kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Feb 11, 2006 9:14:00 GMT -5
This is a subject thay may seem trivial but sometimes the small things have great implications. I have never understood the point of closing the Nursery shutters that night. No other shutters, to my knowlege, in that house were ever closed. In fact locals often commented on the fact that one could look right into the house because of the lack of shades. Yet all the windows did have operable shutters. Why then are they only employed in the Nursery? Bear in mind here several things; The Nursery shutters are louvered not solid panels so they provide no insulating quality. The baby has a cold, yet closing these shutters requires opening the windows all the way, undoging the shutters, closing and locking them, and then closing the windows. Yet it was known that one of these shutters was warped and impossible to bolt ( latch) fully. So why bother on this cold ,windy, and wet night to do this? Think about it this is more of a proceedure than simply rolling a shade down. Was this a purely innocent action , the only thing the closed shutters would provide some shade from the daylight, or was it a security response to a impending threat? Why if protection from the enviroment was a concern would the windows not be latched as this is how they seal against wind infiltration? Also, I don't think the morning light would be a concern in terms of waking up the baby as the exposure to the nursey is shielded.
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Post by dryan on Feb 11, 2006 10:05:17 GMT -5
I tried to enter a post a moment ago, but something went wrong. If this is a repeat, forgive me. Kevin has hit upon one of those troubling details. Betty and Anne are particularly insistent in their statements about the attempt to close and lock the shutters. One could wonder if this is a post-facto attempt to say that they did all they could. Betty was particularly sensitive to her near environment, and what was expected of her. She lets down her servant's mask only in her talks with Rosner and Thayer, where, she contends that the child would cry when anyone even Mrs. Lindbergh came near.
We need to examine that relationship.
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Post by kanneedwards on Feb 11, 2006 11:28:13 GMT -5
i think betty's relationship with the baby is open to speculation. She was left alone with the baby for a month the summer before and used her own salary to buy him clothing, and she is the one who stitched the shirt for him that night. Ive thought how convinent that that shirt was needed to id the body. She was absolutely not allowed to be questioned by police. I feel she would have assumed that if someone took the baby for a few weeks that no one would be hurt or mind so why not? I think she could have been persuaded to help.
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kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Feb 11, 2006 11:43:25 GMT -5
It may be one of those things, like many in this case, that one can read too much into. I have always assumed that almost everything done at Highfields was at CAL's direction and that while there were exceptions usually this proved to be the case. So my thinking regarding the shutters is that the two women would not have bothered with the task of closing them unless this was dictated by CAL. But why? The only things that these shutters provide in the closed and bolted position is protection from sunlight , some degree of privacy, and added security from external entry. They did not insulate the room from the cold and wind and were only marginally effective against the rain. This has always made me suspect that the possible threat of the baby's kidnapping might have been known to CAL.
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Post by dryan on Feb 11, 2006 11:59:02 GMT -5
But if that were so, why let the unfixed shutters go on for the length of time it was known?
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kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Feb 11, 2006 13:19:53 GMT -5
That is a good question. Like all questions involving this case there might be several answers. For one it was a new house and they were not yet living there full time , so it may have been one of those things on the list to do. Another possibility is that it may not have seemed important to anyone other than CAL and so was not put high on that list. It seems to me that the whole episode of closing the shutters was somewhat akin to going through the motions. I mean why even bother closing a shutter you can't latch?
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kathy for the board
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Post by kathy for the board on Feb 11, 2006 14:45:45 GMT -5
The builder stated that the shutter was not warped. If it was warped how could it have been fastened to the house? If that shutter were the only access to the room it would have further pointed to the window as entry to the house along with a ladder that the police didn't believe was used to enter. Between the ladder, the note and the window there might as well have been a big red arrow pointing to this as kidnapper central. I'm beginning to think the brother did it!
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kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Feb 11, 2006 15:06:31 GMT -5
Kathy, I believe the shutter was warped as I have a photo in which this appears to be the case. Normally a slight warp would not be an issue with a shutter but because of the use of a throw bolt a small misalignment due to warpage or improper mounting would make it difficult or impossible to fully latch the shutter. There is enough play in the pintle hinges to still allow it to open and close.
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Post by Michael on Feb 11, 2006 18:23:26 GMT -5
Dr. Gardner's book reveals for the first time that Watson calls the Police immediately to refute reports that shutter was warped. I've researched this to the best of my ability and found the report Lloyd referenced. However, any and all follow-ups never mention this again. Even when Watson is interviewed personally - nothing mentioned. I still can't figure out the purpose of removing that shutter from the house. And, as we read in Dr. Gardner's book, dropping it probably defeated the purpose for why it was removed in the first place.
I think Kevin is on to something here. All shutters are open except the Nursery. There are just too many mysteries. Think about it.
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Post by elyssa on Feb 12, 2006 22:23:33 GMT -5
maybe closing the shutters was to signal someone on the outside that the child was down for the night and all alone.
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Post by gary on Feb 12, 2006 23:28:04 GMT -5
This was discussed several months ago. I will add what I mentioned before. In Ovid Demaris's book a discussion is noted by Anne and Charles while they were eating dinner that night. Charles mentions he should ask Ollie to close all the shutters in response to Anne saying "Listen to that wind." Obviously I suppose this request never got to Ollie.
I really don't take much of a shock if the nusery shutter is the only one closed. Nobody had retired yet for the evening and the the baby was supposed to be at sleep. A closed shutter would be a bad plan to suggest all is okay for the kidnapper. It seems several people would or could have an opportunity to close or open it .
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kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Feb 13, 2006 7:27:38 GMT -5
"In Ovid Demaris's book a discussion is noted by Anne and Charles while they were eating dinner that night. Charles mentions he should ask Ollie to close all the shutters in response to Anne saying "Listen to that wind." Obviously I suppose this request never got to Ollie. " Even supposing that this is an accurate recounting, and to be honest there seems to be an awful lot of recounting regarding that night that is inconstant, it still doesn't explain the Nursery. I have heard the " wind " explanation before and it rings hollow. What protection from the wind do louvered shutters provide? Would you, on a windy cold winter night, open all the windows so as to close the shutters when you have a sick baby? Closing these louvered shutters, one pair of which is known to be warped, is tantamount to putting your screens in place. Another thing here, if the concern was wind protection, why were the windows not locked? You have 2 sets of double-hung windows and 1 French window in that nursery. These windows although new did not have the weatherstripping of todays windows. In order to make them as "tight" as possible against air infiltration and to keep them from rattling from the wind the sash locks must be engaged fully on the double hung windows and the head and foot bolts engaged on the French unit. Was this done? So , in other words Anne and Betty determined that the child needed protection from the wind that night and therefore decided without consulting CAL to open all the windows then close the louvered shutters knowing one of the 3 pairs would not close fully. They then closed the windows but neglected to lock them. This sounds a lot more like two woman going thru the paces rather than an action due to real concern over wind and cold.
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Post by kanneedwards on Feb 13, 2006 7:59:57 GMT -5
After the baby was put to bed the french window was left opened. no need really to have the shutters closed. I think it would have made an excellent signal.
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kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Feb 13, 2006 11:27:44 GMT -5
Another thing involving the shutter episode that comes to my mind is how Anne actually felt strange disturbing the baby betwween 8pm and 10pm that weekend as this was against CAL's instructions. I bring this up only as an example of the control CAL exerted over all the actions in the house.
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Joe
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Post by Joe on Feb 15, 2006 8:01:46 GMT -5
I wonder if the closing of the nursery shutters on the evening of March 1 had something to do with the fact Betty had just arrived at Hopewell that day. It would be interesting to know if Anne herself had locked or tried to lock the nursery shutters on the previous nights of February 27 - 29. Perhaps this was at Betty's insistence, the perception being it afforded some kind of vaguely relevant protection.
The irony here of course would then be the fact that in light of one set of shutters which could not be locked, neither woman was now able to clearly recognize the potential danger presented by the routine practice of leaving the second story windows unlocked.
I don't believe any of Betty or Anne's actions in the nursery were designed towards a cleaner and quicker access for the kidnappers. But I don't rule out that knowledge of the practice of leaving these windows unlocked had been leaked intentionally or unintentionally to those involved.
Joe
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kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Feb 15, 2006 9:11:12 GMT -5
I don't know Joe, it would have been nice if the police had documented the shutter situation at the entry window so we would know what exactly " fixed as best I could" meant. That combined with some idea of what light, if any, was eminating from the room that night might give us some idea as to whether one could ascertain if the shutters there were unlatched by observing from the ground. Still of all the obstacles faced by the kidnapper that night the shutters would be the least of his concerns. But if he could see that this pair were ajar it might have made the decision of which window to enter thru that much easier.
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kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Mar 15, 2006 19:32:36 GMT -5
Why were the nursery shutters removed at some point after the kidnapping and where did they end up?
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Post by Michael on Mar 16, 2006 5:51:01 GMT -5
The first time I ever saw reference to them being removed was in Dr. Gardner's book. The next time was reading Rosner's manuscript (which is Dr. Gardner's source). I have never seen any other reference to this event anywhere else.
Unfortunately, if what Rosner said was true, they were probably ruined. If they were taken anywhere it would have been the Training School. So far Mark hasn't come across them, and I think he probably would have by now, so they are probably lost.
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kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Mar 16, 2006 6:47:25 GMT -5
So you feel it was a police action? Is there a date given? I would think that some sort of receipt would have been given to the Lindbergh estate for the removal of these shutters.
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Post by Michael on Mar 18, 2006 16:05:15 GMT -5
Rosner Manuscript p 30:I looked up at the baby's nursery window, and I saw Colonel Schwarzkopf's body halfway out f the window, looking up towards the roof of the house, and gazing at the walls around the shutters. A few minutes later he started to remove the shutters, and after dropping one of them in the mud a kindly trooper decided to help him out, picked up the shutter for him and asked Col. Schwarzkopf what to do with it, and the Colonel instructed him to rush it to lieutenant Kelly to be fingerprinted. Of course, this being several days after the kidnapping, and with the shutter covered with red clay, it was an ideal time to fingerprint it.
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kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Mar 18, 2006 17:00:36 GMT -5
Well, if you believe that account is trustworthy then the next question is what happened to them after that? I also wonder how closely that wall behind the shutter was examined.
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Post by Malory on Mar 20, 2006 12:24:17 GMT -5
The Shutters were solid wood. Not louvered. It is possible that now Highfields has more modern louvered shutters. But they were definitely solid wood that night. If you think about how old windows worked the shutters provided a little extra warmth by covering the glass. They didn't have storm windows, they used shutters instead. If I am wrong, please let me know. Send me a link.
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kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Mar 20, 2006 14:11:47 GMT -5
Mallory, the first floor windows had paneled ( solid) shutters, the second floor nursery had louvered shutters. Your point about the use of shutters with non- insulated glass is what makes the closing of these shutters seem nonsensical. www.imagecabin.com/?view=686910E8l0J7BSJ7pbVG4S
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Post by Michael on Mar 22, 2006 5:56:19 GMT -5
I do believe it is a trustworthy account and I am not sure where they went after that. You would think to the Training School but Mark hasn't found them yet so if they exist they're probably in an unmarked crate in their warehouse or barracks basement.
Malory's post and your reply has got me thinking.....
Any older houses that I see, and there are many in the Lambertville/New Hope area, have all of the same type of shutters on both top and bottom. Why were the bottom floors solid and the top floors louvered at Highfields? Was this standard, and did it have anything to do with security for the lower floors and ventilation for the top?
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kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Mar 22, 2006 8:13:35 GMT -5
Yes the solid panelled louvers for security and the louvered shutters for privacy and ventilation. There may have been the consideration of long periods of abscence involved in this selection. I still don't see the whole shutter closing episode as making much sense.
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Post by Malory on Mar 22, 2006 13:03:15 GMT -5
Thanks for clearing that up for me! I still think back then you just shut the shutters before you went to bed. that way if you wanted you could leave your window cracked to get air, but not a draft. why would you pin down covers on a baby? I think they just did things differently then. There are way more clues then the shutters. I am afraid the shutters are just a red herring. Warped or not you could easily un latch them with a thin tool.
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kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Mar 22, 2006 16:25:02 GMT -5
Mallory the slide bolts on those shutters are actually quite robust so it would take a bit of effort to unlock them. In addition they are rabbeted so one has a lip falling over the other. A 3/4" chisel might work but it wouldn't be the tool of choice. That is one of the reasons Hauptmann's missing tools intrigues me.
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Post by elyssa on Mar 22, 2006 19:08:02 GMT -5
If you're suggesting Hauptmann brought a 3/4 chisel along to open the shutter, this would be the same as saying he knew the house well enough to know the shutter was warped. Right?
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kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Mar 22, 2006 19:41:32 GMT -5
"If you're suggesting Hauptmann brought a 3/4 chisel along to open the shutter, this would be the same as saying he knew the house well enough to know the shutter was warped. Right?"
Not at all Elyssa. A 3/4" chisel is the most commonly used chisel but it is not necessarily the ideal tool for breaking into a house via a double hung window and bolted shutters, especially if you have to be quick and you are atop a shaky ladder. The tool of choice would be a flat bar. An important aspect of the warped shutter is that while it may be difficult to bolt closed one day, the very same shutter might be lockable the next. That would be a variable determined by the extent of warpage, the humidity, and the particular wood in question. Thus, no one could count on that shutter definitely being unlockable. Perhaps if more force were used that night in pulling them closed it may have been possible to lock them. A kidnapper would have to be prepared for both locked shutters and windows.
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kevkon
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Post by kevkon on Aug 10, 2006 6:03:39 GMT -5
A thought occurred to me the other night after reading over some the posts on the ladder and Nursery window entry. I know that the "warped" shutter has always been a somewhat curious circumstance. You know blind luck or "inside" help are usually the two immediate responses. But what if that shutter wasn't actually warped? What if that shutter or its' pintle hinges were previously damaged? Here is what I am getting at. I am starting to believe that the ladder was specifically designed so as to fit into the field of the normally open shutter. These shutters , because of the recess created by the thick stone walls, have longer than usual hinge arms. These allow the shutters to open and close fully. Now I happen to believe that the kidnappers had visited Highfields prior for recon purposes. What if they also had tried an entry? Is it not possible that a previous, though unsuccessful attempt was made? If we at least allow for that possibility, then the ladder placement with all 3 sections, against the open shutter may very well have caused one of the long pintle hinges to bend slightly. If this occurs the result can be that the shutters will not properly align with each other when in the closed position. That robust slide latch would then not align with its' receiver and the shutters will not be able to be locked.
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