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Post by hurtelable on Feb 2, 2016 15:57:57 GMT -5
Would anyone know when that photo was taken? Was it during "The Attic Affair" on March 26, 1936, which I discussed in my previous post? What about the fact that Rail 16 in much narrower than S226? Can that be accounted for simply by planing?
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Post by hurtelable on Feb 2, 2016 16:10:29 GMT -5
Thanks for posting Ousler's article. I'd never seen it before. It's obviously Gardner's source for his entire description of "l'affaire mansarde."
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Post by Michael on Feb 2, 2016 19:34:26 GMT -5
Comments on this entire event are most welcome. Attachment DeletedWould anyone know when that photo was taken? It was taken by Sgt. Schultz of the NJSP on 10-10-1934.
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Post by hurtelable on Feb 5, 2016 10:20:19 GMT -5
Yes, that would seem to be the time frame when the Hauptmann extradition hearing was going on in the Bronx.
Then, it would seem to me, both S-226 and rail 16 had to be removed from the attic some time before the Hauptmann trial in Flemington in order to present them as evidence there.
So were both of these two boards brought back to the attic specifically on March 26, 1936 meeting that we have been discussing? Did that "affaire mansarde" begin with an empty space on the floor where those boards had been when Sgt. Schultz photographed them about a year and a half before, and then attempts were made to replace both of the boards in their purported original positions in front of Hoffman, Bornmann, Wilentz, Fisher, Oursler, etc.? (That seems like what had happened that day, although it isn't specifically stated by either Gardner or Oursler.)
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Post by Michael on Feb 5, 2016 20:46:52 GMT -5
So were both of these two boards brought back to the attic specifically on March 26, 1936 meeting that we have been discussing? Both S-226 and Rail 16 were in the possession of Captain Snook. He brought them to the apartment on March 26, 1936. The group climbed into the attic through the linen closet, then S-226 and Rail 16 were laid on the floor beams into position. Did that "affaire mansarde" begin with an empty space on the floor where those boards had been when Sgt. Schultz photographed them about a year and a half before, and then attempts were made to replace both of the boards in their purported original positions in front of Hoffman, Bornmann, Wilentz, Fisher, Oursler, etc.? (That seems like what had happened that day, although it isn't specifically stated by either Gardner or Oursler.) The entire group climbed into the attic through the linen closet, then S-226 and Rail 16 were laid on the floor beams into position. All (14) men were in that attic during this time.
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Post by Steve A on Nov 12, 2016 18:21:45 GMT -5
Near my Grandfather’s 100th birthday (1997), I asked what his biggest disappointment was. He surprised us with Koehler & the Hauptmann case. Apparently he worked on the wood analysis with others at Forest Product Labs (FPL) but never really wanted to talk about it. I asked if there was a problem with the analysis and the wood match, but he said, no, the disappointment was with Koehler’s testimony at the trial. The current On Wisconsin magazine has an article on Koehler “forensic” work and reminded me of this story. Anyway, these chemists were like modern day scientists and would have reported their thoughts and analysis in the lab book that should have been stored. Would the freedom of information act allow one to get a copy of these unadulterated FPL lab books for your study. His name was Dr. Elwin E. Harris and he was a real wood expert.
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Post by feathers on Nov 12, 2016 19:21:59 GMT -5
Fascinating! Both Koehler and Dr. Harris also testified in 1938 in a case called Fugmann involving a bomb sent through the mail.
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Post by Michael on Nov 13, 2016 16:32:08 GMT -5
The current On Wisconsin magazine has an article on Koehler “forensic” work and reminded me of this story. Anyway, these chemists were like modern day scientists and would have reported their thoughts and analysis in the lab book that should have been stored. Would the freedom of information act allow one to get a copy of these unadulterated FPL lab books for your study. His name was Dr. Elwin E. Harris and he was a real wood expert. Thanks for the post Steve! Most of Koehler's study on the ladder was shared with the NJSP and is currently at their Archives in West Trenton. Someone also donated some of his personal material. I went through that to find they were all copies of existing reports and material that was at the Archives previously with the exception of his handwritten notes/corrections on them. I am personally confident that whatever is in the lab books is also reflected in this material. If anyone thinks I could be wrong then it might be worth pursuing.
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Post by wolfman666 on Jan 26, 2017 10:35:49 GMT -5
hi mike steve romeo here. I think kels work is great. I think there should be a live book debate like they did in the early 90s with fisher against scatuto and fisher against Robert bryan. you could debate your book against kel and cahill gardner or whoever wrote a book in the present time. being at a couple of them, it really lerts the dirty laundry out.
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Post by wolfman666 on Feb 2, 2017 12:38:35 GMT -5
it was hot as hell when I was up there. I was at a party the night before and sweat all the beer out. I learned that people think he built the ladder in the attic. I have to disagree. very unconvertible to even be up there I think Hauptman built it in the garage where all his tools were. I have pictures of the linen closet where you used to climb up there back then. now they built a fold away stairway to get there. the hatch is still there.
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Post by lightningjew on Feb 2, 2017 13:30:46 GMT -5
My understanding is that there were electricians in the attic, who had pulled up some floorboards to do some work. Those boards were discarded into a scrap pile, and it would make sense that Hauptmann used some of those discarded boards to build the ladder, pulled from handy a scrap pile of lumber. Rather than a carpenter resorting to cannibalizing his attic floor, I think this is a very easy and sensible explanation as to how the ladder wood matched wood from the floor of Hauptmann's attic.
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