DRAMATIC REPRIEVE

Evening Post, Issue 79, 2 April 1936, Page 9

DRAMATIC REPRIEVE

HOUR OF EXECUTION

THE HAUPTMANJY CASE

TRENTON (New Jersey), March 31. Right on the hour set for his execution, Bruno Hauptmann, who was convicted for the murder of the Lindbergh baby, was granted a 48 hours' reprieve. '

[■'The stay was granted by the principal keeper, Mr. Kimberling, of the State prison, at the request of the grand jury, which was unable to complete the investigation of Wendel's confession before the scheduled hour of execution. Mr. Kimberling specified a reprieve for at least 48 hours and stated that he would refix the date of execution for either Thursday or Friday night, that was, unless the Governor granted another reprieve or. the execution was otherwise legally postponed. As the death warrant stated that the sentence should be carried out during the week beginning March 30, it is within the power of Mr. Kimberling to grant a reprieve until the expiration of that period. The keeper's announcement of the postponement came precisely at 8 o'clock, the hour for which the execution was scheduled. Newspaper correspondents and other witnesses were waiting to enter the death chamber. The attorney for the defence took word to the death cell, where Hauptmann, with two spiritual advisers, was awaiting the call to walk to the electric chair.

Apparently in a last frantic effort to gain a reprieve for the condemned man, detectives employed by Governor Hoffman submitted to the Pardons B6ard a few days ago an alleged confession of Paul Wendel, disbarred attorney, who has been convicted several times of perjury and other felonies, that he murdered the child. The At-torney-General, Mr. Wilentz, and other State officials said that they gave little credence to the confession, as Wendel had been several times committed to insane asylums for observation, but they subjected him to long questiombg, during which, he repudiated the entire confession," saying it was forced from him through prolonged torttire. Meanwhile, however, it developed that Wendel had previously been taken before a, Magistrate and formally charged with murder.