Courtroom Drama

Flemington’s dramatized re-enactment of the trial of Bruno Hauptmann, convicted murderer of the Lindbergh baby, attracts visitors across the country and even Norway. There is also a walking tour of the many historic buildings used during the trial.

By: Ilene Dube

Harry Kazman, writer, director and producer of The Trial of the Century, at the old typewriter in the original court room. Staff photo by Ilene Dube

   March, 1932: It is a damp, windy night, and a kidnapper climbs a homemade ladder to the second-floor nursery of a Hopewell home. Leaving no fingerprints, the kidnapper drops a ransom note and makes off with the 20-month-old son of aviator Charles Lindbergh, who had made history flying the first solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927.
   On a subsequent night, Lindbergh, who was married to millionaire heiress Anne Morrow, is accompanied to a cemetery in the Bronx with $50,000 in gold certificates. In exchange, the kidnapper gives them a note saying the child is on a boat off the Massachusetts coast. Two months later the tiny remains of Charles Jr. are found under leaves off Hopewell-Princeton Road.
   By following the trail of the numbered certificates, a German-born carpenter, Bruno Hauptmann, is accused of the kidnapping and murder. More than $14,000 of the ransom cash is discovered in his garage, and a board missing from his attic floor is identified as one in the homemade ladder.
   What followed was termed the "Trial of the Century," creating a worldwide sensation similar in scope to the murder trial of O.J. Simpson. H. L. Mencken called it "the greatest story since the Resurrection," as curiosity-seekers swarmed the borough of Flemington, where the trial took place.

The Union Hotel, across the street from the courthouse, where the jury was sequestered during the Lindbergh trial. Staff photo by Ilene Dube

   September 1990: Producer/director/writer Harry Kazman of Flemington creates a dramatized re-enactment of the Trial of the Century in the historic Hunterdon County courthouse where the original trial had taken place in 1935.
   As part of an effort by the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce to revitalize Flemington, the four-week production, in its 11th season, has become a magnet for visitors as far as Illinois, Florida, Texas, and even Norway, says Mr. Kazman, who taught theater at Hunterdon Central High School until June.
   Since retiring, Mr. Kazman has been spending 14-hour days on the production, and, looking back, can’t quite figure how he managed to do both.
   Mr. Kazman has written two other plays, both about murder trials. "Trials are very dramatic. They are life-and-death conflicts containing so much drama. They make great plays," says the 55-year-old producer.
   The company for the production has remained the same since the beginning. "They make a commitment to come back every year because it is an unusual experience for them," he says. "It’s special to be able to perform in the courtroom where the original trial took place."
   During the first five years of the re-enactment, the courthouse was in active use and the sound, lights and scenery had to be broken down after each production. Then, a new courthouse opened two blocks away. The historic courthouse is now used for ceremonies. The New Jersey Historic Trust and Board of Freeholders have undertaken the restoration of the century-old building; to date, the exterior is complete and the interior will be tackled next fall.
   For the Lindbergh trial re-enactment, the set is minimal. "We don’t want to overwhelm the natural room. We use lighting to re-establish the location of the witness box. Props include the ladder, the sleeping suit the baby was wearing when he was kidnapped and the original court typewriter. The costumes are of the time period, and the dialogue is the transcript from the trial. We try to make the audience feel like they are there in 1935," says Mr. Kazman. For a slightly higher ticket price, audience members can sit in the jurors’ box and play an active role.

History Comes Alive includes a guided walking tour of Flemington’s Victorian architecture, such as the house shown above. Staff photo by Ilene Dube

   As part of History Comes Alive month in Flemington, there is a guided tour of historic homes and buildings. "Flemington has always been known as a place to shop, but its history and downtown was ignored," Mr. Kazman says. "We are trying to bring people back downtown. Flemington combines great architecture with a growing cultural and entertainment scene."
   Mahlon Fisher, a world-renowned architect working in the Greek Revival style at the turn of the last century, lived in Flemington; the greatest concentration of his Greek Revival structures is in Flemington. The building that was his home today houses the Flemington Historical Society.
   The town is filled with Victorian homes, and Flemington Castle was built before the Revolutionary War by Samuel Fleming, an early settler for whom the town was named. It is not actually a castle but was so named because it was the largest building around. Owned and maintained by the Daughters of the American Revolution, it contains historic furniture, clothing, books and silver.
   The Union Hotel, across the street from the courthouse and where the jurors were sequestered during the Lindbergh trial, was built in 1772 and functions as a restaurant. The jail house where Bruno Hauptmann was kept during the trial can also be seen on the tour.
History Comes Alive and Lindbergh and Hauptmann: The Trial of the Century
continue weekends through Oct. 21. Performances: Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun.
2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 with a limited number of jury seats available at $35.
Walking tours are free but tickets required. A lecture and guided tour of the
courthouse and jail costs $8. For information, call (908) 782-2610. On the
Web: www.famoustrials.com