Historic Trial Transcripts

Q. The second letter which you received, was that delivered or mailed to you?

A. Now, by first and second meant nothing to me.

Q. Well, I mean—

A. Because I received both by mail and by messenger letters.

Q. All right.

A. If you would show me I could tell you.

Q. All right, sir. Will you take a look at these papers and see if you received them after your advertisement, as you said (showing papers to witness).

A. I received this letter by messenger at my front door.

Q. After the advertisement?

A. After the advertisement in the paper.

Q. About what date? Do you recall the day? If you do—

A. Well, as near as—I assume—it was the Saturday after; I knew that, it was the Saturday after I had placed the advertisement in a local paper besides the American, The Bronx Home News.

Q. All right, sir.

A. I learn all things by relation.

Q. All right, sir. Now, just one minute.

Mr. Fisher: Why can’t we have the answer fully?

Mr. Wilentz: Do you want the full answer?

Mr. Fisher: Yes. He was stopped right in the middle of a sentence.

The Court: Do you want the answer?

Mr. Fisher: Yes, please.

The Court: Let the Doctor answer.

Q. Then go ahead, Doctor.

A. I remember all things according to my teaching by the relation of important things alongside of them. It is that way I teach, and I learn that way myself. Thank you.

Q. So that the important thing, of course, was the advertisement you put in—

A. Yes, sir.

Q. And the visit to the Colonel Lindbergh home?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. And by relation to that, it was the following Saturday?

A. Connection and relation; yes, sir.

Mr. Wilentz: We offer the note with the envelope in evidence.

The Court: If there is no objection they will be admitted.

The Reporter: The envelope is S-47, the note S-48.

Mr. Pope: We would like to have the exhibit numbers.

The Court: Yes. Let the reporter announce the number or numbers of the exhibits.

The Reporter: The envelope is S-47 and and the note is S-48 in evidence.

(Envelope and note referred to received in evidence and marked State Exhibits S-47 and S-48 respectively.)

Mr. Wilentz: May I read the note, sir?

The Court: Yes.

Mr. Wilentz: The envelope has no postmarking on. Exhibit 47.

“Mr. John Condon, 2974 Decatur Avenue.”

The letter:

“Mr. Condon: We trust you but we will not,” n-o-t-e “in your hous” h-o-u-s “It is too danger. Even you can not” n-o-t-e “know if police or secret service is watching you. Follow this instruction. Take a car and drive to the last subway station from Jerome Avenue Line. A hundred feet from the last station on the left side is a empty frankfurter stand with a big open porch around. You will find a notice in senter” s-e-n-t-e-r “of the porch underneath the stone. This notice will tell you where to find me. Act accordingly. After three-quarters of a hour” h-o-u-e-r “be on the place, bring the money with you.”