SURPRISE WITNESS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 111, 4 February 1935, Page 9

SURPRISE WITNESS

Hauptmann Trial Evidence BABY ALLEGEDLY SEEN (Received February 3. 7.30 p.m.) Flemington, February 1. The defence called a surprise witness in the Hauptmann tried to-day—Peter Sommers, who swore that at about midnight on March 1, 1932, he saw a man and woman whom he identified as Fisch and Violet Sharpe, a maid ar the Morrow home at that time who subsequently committed suicide, taking the baby from New Jersey into New York city on tiie Weekhawken ferry across the Hudson River. Sommers described the baby as blonde, about two years of age and wearing a one-piece sleeping garment, which is an almost exact description of the Lindbergh child. The defence’s own handwriting expert, John Trendley, testified most of the day, largely to the effect that the ransom notes could not be positively identified as Hauptmann’s as bis writing could easily be duplicated. He expressed the opinion that Hauptmann was not the author of them.

The prosecution apparently did not take his testimony seriously as it limited cross-examination to a suggestion that Trendley was not qualified as an expert and pointing out contradictions in his direct examination.