CROWDED COURTROOM

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 115, 8 February 1935, Page 11

CROWDED COURTROOM

Hauptmann Trial Progress

(Received February 7, 5.5 p.m.)

Flemington, February 6.

With the courtroom more and more crowded by curious society folk and the whole atmosphere becoming one of strange carnival, the Hauptmann trial to-day almost degenerated into the spectacle of a bankrupt defence. Mr. Reilly produced a witness who testified that fie saw Fisch with a shoe-box similar to the one found containing the hidden ransom money, but examination disclosed that the witness had been several times confined to a psychopathic ward during the last few years. It was then ruled that all testimony purporting to show that Fisch carried a shoe-box or displayed money was inadmissible unless it was shown that the money was the ransom funds. The ruling thus eliminated Fisch from the case.

Mrs. Greta Henkel, whom Hauptmann visited on his way to work after leaving his wife in the mornings, testified that there was nothing “dishonourable” in her relationship with the defendant. There were serious discrepancies in her testimony concerning Fisch and the money he allegedly had. etc. Other defence witnesses during the day were confused and unconvincing.