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Post by Wayne on Jun 8, 2020 10:52:34 GMT -5
Okay, after giving this a lot of thought, I am completely convinced that Condon was blackmailed because he had done something so horrendous and dastardly (that only the extortionists could uncover) and therefore he had to become part of the extortionist gang.
All well and good.
So…
Why did they blackmail Condon into writing a letter to the BHN?
Isn’t the idea of a go-between to remain as anonymous as possible? Why let at least 150,000 Bronx subscribers know that you are a possible go-between? Doesn’t that completely defeat the purpose?
In the extortionists own words, “It is nessisery to make a word’s affair out of it…?”
Advertising yourself as a go-between does exactly that – makes the world aware.
And why go to all the trouble of having Condon write a letter in the first place? All they had to do was call him (which they did several times) and set up a meeting place (like that did twice) and just hand him the letter to give to CAL (like they did with the Boad Nelly note)?
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Post by lightningjew on Jun 8, 2020 11:37:01 GMT -5
I don't know that Condon did something so dastardly that he was able to be blackmailed. Again, as I see it, the kidnappers could've just as easily enticed him into participation, with the promise of $20K and the privilege of handing the baby back to Anne Lindbergh. With his long history of publishing pieces in the BHN, it seems to me that it would've been Condon's idea to "establish" contact with the kidnappers through that paper, after they first approached him. Why do that? Because if Condon put an apparently arbitrary offer out there to help or be an intermediary of some kind and the kidnappers responded, Condon would look like nothing more than an altruistic do-gooder as well as someone who was important enough for the kidnappers to take note of and respond to--all of which fits with Condon's image of himself and what he was always trying to convey. I think this was an apparently golden opportunity for Condon to project that image onto the world stage.
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Post by Wayne on Jun 8, 2020 12:43:11 GMT -5
Okay, we’re nixing the blackmail angle and are now going with fame and money. I like it.
So…
The minute the extortionists promise Condon money and he accepts, that makes him complicit in the kidnapping scheme.
But Condon is good with that, right? Just so he gets the baby back and makes big bucks it’s all okay?
So…
Either the extortionists, or Condon, comes up with the bright idea to write to the BHN to make it look legit. Sounds good.
But in JTA and other accounts, when Condon relates his original call to Highfields he makes no mention in his phone call that the kidnappers had gotten in touch with him because he had he written to the BHN.
Wasn’t that the whole idea of writing the BHN?
Thayer does mention the call in his May 16th statement, but only that Condon claimed he put an ad offering $1,000 of his own money for Charlie’s return. Not that he offered to be a go-between.
Wasn’t this the point behind Condon’s writing his letter to the BHN, so that he could claim his offer was legit? Yet, he forgets to mention it in his own account?
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Post by lightningjew on Jun 8, 2020 13:03:05 GMT -5
Through his BHN letter, Condon was initiating a form of contact with the kidnappers, one that was apparently arbitrary and innocent. I don't know why, in JTA, he didn't mention talking about this in his call to Highfields, but I imagine he must have mentioned it at some point. Either way, whatever the wording, we know that Condon made an offer to the kidnappers in the BHN and they immediately responded with: "Dear Sir: If you are willing to act as go-between in Lindbergh cace please follow stricly instruction..." And the fact that Condon didn't explicitly say in his BHN letter "I offer myself as go-between" could've also been a layer of protection for himself: "I just offered them some of my own money if they'd turn the baby over to a priest; but they wrote back saying they want me to be go-between! Wasn't MY idea..." Makes him look less suspicious.
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Post by Michael on Jun 8, 2020 14:23:15 GMT -5
From my perspective this was asked and answered already. Why is this being revisited as if it hasn’t?
It could have been all three or a combination thereof. The letter was a cover to explain “why” he entered the case.
Aside from the studies that call this technology into question, the other major problem are the documented lies that Condon told. As I wrote in my last response we can begin with the Needle Salesman. If it’s a simple “mistake” then why did Breckinridge lie? He’s the “control” here isn’t he? Or perhaps Condon was “mistaken” the 2nd time around by forgetting all of what he said previously and Breck was telling the truth. That would mean Myra was lying at the very time Condon seemed to have suddenly “forgotten.” So Myra is the “control” only it seems very suspicious that his memory loss actually backs up her story. Hmmm. Shouldn’t this dilemma be solved if one asserts Condon was a truthful person? Of course it’s a monumental task once considering the countless and verifiable untruths the man told. And again, if he’s forgetful as an excuse for each event, but we blame others for lying instead, then being so forgetful and testifying anyway was a very dishonest act. How can one make sense of everything without avoiding it all?
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Post by lightningjew on Jun 8, 2020 14:40:40 GMT -5
I know. I've answered these questions multiple times myself...
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Post by Wayne on Jun 8, 2020 14:43:18 GMT -5
All I'm doing is asking questions here.
Let me ask this simple question.
So these extortionists go to Condon and tell him they have Charlie and they want him to join their gang so that he can make a ton of money and become America's greatest hero.
No problem at all with that.
So...
When the gang first goes to Condon, how do they convince or prove to Condon they have Charlie?
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Post by Wayne on Jun 8, 2020 14:45:18 GMT -5
I know. I've answered these questions multiple times myself... And you are answering with what you think, not facts, nothing that could be referenced in a book. Tell me the Top Ten lies that Condon told with 100% certainty that implicate him as part of the gang. Not something he might have confused because of old age.
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Post by lightningjew on Jun 8, 2020 15:22:02 GMT -5
And I never claimed these were facts; just extrapolations based on the evidence, facts, and timeline. Condon told multiple versions of the same story, so he was concealing... something. And he wasn't that old, so I just don't think this was due to senility or "confusion". If Condon's intentionally concealing something and obfuscating, the question is why. Because, I think, his involvement with the kidnappers was not what he claimed. And when the kidnappers first approached Condon, they may not have needed to prove anything to him about being the right parties and having CAL Jr. Rather, that proof could've come when Condon called Hopewell, described the symbol in the note he received, and was asked to head up there. Prior to that, my idea of how this happened was that the kidnappers approached Condon, saying they were the kidnappers of the Lindbergh Baby and they needed his help. If Condon just put some sort of offer out there, he'd get a response which could be verified as authentic by contacting Hopewell: "Why not? If they're legit, I'll get to play the hero and make $20K; if they're full of crap and I'm just being punked, I won't get any response and will have done nothing but look like a do-gooder by offering some of my own money for the safe return of the Lindbergh Baby..."
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2020 18:48:14 GMT -5
And you are answering with what you think, not facts, nothing that could be referenced in a book. Condon gives his own explanation of how he was brought into the kidnap gang. Its not by the lure of fame and money and its not by blackmail either. Condon said he was approached by a woman FOR HELP. She came from a family where most of them were bad but one was very good. This good one came to Condon and she went down on her kneels and appealed to him for protection. Please see Gardner, The Case That Never Dies, Chapter Five, Page 100. This visit results in the Bronx Home News letter. That's all you are going to know, Wayne. Condon said he would take her identity to the grave and he did just that. Sorry I don't have video for you on this. You are just going to have to BELIEVE Condon. So there is your answer.
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Post by lightningjew on Jun 8, 2020 19:51:31 GMT -5
Yes, he said it was a woman from "a bad family" who approached him, but he also made no mention of this except to that one reporter. Could've been that mystery woman who brought him into the case, but who knows with Condon? Either way, someone approached him and this resulted, as you say, in his BHN letter. I do think the lure of fame and money was a plus for Condon, but, like you said, that's all we're ever going to know.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2020 20:08:04 GMT -5
Yes, he said it was a woman from "a bad family" who approached him, but he also made no mention of this except to that one reporter. Could've been that mystery woman, but who knows with Condon? Either way, someone approached him and this resulted, as you say, in his BHN letter. I do think the lure of fame and money was a plus for him, but like you said, that's all we're ever going to know. I believe that they did want to offer Condon money which is why they asked Lindbergh for it. I think this money offer would have been made at the Woodlawn meeting where they spent over an hour discussing all the details and risk involved. Condon clearly was enticed by the fame. He knew this was the biggest thing he would ever be involved in. World wide attention would come to him from this. He made sure he would get it too, because he had his good friend Gregory Coleman lined up to break the story right from the get-go.
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Post by lightningjew on Jun 8, 2020 23:42:43 GMT -5
I think the kidnappers offering Condon the $20K would've been earlier than the Woodlawn meeting. That occurred on March 12, and the kidnappers wrote to Lindbergh on March 4 (received March 6) about the ransom being raised by $20K because they had "to take another person to it." My guess is that the Woodlawn meeting was where Condon found out the baby was dead and he and CJ were working out how to get the kidnappers their money in a way that Condon could save face and keep up the appearance of negotiating for the return of live child. This was probably the night when they came up with sending the sleeping suit as proof the kidnappers had CAL Jr. (That proved nothing, really, about whether or not CAL Jr. was still alive, but it was the best they could do.)
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2020 7:17:55 GMT -5
I think the kidnappers offering Condon the $20K would've been earlier than the Woodlawn meeting. That occurred on March 12, and the kidnappers wrote to Lindbergh on March 4 (received March 6) about the ransom being raised by $20K because they had "to take another person to it." My guess is that the Woodlawn meeting was where Condon found out the baby was dead and he and CJ were working out how to get the kidnappers their money in a way that Condon could save face and keep up the appearance of negotiating for the return of live child. This was probably the night when they came up with sending the sleeping suit as proof the kidnappers had CAL Jr. (That proved nothing, really, about whether or not CAL Jr. was still alive, but it was the best they could do.) I agree it is possible that the woman who came to Condon could have included with her plea for help and protection, an offer to pay him for his assistance. Condon, at this point, would not have had the knowledge that the additional $20,000 had been asked for unless he were told this when the visit was made by this woman. If that is the case, then Condon knows that there will be additional money for him. On March 10, Lindbergh gives Condon written authority to pay the kidnappers the ransom money. Condon says in his statements that $50,000 dollars was brought to his home to pay to the kidnappers. He claims he kept the money in his home for a few days (?) and then put it in a bank of his choosing where it would be available to him night or day. This is before the Woodlawn meeting took place. So when does Condon become aware that the kidnappers have increased the ransom amount by $20,000? Condon had only $50,000 to pay the ransom, not $70,000. So, is Condon suspicious about where his cut is and that is why he goes to the Woodlawn meeting without the $50,000? Reading through Condon's statements, you become aware of time line problems with the initial handling of the $50,000 ransom money between March 10 and March 12. I agree that Condon is made aware that Charlie is dead at the Woodlawn Cemetery meeting. At this point, Condon can still choose to walk away from this. He doesn't. He stays in it anyway to assist and protect those involved. At this point, is it the fame and money that keep him in the program or is it about the identity of those involved that motivate Condon the most?
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Post by lightningjew on Jun 9, 2020 8:26:04 GMT -5
My guess is that the woman, or whoever brought him into this, told Condon that there was $20K in it for him. And it's interesting that Condon only mentions being in possession of $50K; had he ever admitted to being in possession of the $20K, he might've been accused of accepting it. Though I'm not sure if he could've ever walked away from this. As soon as he was in possession of a note with that symbol, he was clearly in touch with the right people, so how could he ever have walked away?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2020 9:10:54 GMT -5
My guess is that the woman, or whoever brought him into this, told Condon that there was $20K in it for him. And it's interesting that Condon only mentions being in possession of $50K; had he ever admitted to being in possession of the $20K, he might've been accused of accepting it. Though I'm not sure if he could've ever walked away from this. As soon as he was in possession of a note with that symbol, he was clearly in touch with the right people, so how could he ever have walked away? Right! So clearly, not giving Condon the $20,000 before the Woodlawn meeting is actually a protection for Condon, isn't it. CJ was expecting to get the ransom money the night of March 12. Condon chooses to go without it. Money that he had previously arranged to be available to him night or day when he needed it. Why does he hold out like this? When Condon learned about Charlie being dead, I think it possible that he could have decided he wanted to go no further with this. He was never going to be able to hand over a living Charlie. Condon and Al Reich could have returned to Decatur Avenue saying they waited but the kidnappers never showed. Condon would still be in the clear at this point as far as LE goes. Condon could stand on his Bronx Home News letter for why he had innocently received genuine contact from the kidnappers but they failed to keep the meet up at the cemetery. Unless Condon was followed, this story would stand. The fact that Condon had been approached before the Bronx Home News letter ever came out would have necessitated him to keep silent. He could not reveal this without incriminating himself. There would always be the physical threat of harm to him or his family that could have kept him in the mix. I do consider that also. Having said the above, I do think the woman who came to Condon for help and protection figured him right and that he would help them. So what does that say about Condon's character that he would be approachable in this way?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2020 9:27:04 GMT -5
I do want to mention that when Condon was interviewed at Alpine on June 2, 1932, Sgt. Walsh was all over Condon about why these kidnappers thought Condon worthy of the level of trust that they had in him. When you think about this, strangers would not have that level of trust in someone completely unknown to them. How would they have known they could even approach him in this manor? I think Condon's denial that he did not know them falls flat. He lied plain and simple.
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Post by lightningjew on Jun 9, 2020 10:20:31 GMT -5
Condon and Reich could've claimed no one ever showed up to Woodlawn, but what would've happened if the kidnappers, still after the $50K, continued sending notes to Lindbergh telling a different story? I tend to think the kidnappers had Condon over a barrel. One knew him, approached him, and pulled him in as leverage to get the "ransom", sealing Condon's involvement by putting him in possession of a note with the kidnappers' unique signature symbol. At that point, with Condon obviously in touch with the right people, it would've been, at best, very difficult for him to back out I think. Doing so might've also risked reprisals from the kidnappers.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2020 10:47:46 GMT -5
Yes! I can see what you are saying. The kidnappers/extortionists have Condon over a barrel. These same perpetrators also have Lindbergh over the same barrel. Lindbergh has to pay a ransom that was never supposed to be collected in the first place and Condon has to continue in his role, even when he learns Charlie is dead, because he agreed to help and protect these people when he was privately approached by them.
You bring up a good point about what the kidnappers would have done to continue to obtain that $50,000 had Condon be able to back away. They really did need Condon to make all this work.
I personally think Al Reich should have been looked at much harder then he was. For all we know he could be "the one who knew Condon" that CJ said was part of the gang. Al would have had that deeper level of trust that Walsh was getting at which would have been the basis for bringing Condon into this. Reich doesn't get much attention paid to him by most researchers. I am glad that Michael included Reich in his Dark Corners Series.
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Post by lightningjew on Jun 9, 2020 11:18:27 GMT -5
I think Condon had to continue in his role because he was scared of what the kidnappers might do to him if he backed out, if he didn't do his best to hold all this together so the kidnappers got the "ransom". But yeah, one way or another, I think Condon was stuck and, by extension, Lindbergh was stuck having to pay the $50K. Reich is interesting. I never thought of him as part of the gang though! If true, talk about hiding in plain sight... Anyway, Condon describes him as this Little John type, a great big old loyal hound dog, which, as with all of Condon's penny-dreadful blathering, is caricaturish and silly. At the very least, I think Reich knew a lot and could've told a great deal about Condon's actual movements and conversations.
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Post by Michael on Jun 9, 2020 15:41:44 GMT -5
When it comes to Condon's "untruths" I recommend that everyone look at them very carefully. Take his story about how CJ told him Curtis wasn't the right party. We know this was a complete lie because Curtis wasn't known at the time CJ supposedly told Condon this - but he WAS known the first time Condon brought it up. Does the excuse of being "forgetful" explain this? (See V2 pages 86-9). Perhaps forgetful, in a sense, due to the fact his lie is exposed because he didn't remember when Curtis had become known. This is just one example how liars get caught.
The Ransom Box being constructed of special and different kinds of wood. How he lied about who built it because, as it turned out, he lied about it and it turned out to be simply made of maple. So we're not only supposed to believe he forgot who made the box but that he forgot it was NOT made of the special and different kinds of wood? How does one "forget" something that was NEVER true to begin with? (See V2 pages 284-92)
How about the fact that John was dead? Did he forget that? No. Why not? Because he made it up. (See V2 pages pages 293-6) There's no better why to protect CJ than to assert the man was dead - is there?
Take the thumb deformity Condon claimed CJ had. First it was on his right thumb, then later he said left, then later both, then back to the left. So here he was very forgetful because it seems each time he tells the story this lump moves around. And of course, no doubt he forgot that no such deformity existed which could explain why Hauptmann did not and never had such a lump on his thumb? (see V2 pages 93-6)
Better yet, did he forget he told cops Hauptmann was NOT CJ, which prompted him to travel to Florida in order to pin the crime on Samuel Garelick? (See V2 pages 330-332)
Look at the footprint at St. Raymond's. It was Condon who pointed out the print and said it belonged to CJ. It was casted and did NOT match Hauptmann's shoe. And yet Condon testified in Flemington that Hauptmann was CJ. How can both be true unless one or both were not?
Next, I've repeatedly brought up the Needle Vendor. In 1933 Breckinridge said the when the NV came both he and Condon were there and interacted with him. This account was made in no uncertain terms. Condon even gave the man a quarter. In March of '34 Condon gave a detailed story to Special Agent Seykora about the NV and said he was there. He not only gave a detailed description, he claimed he might have been the lookout he saw at Woodlawn.
So we have both Breckinridge and Condon agreeing. What we see is that Condon seemed to have recalled an event from two years earlier with a high degree of detail.
Unfortunately, in April of '34 he is re-interviewed by a Agents Sisk and O'Leary. BOTH Mrs. Condon and Condon himself claimed neither were there when the NV came to the house. So we are now supposed to believe that Condon forgot he WAS there? After this, the Agents interviewed Myra who claimed she was there with Breckinridge - effectively replacing herself for her father. So is she lying or is Breckinridge? And all this also assumes Condon was telling the truth the 2nd time but how do we explain his first version? That he forgot he wasn't there when telling this detailed story to Special Agent Seykora? (See V2 pages 99-105)
All of these things, and they are just the tip of the iceberg, have to be completely ignored if one is to believe Condon was an honest person. His job was to ensure the money was turned over to the Extortionists while at the same time preventing their arrest. His lies, and actions prove this beyond all doubt.
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Post by Sherlock on Nov 2, 2021 15:38:32 GMT -5
I just came across this while browsing previous postings: Thread: New Jersey State Police Museum and Learning Center. Sept 30 2018 Placed in the archives by Admin for amy 35
Its an account of Amy's visit to the archives. In paragraph 5 she mentions the following: "The ransom box is also smaller than I realized it would be. As Mark explained, the money had been banded into packages making the $50,000 dollars fit nicely inside."
What??? The ransom box is in the NJSP museum? Did Condon leave it to them in his will (weak joke)? There must be some kind of misunderstanding and I'm sure to be not the only one who would like this cleared up. I thought she might be referring to a box of ransom-related documents until Mark contributed his clarification.
I'm sure there's a simple explanation but what is it? Over to you fellow Forum members..............
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Post by trojanusc on Nov 2, 2021 15:50:39 GMT -5
I just came across this while browsing previous postings: Thread: New Jersey State Police Museum and Learning Center. Sept 30 2018 Placed in the archives by Admin for amy 35 Its an account of Amy's visit to the archives. In paragraph 5 she mentions the following: "The ransom box is also smaller than I realized it would be. As Mark explained, the money had been banded into packages making the $50,000 dollars fit nicely inside." What??? The ransom box is in the NJSP museum? Did Condon leave it to them in his will (weak joke)? There must be some kind of misunderstanding and I'm sure to be not the only one who would like this cleared up. I thought she might be referring to a box of ransom-related documents until Mark contributed his clarification. I'm sure there's a simple explanation but what is it? Over to you fellow Forum members.............. Someone can probably correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that after the policed traced the maker of the ransom box to Abraham Samuelson, despite Condon doing everything he could to prevent them from ringing him, they asked him to build a recreation to the exact specifications that he built the previous one. This exact replica is what appears in the museum. Should be noted that Condon told police that he had the box created to exacting specification, using multiple kinds of wood, so that it could "never be re-created" (and probably so if the actual box was ever found, it could be denied that it was the real deal). Well Samuelson debunked that lie very quickly - it was all one kind of wood.
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Post by Mbg on Nov 2, 2021 18:23:23 GMT -5
The box at the museum is, obviously, a replica made by Samuelsohn. The real reason why Jafsie didn't want the maker of the original box identified was because it would have made him, Jafsie, look bad -- or suspicious. He'd promised Breckinridge on March 11 that he'd have the box constructed to the kidnappers' specifications immediately. Yet he didn't get around to picking up the box from Samuelsohn until Good Friday, March 25. How did he know or guess that he wouldn't need the box for at least two weeks after placing the order? As it turned out, he didn't even need it for three.
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Post by aaron on Nov 2, 2021 19:14:45 GMT -5
Yes, and the delay in handing the ransom money over to the kidnappers proved costly. Lindbergh had to acquire the money, the registration numbers had to be listed, and the box could have been made while this was going on. Note that Hauptmann could not pay his rent or utilities that month, probably caused by the delay in his getting his share of the ransom money. His wife Anna usually paid the rent etc. but he must have used her money also that month to help with the laundering. (He said that he gave Isidor Fisch everything, meaning probably all the money he had, including his wife's paycheck.) Anna must have known more than she told though she did say that "he (her husband) was only "suppoed to get the money." Why would Condon delay having the box made? It should not have been that complicated.
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Post by aaron on Nov 2, 2021 20:18:29 GMT -5
I will try to explain my earlier comments more clearly. The kidnappers needed to launder the money, especially since the child was dead, making the action a capital crime in New Jersey. The laundering arrangement took some time though one of them would have known that Fisch was in the business. Fisch was willing but needed to raise the money and this took some time since he had to borrow the necessary amount (as usual). He borrowed money from Hauptmann and the two then, according to their agreement, would share the original ransom bills. Condon may have been aware of the attempts to launder the money and deliberately delayed the transaction until the laundering could be effected. The first attempt failed, but the kidnappers did not want to risk a second failed attempt. They wanted to get rid of the money and disappear.
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Post by aaron on Nov 2, 2021 20:28:24 GMT -5
Continuing: The story about the complex nature of the box is a delay tactic which allows time for the planned laundering of the ransom money to be completed. Condon did not want the original box to be discovered as his invented story would be proven false and the reason for the fabricated might be discovered.
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Post by aaron on Nov 2, 2021 22:32:01 GMT -5
Concluding: It's possible that Fisch still did not have enough money to launder the last $20,000 added to the kidnapping amount. The kidnappers could not wait any longer, so the transaction was completed and the $50,000 laundered immediately--within a few hours. Hauptmann paid his rent and had the utilities turned back on a day later.
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Post by Michael on Nov 3, 2021 8:58:17 GMT -5
I snapped a picture of the reproduction while I was at the Archives. As of now, it is included withing the display there. imgur.com/OfxAOzP
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Post by bernardt on Feb 11, 2022 16:38:32 GMT -5
The pattern of the ransom money recovered and identified may give us some details re: the personality of the kidnapper or launderer. A number of times on the Board someone has suggested that Isidor Fisch laundered the ransom money. Henry Uhlig mentioned this in his interview posted not long ago, but it was a belief, not something he knew for certainty. It's not likely that the person owning the package would spend the money in his own neighborhood; he would be too well known, and he would not want the money to be traced to him. He would spend the money away from his usual haunts, seek larger stores or crowded places to avoid being identified. Further, Isidor had a front man, someone named "Fritz" who would ask for a cut, so the money spent might not be from a single hand. While the ransom money was identified at banks, the bills may have changed hands, perhaps several time, making this exercise less than certain but the search could help in developing some kind of profile. The information shared here is from the FBI Files, so the facts can be checked easily. Not a large number of bills were identified, given the total amount paid the kidnappers, but the list is interesting, however short. We will deal here with the bills recorded in 1932.
The early bills form clusters in Manhattan for the most part, both upper and lower. The first appears on Monday, April 4 or April 5 of 1932, just two or three days following the kidnapping. The address of Kohl's boarding house is located in upper Manhattan, by the way, Isidor's residence a few weeks following the discovery of the chid's body. The source of the bills could not always be located, but several were presented at restaurants (Bickford's Restaurant on 42nd St.on May 19, Child's Restaurant twice, and the Palace Care located at 151 West 46th St. Utility bills were paid, the Consolidated Gas Co. located in lower Manhattan, and the electric company. One was traced from the Sinclair Company in Brooklyn. Several purchases were made from clothing stores. One appeared in the receipts of a property management corporation (West End Avenue Corporation). In addition, bills were identified in the Bronx, one as early as June 10 and another on Oct. 6 of 1932. The Bronx recipients claimed that they received the bills as part of their salary. Two bills were passed at Cigar Stores. Two were pased to purchase tickets at burlesque shows. A few bills turned up time\\out of the city, one in Tarrytown and another in Mt. Vernon (Westchester County). One purchase was made for gasoline. Nothing remarkable here gives us insight. These are all quite typical purchases, made with small bills one at a time. The man passing the bills was clever enough to escape detection through his purchases and the environment in which he spent them. One description is worth noting: The bill that was passed at Bickford's Restaurant on May 19, 1932, at 3 AM was given by a man who was "possibly Irish, Italian, or American, 30 years of age, 5'8" tall, weighing about 150 lib., dark brown hair and eyes, flabby face, dark complexion, and shabby clothes." I will post more on the passage of the ransom money in 1933 and will take a break for now.
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