1940-03-29 — Page 13

THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 29, 1940

News Snack Bar

BABY KIDNAPPING CASE STILL IN NEWS

MUTTERING A CURSE, Bruno Hauptmann, sentenced to death for the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby, went to the electric chair just four years ago.

"I suppose there will be in the death chamber many of those who helped to prepare the prosecution against me. It is my belief," he declared, "their suffering, their agony, will be greater than mine. Mine will be over in a minute. Theirs will last for ever.”

Then the curtain rang down on that act of the world's most notorious crime case, four years after the opening scene of the kidnapping. But was it the final curtain?

THOUGHT HUSBAND FELL FROM BED!

The landlady of an East Coast hotel heard a bang-and smiled knowingly. Then she called out to her husband upstairs—

"What is the matter? Have you fallen out of bed?"

· Ho hadn't. The bang, she heard was a German mine ex- ploding a few hundred yards away.

The mine had been floating about among rocks close to the hotel, which, however, was shel- tered by a small headfand. Houses in

a neighbouring town were shaken, 2

The explosion blasted a farge hole in the rocks and missed the main sewer of the town by six or seven feet.

Exchange of

Prisoners

Plans are under way, for exchanges of war prisoners, Mr. Butler, Under- Secretary for Foreign Affairs, reveals in a written reply to a question by Lady Astor

He's Had Enough

Of It

Eight years have passed since the kidnapping. In that time, death, heartbreak and misery have struck at many of the principal actors in the drama.

Lindbergh, central figure, became a world hero overnight when he flew the Atlantic solo in 1927. Now he travels from one country to another trying to forget the past; target of violent criticism for his acceptance of a high German honour from Hitler; for his activities in international affairs.

Violet Sharpe, maid employed by

"Daily Herald"

"Did you ever know a war that was all beer and skittles?"

"No. But I know one now that's all fear and scuttles."

י

Mrs. Lindbergh's mother, committed Bishop III, suicide after her interrogation by police. Ernie Brinkert, who was with

her on the night of the kidnapping, Resigns

was slain last December.

Elizabeth Morgan, aunt of the kid- napped baby, died a month before Hauptmann's trial began.

re-

on

The Bishop of Leicester has signed from the See of Leicester grounds of health... It will take effect. on April 12.

Death has claimed, too, two of the jurors, Lindbergh's butler and the butler's wife, Isadore Fisch, from Then Winston whom Hauptmann said he got the ransom money, and Gaston B. Means,

who died while serving a sentence for Winced the ransom hoax, which cost Evalyn Walsh McLean £20,000.

Paul Gebhart, a shopkeeper, grew rich from the crime's notoriety. He bought a new car, and crashed to death in it.

When a man in Detmold quarrelled with his wife he told her that she lied like Winston Churchill.”

The wife, indignant, took her hus- band to court, where he was fined for the "insult," says Amsterdam..

message from

а

POLICE LOST JOBS Three of the policemen concerned in the investigations, including the New Jersey State Police Chief, have lost their jobs. So have the warden of the 79,000,000 gaol where Hauptmann was confined, and the Coroner of the county where Germans Now.. the baby's body was found,

The story of the effect of the "curse" goes on. "Hauptmann's lawyer suffer- ed a nervous breakdown soon after the trial. He has since been declared insane. Manfred, Hauptmann's six A German second lieutenant, who year-old son, broke his leg. was wounded four times in the last William Allen, who received war, has deserted into Belgium by £1,000 reward for finding the baby's crossing the frontier at Vervier, it body, is now broke, and working at was announced in Brussels says As- odd jobs. sociated Press.

Five Million Gas-Masks

Have Been Wasted

Four million gas-masks have been wasted owing to bad distribution and loss or damage. Another million res- pirators had been expended during the fitting census and training.

of

This is revealed in the report Sir Gilbert C. Upcott, comptroller and auditor-general, Exchequer ́and Audit Department.

Approximately 44 million respira- tors had been issued by March 31 last, and 50% million by September in res- pect of an estimated population of 43% millions.

Champion Canary

Is Worth £50

A baby bird raised

a back-

yard by a Liverpool policeman,, has won the "blue riband of the canar world. It is worth £50,

At the National (Red Cross) bition of Caged Birds at the cultural Hall, Westminster, been awarded the national trophy for the best canary

The bird is owned by Mr. J. Liverpool Police.

Call. The Defendant

a

A youth fined 10s. at Belfast for disorderly conduct in a picture-house was named Francisco Antonia Notar- anoteralantonia.

The Berlin wireless announces that the census held at the end of 1939 showed the population of Greater Ger- many to be 79,400,000, an increase of 3,000,000 since 1938. Convicts Ask

For Poetry

The prison governors of Houston, Texas, asked a book store to submit prices for books requested .the prison library. The list Included: "Writing Poetry," "Forms of Poetry and "Harmony for Beginners."

Landon

BUMPED OFF IN THE BIGHT

"We got bumped off in the Heligoland Bight, but the crew were saved. I'm well and very fit but, oh, for an English pint and a salt beaf dinner.

This message on. a postcard -which Mr. Jack Webster, licensee of a Norwich hotel; has received from his brother, Patty-Officer Albert Webster (of the Starfish), now a prisoner of war. In Ger many, confirms that the crew of the submarine were saved.

The postcard began with the request to see that his mother wants for nothing "tiff I've finish- ed my holiday!

U.S. Red Cross Sends

Supplies To Germany

The American Red Cross has con-

ributed £6,000 worth of medical sup plies to Germany since the war, for which the German Red Cross has sent its thanks, stating that the supplies have been used for sick and wounded Poles,

This is announced by the official German news agency.

*

Bought Baby

For 1s.

A bouncing six-week-old baby has been bought by Mrs. Smith, of Gar rett, Kentucky, for one shilling.".

Mrs. Smith "already has two" chil dren, but she wanted another bailly, so called on an unmarried mother. near Garrett and begged to be allow ed to adopt her baby.

The mother said, "No, I win sell him, but I won't give him away." Mrs. Smith opened her purse and found only twenty-five cents. "This is all I have," she said.

"Sold replied the mother.

Anti-Gossip Films

To Help The Allies

of short British films, one into

oned