Post by kevkon on Jun 6, 2006 8:57:08 GMT -5
LINDBERGH'S NEIGHBOR
In those days, Henry said, today's thick woods were open farm fields. "I could be in the field at the other end of the farm and watch the men put slate on that roof. It was the Depression. That was the only house being built for all around." Lindbergh wanted a long driveway for privacy. He heard that Henry Conover's father, a former township overseer of roads, lived just across Featherbed Lane. He would be a good man to supervise building a drive and an airstrip.
Once work began, 9-year-old Henry and his father met often with "the Colonel" to review progress. Henry recalled Lindbergh as taciturn; speaking rarely. His wife Anne was outgoing, sociable and engaging.
The infamous kidnapping was on the evening of March 1, 1932. At 6:30 that night Henry and his parents and the hired man had just finished dinner. Henry was turning a pencil sharpener mounted on the window sill. His father sat at the kitchen table waiting for Henry to start his homework. Looking out, Henry saw car headlights on muddy Featherbed Lane. [glow=red,2,300]When they came to a clearing, the headlights went out. Then on again. Then off.[/glow] Stuck in the muddy road? The hired man was ready to go out to help whoever was stuck. Henry wanted to go, too. But his parents said no; homework first. The hired man didn't want to go alone. So they never went, never saw the driver of that car, never learned whether it was Bruno Hauptmann or someone else.
The Conovers had a phone but no electricity, thus no radio. An aunt phoned their house twice the next day about the doings at the Lindberghs'. First she thought it had been a housewarming party, so many lights were on all night. She phoned again after news of the kidnapping was broadcast. "We heard cars going up the road starting about 1:30," Henry said. "We figured it was people going to fight a house fire." That was the only reason for cars to be out so late. When the police came, all agreed it must have been the kidnapper stuck in the mud the night before.
October 23, 1997
BY SAL VUOCOLO
Hunterdon County Democrat
Could this have been a [glow=red,2,300]signal?[/glow]
Is it possible another car entered from the opposite end of Featherbed?
In those days, Henry said, today's thick woods were open farm fields. "I could be in the field at the other end of the farm and watch the men put slate on that roof. It was the Depression. That was the only house being built for all around." Lindbergh wanted a long driveway for privacy. He heard that Henry Conover's father, a former township overseer of roads, lived just across Featherbed Lane. He would be a good man to supervise building a drive and an airstrip.
Once work began, 9-year-old Henry and his father met often with "the Colonel" to review progress. Henry recalled Lindbergh as taciturn; speaking rarely. His wife Anne was outgoing, sociable and engaging.
The infamous kidnapping was on the evening of March 1, 1932. At 6:30 that night Henry and his parents and the hired man had just finished dinner. Henry was turning a pencil sharpener mounted on the window sill. His father sat at the kitchen table waiting for Henry to start his homework. Looking out, Henry saw car headlights on muddy Featherbed Lane. [glow=red,2,300]When they came to a clearing, the headlights went out. Then on again. Then off.[/glow] Stuck in the muddy road? The hired man was ready to go out to help whoever was stuck. Henry wanted to go, too. But his parents said no; homework first. The hired man didn't want to go alone. So they never went, never saw the driver of that car, never learned whether it was Bruno Hauptmann or someone else.
The Conovers had a phone but no electricity, thus no radio. An aunt phoned their house twice the next day about the doings at the Lindberghs'. First she thought it had been a housewarming party, so many lights were on all night. She phoned again after news of the kidnapping was broadcast. "We heard cars going up the road starting about 1:30," Henry said. "We figured it was people going to fight a house fire." That was the only reason for cars to be out so late. When the police came, all agreed it must have been the kidnapper stuck in the mud the night before.
October 23, 1997
BY SAL VUOCOLO
Hunterdon County Democrat
Could this have been a [glow=red,2,300]signal?[/glow]
Is it possible another car entered from the opposite end of Featherbed?