Post by Michael on Apr 23, 2006 13:03:19 GMT -5
Placed in our Archives by Admin For Mark
[Orignally created on 3-11-05]
Dear Allen, Ronelle and Michael.
Below is an attempt at setting forth the few known facts about the table and ransom note symbol. I was wondering if you guys would be kind enough to post this for me. I've been giving lectures here at work to several school groups and their questions are focusing a lot on the mysterious table. I was caught off guard by this sudden interest and it was explained that there's a lot of activity on the internet right now about it. I guess as they prepared for the trip they were reading your sites.
There is apparently a lot of misinformation about the table flying around the 'Net and I wanted to try to set the basic facts as they are known straight as best I can. The information below is based on what some of the students and teachers have asked me.
The 1948 Newspaper Articles:
To begin with, when questions are asked of me, there are references made to the 1948 newspaper articles that covered the story in 1948. What I tell people about them (and what I have said on camera to WKMG/TV6 and Court TV) is that the articles published in 1948 are so full of inaccuracies that they cannot be relied on for any information pertaining to the table. For example, one article states that the table was bought new in 1940; another has it in 1938. One states that the message was unsigned; it was "signed" by the N.S.D.A.P. An article states that the alleged confession was a "paper found in leg of table purchased 10 years ago". And yet another article states that the Superintendent of State Police in 1948 was Colonel Arthur Schoeffel. It was actually Charles Schoeffel; "Arthur" was the first name of then Captain Keaton. A simple mistake, yes, but a mistake and wrong information nonetheless.
Someone called and made reference to the writing on the board being purple or blue. I have no clue what the source of this incredibly inaccurate information is because anyone who has actually seen the board knows that the writing is gray. I double checked this myself today and even had a State Trooper verify this for me.
It is, to date, impossible to discern when the message was written on the board, whether it was in 1948 or earlier.
A couple of callers asked me about the "Hand of Hauptmann" influence on the confession because the book was published in the discoverer's neighborhood. Unfortunately this, too, is wrong. The Hamer Publishing Company was located in Plainfield, New Jersey, 4.5 miles away from South Plainfield where the table was actually discovered. Also, the book was published in 1937, and not 1948 as the caller had been led to believe. That is over a decade prior to the alleged discovery and there is no evidence known to the Museum staff that Haring was distributing his book there eleven years after its publication.
The Handwriting and Message:
The handwriting is not German handwriting. There are mistakes in the message that a native German speaker would not make. However, there is an aspect to the message that most likely only someone native to German culture would know to use - the song lyrics.
The message is divided into four parts:
The introduction, the confession, the ransom location and the signature.
The Introduction:
In Hamburg da bin ich gewesen in Samet und in Seide gekleidet
Meinen Namen den darf ich nicht nennen
Denn
In Hamburg I wore velvet and silk,
I am not allowed to tell you my name
because
The introduction is taken from an old German "sailor's song", a rather risque song. It was not known that this was actually a song until a German friend of mine recognized it.
The Confession
Ich war einer der Kidnapper des Lindberg babys
und nicht Bruno Richard Hauptmann
I was one of the kidnappers of the Lindbergh baby
and not Bruno Richard Hauptmann
The Ransom Location:
Der Rest des Lösesgeldes liegt in Summit New Jersey begraben
The rest of the ransom money lies buried in Summit New Jersey
The Signature:
N.S.D.A.P.
This is, obviously, the German initials of the Nazi Party.
The Table and Ransom Note Holes:
Regarding the holes in the table and in the ransom notes: The holes in the table are considered to be original to the table. All of the ransom notes with the symbol, when laid on top of the center three holes, line up perfectly. When laid on top of one another they line up perfectly as well.
A recent study (unpublished) was done of the ransom note holes and it has been determined that they were not all punched at the same time. Rather, groups of two or three (roughly) were most likely punched at once. This was actually determined back in 1932 by Russell Snook and has been known to scholars of the case for several years now.
Snook's report states the following:
"SYMBOL
Definite Points Established: None
Problematical.
1. Large Circles made Top of Cork Black Ink Bottle
(Probably Waterman's)
2. Small Circle Made with bottom of Cork of Red Ink Bottle
3. Holes not all made at same time.
4. Symbol indicates sense of balance, symetry [sic] and beauty.
Recommendation:
That further examination be made to determine how symbol was made."
Furthermore, in his more extensive report dated May 17, 1932, Lieutenant Snook writes:
"Examination was also made of the secret symbol on the ransom notes. After considerable experimentation both Dr. Souder and Mr. Davis stated it was their opinion that the large circles in the symbol were made by the top of a cork of a black ink bottle (probably a Waterman's) and the smaller red circle by the bottom of a cork of a red ink bottle. Mr. Davis duplicated the large circles with a cork from a Waterman's ink bottle. It was thought that the holes in the paper were made by some blunt instrument punched through the paper using something under the paper as a guage [sic], such as a hole in a belt a shoe or some other ordinary article which would least attract attention. It was found there is a variation in the holes in the notes which indicates that the papers were not all punched at the same time."
Police Reports about the table:
Lastly, there are no police reports that I am aware of in existence today concerning the table. The South Plainfield police had destroyed their records and a retired officer who was on duty in 1948 did not remember the table nor the alleged hoax. Additionally, there have been no State Police records found concerning the table.
Personally, I do not know if the message on the board is a hoax or not. I do believe it to be a very compelling mystery. While the table message was declared a hoax in 1948, it was declared so based (as far as we can tell) on the handwriting. It does not match anyone's from the case as far as we can determine. However, the holes were not examined (at least, we do not believe so - there are no police reports, remember). This is based on conversations with Troopers who told me that had the discovery that I made a couple years ago been made in 1948, it would not have been dismissed as quickly as it apparently was.
Therefore, my official stance is that I have no idea if it is a hoax; I have no idea what the whole thing means. But it is also my belief that it should not be dismissed outright, especially by people who are not in possession of accurate information. I should also point out that only a couple people have actually come to the Museum to do a thorough "examination" and research into this item, and from the printouts I have been given by the students, I see that they are not the ones posting information about the table. So, please be aware of this.
I hope this helps to clarify the confusion and speculation about the table. And I hope it spurs more research from all sides! I know from the number of people who ask me questions based upon what they've found on the internet that the websites are attracting a lot of people and are helping to keep this case alive. I regret that I no longer have the time to read the websites like I used to. As you know, it is very rare that I ask for anything to be posted but with the number of questions I've gotten over the past couple of days from students visiting the Museum, I thought I should set the record as straight as it can be set.
My regards to everyone on the websites. I hope to see more of you down here at the Museum!
Mark W. Falzini
Archivist
NJ State Police Museum
609-882-2000
[Orignally created on 3-11-05]
Dear Allen, Ronelle and Michael.
Below is an attempt at setting forth the few known facts about the table and ransom note symbol. I was wondering if you guys would be kind enough to post this for me. I've been giving lectures here at work to several school groups and their questions are focusing a lot on the mysterious table. I was caught off guard by this sudden interest and it was explained that there's a lot of activity on the internet right now about it. I guess as they prepared for the trip they were reading your sites.
There is apparently a lot of misinformation about the table flying around the 'Net and I wanted to try to set the basic facts as they are known straight as best I can. The information below is based on what some of the students and teachers have asked me.
The 1948 Newspaper Articles:
To begin with, when questions are asked of me, there are references made to the 1948 newspaper articles that covered the story in 1948. What I tell people about them (and what I have said on camera to WKMG/TV6 and Court TV) is that the articles published in 1948 are so full of inaccuracies that they cannot be relied on for any information pertaining to the table. For example, one article states that the table was bought new in 1940; another has it in 1938. One states that the message was unsigned; it was "signed" by the N.S.D.A.P. An article states that the alleged confession was a "paper found in leg of table purchased 10 years ago". And yet another article states that the Superintendent of State Police in 1948 was Colonel Arthur Schoeffel. It was actually Charles Schoeffel; "Arthur" was the first name of then Captain Keaton. A simple mistake, yes, but a mistake and wrong information nonetheless.
Someone called and made reference to the writing on the board being purple or blue. I have no clue what the source of this incredibly inaccurate information is because anyone who has actually seen the board knows that the writing is gray. I double checked this myself today and even had a State Trooper verify this for me.
It is, to date, impossible to discern when the message was written on the board, whether it was in 1948 or earlier.
A couple of callers asked me about the "Hand of Hauptmann" influence on the confession because the book was published in the discoverer's neighborhood. Unfortunately this, too, is wrong. The Hamer Publishing Company was located in Plainfield, New Jersey, 4.5 miles away from South Plainfield where the table was actually discovered. Also, the book was published in 1937, and not 1948 as the caller had been led to believe. That is over a decade prior to the alleged discovery and there is no evidence known to the Museum staff that Haring was distributing his book there eleven years after its publication.
The Handwriting and Message:
The handwriting is not German handwriting. There are mistakes in the message that a native German speaker would not make. However, there is an aspect to the message that most likely only someone native to German culture would know to use - the song lyrics.
The message is divided into four parts:
The introduction, the confession, the ransom location and the signature.
The Introduction:
In Hamburg da bin ich gewesen in Samet und in Seide gekleidet
Meinen Namen den darf ich nicht nennen
Denn
In Hamburg I wore velvet and silk,
I am not allowed to tell you my name
because
The introduction is taken from an old German "sailor's song", a rather risque song. It was not known that this was actually a song until a German friend of mine recognized it.
The Confession
Ich war einer der Kidnapper des Lindberg babys
und nicht Bruno Richard Hauptmann
I was one of the kidnappers of the Lindbergh baby
and not Bruno Richard Hauptmann
The Ransom Location:
Der Rest des Lösesgeldes liegt in Summit New Jersey begraben
The rest of the ransom money lies buried in Summit New Jersey
The Signature:
N.S.D.A.P.
This is, obviously, the German initials of the Nazi Party.
The Table and Ransom Note Holes:
Regarding the holes in the table and in the ransom notes: The holes in the table are considered to be original to the table. All of the ransom notes with the symbol, when laid on top of the center three holes, line up perfectly. When laid on top of one another they line up perfectly as well.
A recent study (unpublished) was done of the ransom note holes and it has been determined that they were not all punched at the same time. Rather, groups of two or three (roughly) were most likely punched at once. This was actually determined back in 1932 by Russell Snook and has been known to scholars of the case for several years now.
Snook's report states the following:
"SYMBOL
Definite Points Established: None
Problematical.
1. Large Circles made Top of Cork Black Ink Bottle
(Probably Waterman's)
2. Small Circle Made with bottom of Cork of Red Ink Bottle
3. Holes not all made at same time.
4. Symbol indicates sense of balance, symetry [sic] and beauty.
Recommendation:
That further examination be made to determine how symbol was made."
Furthermore, in his more extensive report dated May 17, 1932, Lieutenant Snook writes:
"Examination was also made of the secret symbol on the ransom notes. After considerable experimentation both Dr. Souder and Mr. Davis stated it was their opinion that the large circles in the symbol were made by the top of a cork of a black ink bottle (probably a Waterman's) and the smaller red circle by the bottom of a cork of a red ink bottle. Mr. Davis duplicated the large circles with a cork from a Waterman's ink bottle. It was thought that the holes in the paper were made by some blunt instrument punched through the paper using something under the paper as a guage [sic], such as a hole in a belt a shoe or some other ordinary article which would least attract attention. It was found there is a variation in the holes in the notes which indicates that the papers were not all punched at the same time."
Police Reports about the table:
Lastly, there are no police reports that I am aware of in existence today concerning the table. The South Plainfield police had destroyed their records and a retired officer who was on duty in 1948 did not remember the table nor the alleged hoax. Additionally, there have been no State Police records found concerning the table.
Personally, I do not know if the message on the board is a hoax or not. I do believe it to be a very compelling mystery. While the table message was declared a hoax in 1948, it was declared so based (as far as we can tell) on the handwriting. It does not match anyone's from the case as far as we can determine. However, the holes were not examined (at least, we do not believe so - there are no police reports, remember). This is based on conversations with Troopers who told me that had the discovery that I made a couple years ago been made in 1948, it would not have been dismissed as quickly as it apparently was.
Therefore, my official stance is that I have no idea if it is a hoax; I have no idea what the whole thing means. But it is also my belief that it should not be dismissed outright, especially by people who are not in possession of accurate information. I should also point out that only a couple people have actually come to the Museum to do a thorough "examination" and research into this item, and from the printouts I have been given by the students, I see that they are not the ones posting information about the table. So, please be aware of this.
I hope this helps to clarify the confusion and speculation about the table. And I hope it spurs more research from all sides! I know from the number of people who ask me questions based upon what they've found on the internet that the websites are attracting a lot of people and are helping to keep this case alive. I regret that I no longer have the time to read the websites like I used to. As you know, it is very rare that I ask for anything to be posted but with the number of questions I've gotten over the past couple of days from students visiting the Museum, I thought I should set the record as straight as it can be set.
My regards to everyone on the websites. I hope to see more of you down here at the Museum!
Mark W. Falzini
Archivist
NJ State Police Museum
609-882-2000