This Was Doylestown, 1932

From the Doylestown Daily Intelligencer, Week of March 20-26, 1932

Letters claim Lindbergh baby in Bucks -

[Editor's note - On March 1, 1932, Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of renowned aviator Charles A. Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was kidnapped from the family home near Hopewell, N.J. (actually in East Amwell Township, Hunterdon County). Through an intermediary, the Lindberghs paid a $50,000 cash ransom on April 2, 1932. The boy's badly decomposed body was accidentally discovered on May 12, 1932 off a rural road about 4 miles from the Lindbergh estate. Bruno Richard Hauptmann, a Bronx carpenter who had $14,600 of the ransom money hidden in his garage, was arrested in September 1934. In the "Trial of the Century" held in Flemington, N.J., Hauptmann was convicted of first-degree murder in February 1935. He was executed on April 3, 1936.]

A majority of the letters received concerning the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby, according to William B. Mills, superintendent of the Philadelphia police, say the baby is hidden somewhere in Bucks county, and probably in the vicinity of Doylestown.

Bucks county has been searched very carefully. State troopers, the county detective and constables have gone over much ground, searched numerous houses and places of a public nature, without result.

Many of the letters are written by clairvoyants, seers, star readers, crystal gazers and others who profess ability to get "inside information" from the supernatural sources. Some have even gone as far as to describe the house in which they believe the baby is located.

More than 2,000 letters of this nature have been received since the kidnapping three weeks ago, but the police are still without any real faith in the letters.

Without reference to anything more than plain common sense, the police admit the possibility that the child could be hidden in Bucks county. The Lindbergh estate in Hopewell is not far from the borders of Bucks [about 12 miles], and Pennsylvania is readily accessible by bridges and highways leading into Bucks. In some sections, the county is quite wild and desolate, and combing the woods for a hiding place would be a well-nigh impossible job.

Doylestown to enhance streetlights -

Doylestown will have a much improved street lighting system, with the emphasis on the "great white way" through the business section of Main and State streets.

This was decided definitely Monday night when the contract with the Philadelphia Electric Company was signed at the monthly meeting of Borough Council. Work on the new lighting system will get under way in a very short time, Ral Adams, manager of customer service of the Philadelphia Electric Company, told council members.

It was explained that Doylestown will get twenty-seven extra lights at a cost of $1,620 annually, or $60 per light. All the lights in the town will be changed to more modern fixtures and globes for what the town will pay for the twenty-seven lights.

The present arc lights are to be replaced by the new-type light, which is considerably more powerful and of the same type that is now used by numerous suburban towns including Jenkintown, which has been pronounced the best-lighted town in this section of the state.

New postmaster feted at banquet -

Brunner's restaurant on Saturday evening was the scene of a very pleasant event when the local units of the postal clerks, the city delivery and rural carriers' organizations combined to pay tribute to Doylestown's newly appointed postmaster, Samuel E. Spare.

When the appointed hour arrived to gather round the festive board from which a full-course turkey dinner was served, it was found that every employee of the local post office was on hand to enjoy the evening and to pay their respects to their new postmaster.

Following the bounteous dinner, the party was entertained by tricks in magic and sleight of hand by Dr. Enlich, of Doylestown, and his assistant. The response by Postmaster Spare was filled with words of appreciation. It was felt by the entire force that the efforts put forth for this event had been worthwhile.

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Woman gives talk on presidents -

A lecture on "Presidents, Prime Ministers and Politics" was given by Mrs. Hope LeBar Roberts before seventy-five members of the Doylestown Current Events Class held at the Doylestown Country Club on Wednesday afternoon.

"'Blame the President' has gotten to be an American tradition. It is neither fair, just nor right, but ever since the man whose two-hundredth anniversary we now celebrate was our first President, they have been held responsible for all the woes that human flesh is heir to," Mrs. Roberts said.

According to the speaker, it is a weakness of the American people to expect each President to possess qualities of a superman.

"President Herbert Hoover has not proved to be an oracle of economic wisdom," she said, "but neither have any previous national executives. He has demonstrated more courage than many other Presidents."

According to Mrs. Roberts, President Hoover has always talked economy and high wages.

"We don't need leadership; we have it. What we need is confidence, faith, vision and determination," Mrs. Roberts continued.

Trolley tracks to be removed -

The Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company has reached an agreement with the borough concerning the removal of the trolley tracks on Main street, Councilman G. Thawley Hayman, chairman of the street committee, reported at the monthly meeting of Borough Council on Monday night.

Councilman Hayman reported that Solicitor Wesley Bunting is at the present time securing authorization from the old Easton trolley company for the P.R.T. to remove the tracks from Monument Square to the trolley waiting room on North Main street. Those tracks belong to the old Easton company and were never owned by the P.R.T., Mr. Bunting explained.

The P.R.T. has agreed to take up that short stretch of track when they remove their own tracks on North Main street from State street to Court street.. They will remove the Easton company tracks for little or nothing, Councilman Hayman reported.

It was suggested by the street committee, and agreed to by the P.R.T. officials, that the money the P.R.T. would spend in repairing the street should be applied to a fund that will be used to build a new concrete street.

State inspection licenses revoked -

Six garages and service stations in the territory under patrol by the members of the Doylestown sub-station of the State Highway Patrol, have had their licenses as official testing stations revoked by the State Highway Department, Corporal William Engle, in charge of the Doylestown sub-station, said Saturday.

Corporal Engle said that two of the garages are located in Doylestown.

At one place, the space necessary for testing automobiles is too small and did not meet the state requirements. In the other case, the officers found that the owner of the testing station was showing partiality to his friends and was issuing them inspection stickers without charge and in a number of cases without inspection.

"This should be a warning to all operators of inspection stations," Corporal Engle declared. "The inspectors are liable to pay a visit at any time to any garage in the state. The requirements are very strict but are simple. They can be carried out efficiently by the station owner who wants to be on the level."

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Doylestown Town Notes -

About 150 invitations have been issued by Miss Mary McKinstry, of Golf View road, and six of her classmates, for a "Depression dance" to be given at the Doylestown Country Club on Wednesday evening, March 30. Miss McKinstry and her aides all are students at the Springside School of Chestnut Hill.

Miss Beatrice Hand, of East street, who has been confined to her home the past week, shows no improvement.

J.H. Tranter, of West State street, has taken a position with the George W. Lehman meat market on East State street.

George B. Torbin, seventy, of Doylestown R.D.2, was admitted to the Emergency Hospital on Tuesday with a fractured left leg.

Albert Reese is building an enclosed porch at his home on West Ashland street.

Miss Oneida Phillips, of New York City, spent the week-end with Dr. and Mrs. Allen H. Moore, of East State street.

Mr. and Mrs. James Primrose, of Doylestown, announce the birth of a daughter at the Emergency Hospital on Sunday.

Twenty-two girls, members of the junior high school cooking class, on Wednesday afternoon visited the candy kitchen at the Palace of Sweets on East State street, where they were given an egg decorating demonstration. Included among the eggs demonstrated was a huge egg which will be donated to the Tabor Home.

Mr. and Mrs. A. Oscar Martin, of Shewell avenue, will spend the week-end in Atlantic City.

Mrs. Bancroft, a staff nurse at the Emergency Hospital, who underwent an operation in the Abington Hospital, returned home on Tuesday.

Several of the members of the Doylestown Public School faculty have been ill recently. Daily, an average of about seventy-five students have been out of school because of illness.

Miss Viola Winkler, of Decatur street, spent Thursday in Norristown.

Illustrations courtesy of Spruance Library/Bucks County Historical Society, Doylestown, Pa.