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Post by xjd on Dec 12, 2022 20:27:24 GMT -5
great question, especially since Charlie was not thriving as a little baby you would think they would get someone with super serious qualifications. wonder what the qualifications of the first nanny/nurse was?
i think American nouveau riche like the Morrows (and Lindbergh) were super impressed with having British/UK servants. that and word of mouth (referrals from current servants) is how they engaged their staff.
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Post by Michael on Dec 13, 2022 10:58:21 GMT -5
Part of my goal in V1 was to examine this situation. Unfortunately, the publisher published my uncorrected proof so it's not the best version and can be a little confusing. We can see why Cummings was chosen. Next, word was she was very attractive. Lindbergh paid a lot of attention to her and even shared the plans to Highfields with her. Baby declines in health and she basically quits. Enter Coppin. Great nursemaid, baby's health improves, very professional. Lindbergh fires her. Cummings is back to fill in until Gow is hired. Gow is referred to as attractive, poor grades from a prior employer, and whose goal was to latch onto a rich family so she could meet a rich man, get married and never have to work again. What should be looked at next are the statements/reports. The Whateleys said Gow was upset and crying over the kidnapping, yet this is a stark difference to what Asst. Chief Williamson saw claiming she was the "coolest of the lot." Thanks to Lurp, we know that Chief Wolfe told his sister that he was suspicious of Gow based on the way she reacted to him that night, so clearly these two officers were on the same page. I see this difference and it impresses upon me that the Whateley's were trying to protect Gow. Then we can see Whateley being the weak link when he was interviewed by Thayer & Rosner. Here he begins to badmouth Gow but his wife quickly swoops in to stop him.
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Post by xjd on Dec 13, 2022 18:48:20 GMT -5
i am reminded of Queen Eliz II's televised statement on the death of Princess Diana, the English press were acting like how impressive she showed so much emotion. whereas i thought she came across as cold and phony maybe to the Whatelys, Betty was acting upset. comparatively that is. Michael; do you think CAL was messing around with other women at this point in his life? obviously he was later on ie the other German kids.
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Post by skeptical on Dec 13, 2022 23:58:45 GMT -5
photos.app.goo.gl/fdyVMUsBM4quSPGr8My son went to Florida with a blonde bombshell of a girl who bore a striking resemblance to a young Loni Anderson a few years ago. She breathlessly reported to us, that when she went to interview with the State of Florida they hired her without any previous experience, to be a public relations spokesperson for the Department of Motor Vehicles. Thus was it ever, and ever shall be, young women are hired on their looks,,,,by other women.
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Post by Michael on Dec 14, 2022 9:42:55 GMT -5
Lindbergh’s suggested scenario of the kidnapping having occurred between 8 and 8:20 pm and been committed by two persons made sense, with one to carry Charlie to a waiting car and the other to grab the ladder and place it where it was found. A lone kidnapper could not have carried child and ladder at the same time – and why make two trips, wasting valuable getaway time? But why not just leave the ladder in place against the house after the snatch, regardless of how many kidnappers there were? If he or they knew about Lindbergh’s NYU alumni dinner, as had been proposed, there was no reason to expect Lindbergh home by 8:20 pm (or at Highfields at all for different reasons). The getaway car had plenty of time to get away to anywhere. Yet Lindbergh did come home at 8:20 pm. If the ladder had been left in place, his car’s headlights would have caught it. He’d have known what that meant. Then what? He’d have had to race upstairs into the nursery, find the empty crib, find the note, call the police immediately, have the kidnappers pursued while they were still within catching distance… The entire evening would have unfolded differently. If only! Or was Betty Gow intended to find the child missing at 10 pm during her assigned routine? For that, it was essential for the ladder to have been removed. It brings us back to all those familiar questions. But what it does show is that the historical narrative was rejected, quite quickly actually, by police walking through the situation. So they came up with this scenario to explain away the problems with it. Some who don't like this may say its hearsay and that Lanphier's version cannot be trusted. It would be their only recourse. But there's too many things to support it. First and foremost, Lanphier was Lindbergh's close friend, was involved after the fact, and would have been privy. Next, he went to Hoover confidentially. Maybe a "nut" would lie to Hoover in this way, but Lanphier wasn't one. Next, we have the Curtis situation that compliments and supports it. Many people skip that part of the case, to include even authors writing books on the crime, because its written off as a "hoax" and they believe their time is better spent on other areas. I've tried to impress on just about anyone who will listen that ALL areas of this case provide valuable clues - sometimes even about things that have nothing to do with it. As a result, as you already know, each and every aspect must be studied. There are no shortcuts here because if one takes them, they will become lost - whether they know it or not. That said, if we go to Lindbergh's testimony at the Curtis trial, the man actually testified that " at between about seven-thirty and ten o'clock on the evening of March 1, 1932, my son was taken from the nursery of my home" (V1 Pages 54-55). This is not a misprint. i am reminded of Queen Eliz II's televised statement on the death of Princess Diana, the English press were acting like how impressive she showed so much emotion. whereas i thought she came across as cold and phony maybe to the Whatelys, Betty was acting upset. comparatively that is. Michael; do you think CAL was messing around with other women at this point in his life? obviously he was later on ie the other German kids. There were a lot of people who believed there was something going on between Lindy and Gow. From my perspective, if there was, it didn't have anything to do with the usual explanation from the Lindbergh side of it. We have the German families to consider as you've pointed out. Does anyone truly believe he fell in "love" with all these women almost at the same time and felt compelled to have children with them for that reason? It also proves that he was very good at keeping secrets and arranging ways to get others involved to keep them as well. Remember what everyone was saying once these claims first came out? I do too. "Berg would have found out about this." "Not possible." "Another hoax." "He'd never be able to get away with it." etc. etc. etc.
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Post by Sherlock on Dec 15, 2022 12:01:20 GMT -5
THere’s something very specific about the overheard threat Lindbergh made to Betty Gow on the night of the kidnap. “Keep your mouth shut, otherwise I’ll give you publicity that you will not like.” Its almost as if Betty had said something to elicit this response: “Should I tell them about….” The mind boggles. Its the thing about publicity which is intriguing. He could have said “I’ll see to it that you never work in the US ever again” or some such.
Clearly, for me, Lindbergh had the goods in some way over Miss Gow. I suspect it wasn’t anything to do with the kidnap but Betty’s withheld secret probably was. Something about Charlie’s health problems?
Also, now we know more about Lindbergh’s propensity to “play away,” it seems quite likely that Nurse Cummings, described a very attractive, may have rebuffed Lindbergh’s advances and it was this rather than the child declining under her care which led to her departure.
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hiram
Detective
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Post by hiram on Dec 16, 2022 7:26:59 GMT -5
One of Betty Gow's brothers worked for the Ford auto plant in Detroit, Michigan, but also was connected to the Purple Gang and took stuff from the Ford plant to give the Gang. The Purple Gang had Jewish members. This was all revealed in a thorough investigation, and I will not go into it here. Lindbergh, who would later have a business relationship with Henry Ford during WWII, may have known of Gow's connection to the Purple Gang and may have threatened Betty with exposure. There must have been a reason Lindbergh thought that " the mob " was connected to the disappearance of his son.
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hiram
Detective
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Post by hiram on Dec 16, 2022 7:36:54 GMT -5
If I recall correctly, Betty Gow was visiting her brother in Detroit when he was being investigated for theft from the Ford plant in Detroit. If anyone is interested, I will check my notes and post the report.
Happy Holidays to all!
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Post by Sherlock on Dec 16, 2022 7:54:26 GMT -5
That is very interesting hiram, Do you know whether Betty's visit to Detroit was while she was employed by the Lindberghs as Charlie's nanny? Is so, its likely that news of Betty's position reached the Purple Gang via her brother. Although kidnap was not one of the PG's primary activities it may have been, as you say, this connection that she wanted to keep to herself.
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hiram
Detective
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Post by hiram on Dec 16, 2022 9:49:51 GMT -5
Betty Gow visited her brother, Scotty Gow, in Detroit prior to her emplyment at the Lindbergh house. I had assumed that this had been discussed earlier and did not want to repeat any information unnecessarily. Lindbergh may not have been a "friend" of Henry Ford, but he would certainly have known him and did work with him during WWII. Lindbergh's mother Evangeline lived in Detroit and taught chemistry at Cass Tech for many years. Scotty Gow worked at the Ford Plant in Michigan. Betty Gow visited him upon her arrival from England. The report is included in the FBI Investigation. I will try to attach it to this post. The FB"I report contains several documents. The description of the investigator's visit to Gow's home in Detroit is included. I am not offering any theory here as to the reason for Lindbergh's reason to threaten Betty Gow with adverse publicity, but I am suggesting that the Scotty Gow problem may have been the "publicity" that he intended to give the press. I may be having some trouble attaching the document.
The file is too large to be attached. I will need to provide information on how to access it.
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hiram
Detective
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Post by hiram on Dec 16, 2022 10:28:37 GMT -5
The name of the collecion is as follows: Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts Subject: Purple Gang Cross-References Federal Bureau of Investigation
You can find this on-line. Included are memoranda from Agent Purvis and J. Edgar Hoover
Briefly: An investigator named Arthur Chandler reported that he visited the home of Scotty Gow, employed by the Ford Motor Com[any. This occ at Highland Park to recover goods taken from the Ford Motor Company presumably by Scotty Gow. This investigation occurred in 1931. Gow's wife said that Scotty was sick. She was said to have introduced Betty Gow to Chandler as Scotty's sister.. The thefts were later identified as metals taken from the factory. Gow was fired for graft according to a later report. At one point Scotty Gow was said to be a member of the Purple Gang. Another suggests that he was an agent who was stealing from the Ford Motor Company and selling merchandise to the Purple Gang.
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hiram
Detective
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Post by hiram on Dec 16, 2022 10:33:03 GMT -5
Betty Gow arrived from Scotland, not England, sorry. It was claimed that she went to Detroit first because she wanted to catch up with an old boyfriend who lived there. He had no interest, so looked for a job. She had another brother who lived in New Jersey (if I remember correctly) who worked for either the railroad or electric company and died in an accident (electric shock) in the fall of 1931.
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Post by Michael on Dec 16, 2022 12:26:53 GMT -5
THere’s something very specific about the overheard threat Lindbergh made to Betty Gow on the night of the kidnap. “Keep your mouth shut, otherwise I’ll give you publicity that you will not like.” Its almost as if Betty had said something to elicit this response: “Should I tell them about….” The mind boggles. Its the thing about publicity which is intriguing. He could have said “I’ll see to it that you never work in the US ever again” or some such. I've gone over this in my head as well. What Gow told Garsson came after what Lindbergh was overheard saying to her. I know that police investigation revealed that Red had VD. Lindbergh knew he did too. I've often wondered if it was because police shared this with him or because he somehow knew through somebody else (Gow). I always felt it odd that Lindbergh found it necessary to disclose this unnecessary detail to Agent Larimer too. And there's the reason she was thrown off of Princeton University and the facts about her and Red's interaction with police. Reporter Adrian Lopez also wrote to Gov. Hoffman about something that was supposed to have happened between her and Septimus Banks as well. That, of course, could have been Sharp since they were often confused if it did happen, but if it did I don't automatically think it wasn't Gow. Also, now we know more about Lindbergh’s propensity to “play away,” it seems quite likely that Nurse Cummings, described a very attractive, may have rebuffed. I've considered that too. She did come back for a short time until Gow took over, so I'm sure that could be used as a counterargument. But honestly, none of it makes any sense. If the child's health is improving, why would you bring back the person who it declined under for any reason? Why fire the person who was making positive improvements for any reason? And why bring in, of all people, Betty Gow? Lots to think about and consider. Betty Gow visited her brother, Scotty Gow, in Detroit prior to her employment at the Lindbergh house. I had assumed that this had been discussed earlier and did not want to repeat any information unnecessarily. Scotty Gow was not Betty's brother. The file you have is interesting and should give rise to further research. It's where I started on the Purple Gang myself, causing me to search further at the NJSP archives about it. SAC Connelley reported to Hoover that "Scotty Gow" was an alias for Thomas Mortimer Fairley. There was a general belief that Fairley's mother was somehow related to Gow's mother making them cousins. Gow was interviewed and asked about this man. She denied any relation and/or knowledge of him. Her brother was electrocuted and his wife Jean Fairley, had already gone back to Scotland. Agents were also interested to know whether or not she was related so they pursued this line. By the time of the FBI Summary, written in 2/34, it was reported that their investigation into Gow and Fairley " did not develop any relationship between the two."
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hiram
Detective
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Post by hiram on Dec 16, 2022 17:13:17 GMT -5
Thomas Mortimer Fairley was a Canadian soldier in World War I. It's quite possible that he did cross the Detroit River and live in the Detroit area of the U.S. gaining work at the Ford Auto Plant. I note that Betty Gow's brother William was married to a woman whose maiden name was also Fairley (Scottish "Fairlee") They may have been brother and sister. the alias of Gow could have been adopted from the name of his brother-in-law. The nickname "Scot" is an obvious choice. If this was the case, Betty Gow could have stayed in Detroit (Royal Oak, actually) for a time with her brother's brother-in-law (Thomas Mortimer Fairley aka Scot Gow).
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Post by Sherlock on Dec 17, 2022 7:54:46 GMT -5
The Lindberghs with their wealth and influence would have highly recommended and qualified nursmaids waiting in line for such a prestigious job. Yet Ms Cummings was brought back. This may indicate that "the child was declining under her care" is not the real reason that she left, as we have suspected. She may have been taken on again with assurances that no hanky panky would be attempted this time. Otherwise, with such a choice of help, why re-hire her? And, as you say Michael, and for the same reason, why hire Betty Gow "of all people." A feisty confident young lady with her eye on the main chance but with little formal background in child care. Based on what we know, and we surely don't know everything, there were more than enough skeletons in Betty's closet which Lindbergh could threaten to reveal if she stepped out of line. Something Lindbergh, knowing her character, probably considered to be quite likely, hence his warning. At least her visit to Detroit pre-dated her employment with the Lindberghs so we can rule out any tip off to a criminal relative/Purple Gang about the Lindberghs' domestic routine.
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Post by IloveDFW on Dec 19, 2022 18:03:03 GMT -5
The name of the collecion is as follows: Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts Subject: Purple Gang Cross-References Federal Bureau of Investigation You can find this on-line. Included are memoranda from Agent Purvis and J. Edgar Hoover Briefly: An investigator named Arthur Chandler reported that he visited the home of Scotty Gow, employed by the Ford Motor Com[any. This occ at Highland Park to recover goods taken from the Ford Motor Company presumably by Scotty Gow. This investigation occurred in 1931. Gow's wife said that Scotty was sick. She was said to have introduced Betty Gow to Chandler as Scotty's sister.. The thefts were later identified as metals taken from the factory. Gow was fired for graft according to a later report. At one point Scotty Gow was said to be a member of the Purple Gang. Another suggests that he was an agent who was stealing from the Ford Motor Company and selling merchandise to the Purple Gang. I thought Betty went to Detroit to see a former boyfriend and discovered he didn't save his money. She also had more than one job while in Detroit (and neither employer liked her or thought she did a good job.)
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hiram
Detective
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Post by hiram on Dec 20, 2022 14:17:05 GMT -5
Here is more detail concerning Betty Gow and her visit to Detroit. On March 3, 1932, just after the kidnapping, Arthur Candler, then living in Chicago, came forward and made a statement, the content of which was written down and can be found in the FBI's investigation of the Purple Gang. Candler was previously an inspector hired by the Ford Motor Company in Highland Park, Michigan. He knew a man named Scottie Gow who worked on the factory's security team for the plant. The statement was taken down by Melvin Purvis and sent to the director J. Edgar Hoover. Purvis, by the way, was the FBI agent who traced the footsteps of famous criminal John Dillinger who was shot in 1934 as he left a movie theater.
Candler visited the home of Scottie Gow in Royal Oak, Michigan, a town ner Detroit. Gow's wife said that her husband was ill; she also introduced him to a young woman Candler said was Scottie's sister. He described her as age about 28 years, height 5 ft. 4 1/2 inches, wight 120 pounds, and occupation as a private nurse. This occurred about 1 & 1/2 years prior to the kidnapping, which would have been about the time Betty said that she was in Detroit. Candler reported that she was from Scotland or Ireland (could not remember which). She said she did not like Detroit. She appeared to be "a small-town girl and not a flapper type." He did not recall the color of her hair.
This visit was motivated because materials were thought to be taken from the Ford Motor Company, and Scottie Gow was suspected of being a fence for the Purple Gang, passing ingots of metal, including copper, lead, and tin, piling these in a truck owned by the Ford Motor Company and carrying them away. Gow worked the afternoon shift from 4 pm to midnight. Candler was accompanied by a man named Vaness. Candler said that Scottie Gow was a member of the "Purple Gang of Kidnappers." Hoover, who communicated this information to Schwartzkopf, noted that the Purple Gang was not known for kidnapping babies. Their business concerned the illegal transporting of alcohol during the prohibition years from Canada to the US via the Detroit River. Hoover stated that Scottie Gow did not have a sister tough his wife had a sister named Betty.
Scotty Gow was described physically as possessing dark, curly hair, sharp face, shrewd eyes, height 5 foot, 7 or 8 inches tall, darlk eyes, kept squinted.
Taking a break now. More later.
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hiram
Detective
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Post by hiram on Dec 20, 2022 17:00:25 GMT -5
On March 10, 1932 Betty Gow made a statement to Newark Police Lt. John J. Sweeny and Det. Hugh J. Strong concerning her entrance to America and activities shortly thereafter. She said that she came to America on April 28, 1929 and went to the home of her brother William in Bogota, N.J. She worked briefly in New Jersey and then went to Detroit to "visit a young man she had known in Scotland." She does give the name of the man in this account but says that she left Detroit in 1930 and went back to her brother's house
At the Hauptmann trial in early 1935 she gives a somewhat different statement under oath. She now said that she came to America on May 4,1929, landing in the Port of New York She names the boat in both statements, but they are different names, if I am reading them correctly. At the trial she says that she has two brothers; Alexander and James. Both live in Scotland and had never left their native country. She does not mention William who died in an accident in Sept. of 1931 although she did mention him in her earlier statement. She lived in Detroit for six months. She returned to Scotland in 1934.
It appears that she was in Detroit when Arthur Candler says he visited Scottie Gow. Candler's description of Betty Gow appears to be accurate, as far as it goes. Hoover wanted Schwartzkopf to have an agent show Candler photos of Betty Gow to see if he could identify her through them. Michael indicated that " Scot Gow" was an alias for Thomas Mortimer Fairley, a Canadian who fought in WWI. Candler guessed the age correctly, as Thomas was born in 1897 or 1899. He may have found work in the US at the Ford Motor plant, but why he would change his name is a question to be asked. He may have been involved with the smuggling of alcohol prior to his coming to the US and may have had some relationship with the Purple Gang while in Canada. William Gow's wife's maiden name was Fairley, and although there was no relationship established through the mother, it is possible that they were related through the father.
Betty may have not been Scot Gow's sister, but William Gow might have been Thomas Mortimer Fairley's brother-in-law. Then Betty might well have stayed with Scot Gow and wife for a time, and Scot Gow's wife could have introduced her as her husband's sister without having to explain the in-law situation. While Betty does not mention Scot Gow in her statements, she does not mention her brother William in her court statement.
there are a number of coincidences in this scanario. It's possible that Lincbergh was made aware of Candler's statement through Schwartzkopf though Hoover did not want the information to be spread around. The statements were made early in March, just after the kidnapping. My suggestion was that Linbergh's statement to Betty Gow regarding adverse publicity may have involved the written testimony of Arthur Candler, though unproven could have been an embarrassment for Betty and a great deal of speculation on the part of the public. Lindbergh believed early that the mob was involved in the kidapping, and this could well have been one of the reasons for his suspicions.
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Post by Sherlock on Dec 22, 2022 11:49:00 GMT -5
Hi Joe, As long as the Lindbergh case remains unsolved, and in spite of cherished theories held by some of us, we should always leave space to consider alternatives. It was in this spirit that I raised the point earlier about Hauptmann’s WW1 head trauma.
The effects of head trauma have gained attention lately, even raising concern about professional soccer players who head the ball repeatedly over many years. This apart, it is remarkable how many criminals/killers report head injuries in their earlier life. Hard data is sketchy and unreliable especially if it comes from the victim himself. But there is enough reliable evidence about it to wonder if Hauptmann’s documented concussion in WW1 changed his character. He was certainly a risk-taker: his criminal activity immediately after the war, the repeated stowaway attempts to enter the USA illegally, and finally, if guilty, his extremely risky plan for the kidnap. And although a jobbing carpenter, his playing of the stock market too may indicate a thirst for risk.
Another aspect bothers me. The Hauptmanns had been married for seven years before conceiving a child. They clearly planned to start a family but were there difficulties during this period or was it deliberate and based on their uncertain finances? One wouldn’t think so based on them affording the trip to California and his stock market activity. Childless couples can become desperate, and with Hauptmann’s appetite for risk, was the plan just to steal the Lindbergh child and raise it as their own? I know it sounds crazy but if Hauptmann’s reasoning had been damaged, who knows? It is also known that infertile couples planning or undertaking adoption of a child sometimes produce their own child naturally shortly afterwards.
I just wanted to give these “out of left field” points an airing Joe and to clarify that my remark about head trauma was not intended to be facetious. I welcome your remarks.
A Very Merry Christmas to you,
Sherlock
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Joe
Lt. Colonel
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Post by Joe on Dec 23, 2022 8:33:05 GMT -5
Hi Joe, As long as the Lindbergh case remains unsolved, and in spite of cherished theories held by some of us, we should always leave space to consider alternatives. It was in this spirit that I raised the point earlier about Hauptmann’s WW1 head trauma. The effects of head trauma have gained attention lately, even raising concern about professional soccer players who head the ball repeatedly over many years. This apart, it is remarkable how many criminals/killers report head injuries in their earlier life. Hard data is sketchy and unreliable especially if it comes from the victim himself. But there is enough reliable evidence about it to wonder if Hauptmann’s documented concussion in WW1 changed his character. He was certainly a risk-taker: his criminal activity immediately after the war, the repeated stowaway attempts to enter the USA illegally, and finally, if guilty, his extremely risky plan for the kidnap. And although a jobbing carpenter, his playing of the stock market too may indicate a thirst for risk. Another aspect bothers me. The Hauptmanns had been married for seven years before conceiving a child. They clearly planned to start a family but were there difficulties during this period or was it deliberate and based on their uncertain finances? One wouldn’t think so based on them affording the trip to California and his stock market activity. Childless couples can become desperate, and with Hauptmann’s appetite for risk, was the plan just to steal the Lindbergh child and raise it as their own? I know it sounds crazy but if Hauptmann’s reasoning had been damaged, who knows? It is also known that infertile couples planning or undertaking adoption of a child sometimes produce their own child naturally shortly afterwards. I just wanted to give these “out of left field” points an airing Joe and to clarify that my remark about head trauma was not intended to be facetious. I welcome your remarks. A Very Merry Christmas to you, Sherlock Thanks Sherlock, for continuing the thread about the potential impact of Hauptmann's war time injuries towards his later crimes. I believe that Hauptmann's original lawyer James Fawcett saw the value in exploring this avenue towards what might well have led to an insanity defense plea, but that he himself wasn't entirely clear or comfortable as to how this strategy would play out in a legal sense. Over the Christmas Holidays and some much anticipated time off, I hope to go back to a number of previous subjects that may have been left hanging a bit. This is one that's always intrigued me, and so I look forward to discussing it more. Please stay tuned, and a very Merry Christmas to you as well.
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