Customer Reviews

Murder of Justice: New Jersey's Greatest Shame

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There is no doubt that Mr. Jones thoroughly believed everything he wrote. He was a convinced believer in Hauptmann's innocence.

However, there are three substantial problems with this book. First, it is a tedious read at best. The writer rambles incessantly and one cannot read this book for more than fifteen to twenty minutes at a time without taking a break or screaming. The book is about 150 pages too long.

Second, there are enormous factual errors and inaccuracies throughout the book. Mr. Jones was clearly researching and writing with the express goal of finding Hauptmann innocent. Consequently, there is no objectivity.

Finally, Mr. Jones has printed numerous rumors and tabloid tales from the 1930's and cited them as fact. The equivolent would be for a writer seventy years from now to claim that aliens visited the Earth during the 1990's based upon citations to the World Weekly News and other supermarket tabloids.

Jones documents more information in his book than any other thus far. While he presents his conclusions about who was responsible for the kidnapping, he leaves many avenues for other verdicts that may eventually come along. While the book is difficult to put down, there are times when the author presents needless details. On several occasions, he leads us through several pages that eventually go nowhere when a brief paragraph would have been sufficient. I have read dozens of books on the Lindbergh kidnapping case but this is the most complete so far. The book will make the reader very cautious concerning police and prosecuting practices in capital cases.

When I first met Wayne Jones, I had no opinion as to Hauptmann's innocence of guilt. Mr. Jones informed me that when I finished his book, I would be convinced of Hauptmann's innocence. He was right! This book is packed with inconsistencies and lies told by the state of New Jersey in their effort to end the embarrassment caused by the handling of the Lindbergh kidnapping investigation headed by H. Norman Schwarzkopf. Citizens of New Jersey should demand that the state re-hear this case based on the new evidence available today. The state of New Jersey took this Man's life, the least they can do is restore his honor.

Weighing in at over 6 lbs and 1168 pages, including list of sources and index, this book is not well written but it is well that it was written at all.

If I have a real complaint about this book it is that it is typeset in Courier which compounds the reader's problems in keeping focused on the text.

A must for the Linburgh kidnapping completist.

Thanks to Wayne, my grandfather's story can be read by people who will finally believe what he believed to be the truth about the kidnapping of the Lindberg baby. I can feel the peace in his soul. I hope that you will enjoy the book as much as I did. I've heard the story for years, but reading it in Wayne's words makes the story even more appealing and spine-tingling.

Sad to report that Mr. Wayne Jones passed away on Saturday, July 4, 1998. Although at times this book is tedious reading and, when needed, repetitious, it is a book that must be read if one is interested in the true story of the Lindburg kidnapping.

While the author is redundant through-out the book, he has certainly brought to the public the oppor- tunity to look into the case of another "trial of the century". In taking the position that Richard Hauptman was wrongfully exicuted, Mr. Jones does show much evidence to demonstrate his claim, and I have been moved into the same opinion. The book is over 1200 pages, and at times tedious, but I found it to be well worth the time spent. Mr. Jones is into his eighties,and I think he should be commended for the accomplishment of his life's goal.