John Reznikoff Shows Rare Items Relating to the Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping & Murder Trial

Описание: In this 3:47 video clip, John Reznikoff shows you several unusual items from his personal collection relating to the Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping & Murder Trial, one of the most publicized trials of the early twentieth century, and “the biggest story since the Resurrection,” according to writer H.L. Mencken.

20-month-old Charles Lindbergh, Jr. had been kidnapped from his East Amwell, New Jersey home on March 1, 1932. No fewer than seven handwritten ransom notes were sent to the Lindbergh Family demanding $70,000 in payment for the baby’s safe return. The spelling, grammar, and handwriting of the notes were closely scrutinized by handwriting experts like J. Vreeland Haring.

Reznikoff owns several books and papers belonging to Haring, including the original evidence book from the January-February 1935 trial of primary suspect Bruno Richard Hauptmann. Haring used this evidence book containing photographs of known Hauptmann handwriting samples to explain his findings to the jury.

Varing’s testimony, combined with other damning evidence, was sufficient to convict Hauptmann of first degree murder, and he was executed by electric chair in April 1936. Varing’s role in the Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping & Murder Trial was explored in his "Hand of Hauptmann: The Handwriting Expert Tells the Story of the Lindbergh Case" (1937).

Reznikoff has never seen another evidence book like this one in over 40 years serving as an autograph authenticator and questioned documents examiner. To Reznikoff, his Varing collection demonstrates how very little has changed in the field of examining questioned documents over the last 100 years; it is still a laborious process requiring meticulous attention to detail. It has to be, when the stakes are so high.