The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case Trivia Quiz

Answer: 20 months

Anne Morrow Lindbergh was already pregnant with her second child at the time of her first born's kidnapping. The second child was born in August of the same year.

Answer: Jafsie

Dr. John F. Condon, a retired schoolteacher living in the Bronx, wrote an article in the Bronx Home News in which he volunteered to act as the intermediary between the kidnapper and the Lindberghs, whom, incidentally, he had never met. Shocked to hear from the kidnapper a few days later, Condon immediately called the Lindberghs and, in the middle of the night, drove to their home two hours away. Condon (who was not really a Doctor of anything) concocted the name "Jafsie" from his initials-JFC.

Answer: Commander of the New Jersey State Police

Schwarzkopf was the first superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. In the 40's, after being forced out of the NJSP by political rivals, he became something of a radio star as the voice of "Gangbusters."

Answer: Latent fingerprints on the windowsill of the child's room

There were no fingerprints found at the crime scene, which was badly compromised in the early hours of the investigation. Many students of the case--at least those who believe Hauptmann was framed--still doubt the authenticity of the handwriting and ladder evidence. Police found approximately $14,000 of the $50,000 ransom carefully hidden in Hauptmann's garage.

Answer: Hopewell

A small town not far from Princeton University. Actually, The Lindberghs lived just outside of Hopewell in a remote area known as the Sourland Mountains. The Lindberghs were obsessive about their privacy; ironically, their isolation may have made them a more inviting target for the kidnappers.

Incidentally, Flemington is where the trial was held, Mount Rose is where the child's body was discovered, and Englewood was the home town of Anne Morrow Lindbergh. They are all in New Jersey.

Answer: Betty Gow

After the crime, Betty Gow returned to her native Scotland. The last known individual to see the child alive, Betty was haunted by the crime for the rest of her life. She never married, never had children of her own, and never again worked with children in any capacity.

Answer: Violet Sharp

Evasive and arrogant in her first interview with police, Violet became a suspect. Questioned four times by the authorities, Violet, a spirited, 27-year-old British subject, drank poison when she was told that the police wanted to interview her yet again. No reliable evidence has ever been produced to indicate that Violet was involved in the crime. NOTE: In some sources, you will see Violet's last name spelled "Sharpe". "Sharp" is the correct spelling.

Answer: Harold G. Hoffman

Some say that Hoffman was genuinely convinced that Hauptmann was innocent and others disagree. Whatever, his attempts to re-open the case resulted in the loss of his political career. He only served one term as governor and never ran for office again.

Answer: Murder on the Orient Express

"Murder on the Orient Express" opens with the kidnapping of a small girl from her upscale home. Her name is Daisy Armstrong and, aside from the gender switch, her fictional kidnapping is strikingly similar to the real Lindbergh case. The girl's father, Colonel Armstrong, is also an aviator.

Answer: Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx

Condon met twice with the alleged kidnapper, in both occasions in cemeteries in the Bronx. St. Raymond's Cemetery was the site of the second meeting at which the ransom was paid.