts were addressed to Mr. Condon as a go between. On April 2, 1932, Condon and Lindbergh went to St Raymond’s Cemetery, where a $50,000 ransom with marked bills was paid to the kidnappers. Lindbergh and Condon were told where to find the baby however the child was not at the designated location. For the next several weeks, Colonel Lindbergh worked tirelessly with police to locate his missing son. On May 12, 1932, a shocking discovery was made, Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. was found dead in a wooded area a couple miles from the Lindbergh estate in Hopewell. Charles Lindbergh and Betty Gow both confirmed the child’s identification and by his clothing worn at the morgue.
After more than two and a half years from the investigation of the kidnapping and discovery of the Lindbergh baby’s body, the police received a tip of an exchange of some of the ransom money. Since President Roosevelt ordered the change of gold notes to greenback bills in 1933, Police were hopeful the ransom money would be identified more easily. A gas station attendant, who was suspicious of a gold note he received, copies down the license plate number of the customer. The license plate number was tracked back to Bruno Richard Hauptmann, a carpenter who resided in the Bronx. Upon searching his residence for a period of one week, Police found almost $15,000 in ransom money in his garage. They also discovered a gap in the attic floor board which is later identified as a rail in the kidnap ladder found at the Lindbergh estate. During another inspection of the residence, police find John Condon’s, the ransom intermediary for Lindbergh, phone number and address written on a piece of door trim inside a closet. Hauptmann is arrested on September 19, 1934 and brought in for questioning. He denies any involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. Hauptmann is indicted for murder and his trial began in January 1935. Experts would testify that Hauptmann wrote the ransom notes – his handwriting samples matched those of the notes. Lindbergh and Condon, both identified Hauptmann as the person who they exchanged the ransom with at the Cemetery. A wood expert confirmed the markings on the wood board that was used in the kidnap ladder matched those of Hauptmann’s tools in his garage. A piece of evidence that was deeply incriminating is Hauptmann not being able to provide an alibi of his whereabouts on the night of the kidnapping. Another fact was the discovery of the ransom money in his possession in addition to the positive identification of many who had witnessed Hauptmann spending the ransom money. This was during a two year period during the Depression when Hauptmann was out of work and had no income but continued to live beyond his means with traveling to and from Florida. Hauptmann’s past criminal record of grand larceny, house burglary, armed robbery, and escape in Germany did not help his case. The fact that he was an illegal citizen here in America was a problem for his defense as well.
Among the conspiracy theories in the case, there was speculation that Colonel Lindbergh accidently killed his son and covered up the crime with reporting the kidnapping. Another lingering mystery is the suicide of Violet Sharpe, a maid at the Morrow estate. Upon being questioned multiple times on her whereabouts on the evening of the kidnapping, Ms. Sharpe provided contradictory information. She committed suicide by swallowing poison rather than continue to be interrogated by the Police. Some suspect that there were multiple perpetrators involved in the kidnapping and murder of the boy. This theory holds true even with assuming Bruno Richard Hauptmann was involved in the crime. Many believe he was one of the perpetrators however; he did not work alone and had other conspirators involved in the kidnapping. Some scandalous rumors haunted the case also including one that Al Capone had some of his mobsters kidnap the child. Another was that Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s sister, Elisabeth Morrow threw the child out the window because she was in love with Colonel Lindbergh and jealous of the baby boy. There was no evidence to substantiate some of the ridiculous accusations presented in the press. In the end, I thought to myself about this crime and the time period it took place. There were no CSI forensic units at the scene of the crime like we have in today’s world. I was impressed with reading about what evidence the police and investigators were able to determine and confirm in the case. For example, numerous experts found the handwriting on the ransom notes to be from Hauptmann, the kidnap ladder contained distinctive markings made by Hauptmann’s tools retrieved from his garage where the ransom money was found, and one of the rails from the ladder had been a floor board in Hauptmann’s attic.
The Lindbergh Case with the kidnapping and murder of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. has been dubbed the Crime of the Century. Anyone associated with the case was permanently affected by the crime and its aftermath. Those that reaped the benefits of this more so than others were writers, who have written countless books, magazine articles, and newspaper columns on the case. A positive that came from the case was that Congress passed the Lindbergh Law in June 1932, which makes ransom kidnapping a federal offense. After the trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, The Lindbergh Family left America and moved to England to flee the press and the public.
After sifting through all the conspiracy theories and intricate plot designs, everything comes back to the evidence in the case of who kidnapped Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. The evidence clearly shows that Bruno Richard Hauptmann had the means and the opportunity to kidnap the Lindbergh heir on March 1, 1932. The ransom money in his possession, the floor board of the kidnap ladder, the positive identification of multiple witnesses, and the expert testimony of the handwriting of the ransom notes all contributed to Hauptmann’s conviction and eventual execution on April 3, 1936 of the crime of the century.
Works Cited
Fisher, Jim. The Ghosts of Hopewell: Setting the Record Straight in the Lindbergh Case Southern University Press (1999)
Falzini, Mark. Studying the Lindbergh Case – A Guide to the Files and Resources available at the New Jersey State Police Museum (2006) Web
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