Local Minister Certain Bruno Engineered Jewel Swindle Here
"Prince" Borrowed Money on "Royal Jewelry" in 1926

Is Bruno Richard Hauptmann, the stoical German on trial in New Jersey for the murder of the Lindbergh baby, the man who nearly nine years ago engineered the notorious Hohenzollern jewel swindle in the Northwest?
Several victims of the swindler, who obtained thousands of dollars in the Dakotas and Minnesota in 1926 have identified, the Dispatch was told today, newspaper photographs of Hauptmann as the man who posed as a German prince and "borrowed" money on the "royal" jewels of the house of Hohenzollern.
Among those who are "convinced" that Hauptmann is the man who collected on imitation gems is Rev. H.J. Schaar, pastor of Christ Evangelical Lutheran church in Morristown, S.D., where the fake prince swindled wealthy citizens to the extent of $12,500. Rev. Mr. Schaar, once a student in Concordia college in Saint Paul, befriended the "prince" on his arrival in Morristown.
The Morristown clergyman also disclosed that the swindler spoke of a "Henry Uhlig" in his operation in the northwest. In that a man by the same name has been mentioned several times by Hauptmann since his apprehension in connection with the Lindbergh kidnapping, victims of the jewel hoax are doubly "convinced" said Rev. Mr. Schaar, that the man on trial in New Jersey is the swindler.
The usage in 1926 of the identical name of his present associate Henry Uhlig, seems more than a coincidence, said the clergyman.
Considerable correspondence between the fake "prince" and his victims is in the possession of Rev. Mr. Schaar. However, all is in printing.
No specimen of the swindler's handwriting has been found.
The swindler's height, weight, age, posture, nationality, eyes and hair correspond in every detail to those of Hauptmann, said Rev. Mr. Schaar. The most striking similarity is in the ears. Hauptmann has very large ears. So did the "prince".
Press reports from the trial said that Hauptmann's demeanor was that of reticence, evasiveness and shrewdness. The clever extortioner who visited Morristown was just that sort of man.
It was in March when the man who mulcted residents of Morristown arrived there, recalled the clergyman. "He walked into a barber shop, nonchalantly sat in a chair and asked for a shave," said Rev. Mr. Schaar. "He was reticent about speaking with the barber, but later siad he was in search of a man who once had worked for him in Germany."
After asking questions concerning wealthy residents of the community, the visitor appeared at Rev. Mr. Schaar's home where he was asked to remain for dinner.
"While eating," continued Rev. Schaar, "he suddenly disclosed that he was armed and identified himself as Prince Christian of Germany. Laying a revolver on the table he whispered hoarsely in German; "In the name of God betray me not!" He then proceeded to tell his story: "I and my two officers, one Henry Uhlig, have entered the Untied States aboard the steamer George Washington under a false visa. (Hauptmann has admitted he entered this country illegally in 1923), because we were under penalty of death in Germany. While still along the French coast the ship captain discovered our passports were falsified and threatened to land us. We bribed him. We had lots of money currency and gave him $100,000 to let us off in America.
"Arriving at Ellis Island the American officers grabbed us, but after much persuasion permitted us to attempt to raise the bail money from a man who lived near Morristown S.D. We need $12,570. We have in our possession more than $1,200,000 worth of royal jewels, which we are oath bound to transfer safely to Peru for safe keeping for the house of Hohenzollern. If we can locate Mr. M. ( a name given by the German visitor) he can help us. He has money."
Rev. Mr. Schaar agreed to help the "prince," but they were unable to locate a Mr. M. Subsequently, said the clergyman the "prince" sought the aid of four Morristown residents. Their names were not disclosed. The four met with Rev. Mr. Schaar and the visitor on a Saturday night. He spoke two hours, said the pastor and very convincingly. He professed to be a great Christian. At the end of his talk he reluctantly agreed to leave a portion of the jewels. He replied: " I can't do that. A jeweler would recognize them and I would be caught I can prove their metal." He then took from his pocket a large diamond ring and deftly cut the top of a sauce bottle." Rev. Mr. Schaar continued that the "loan" was agreed to and that the "prince" sealed in a small box a handful of "jewels" The box was wrapped and sealed with wax and the wax embossed with the imprint of the German's signet ring.
After threatening death to any one who broke the seal, he ordered the box to be buried in a basement, thanked his patrons and hurried eastward by train.
"Before leaving Morristown," the pastor said, " the "prince" gave us a note with password, numbers and keys for positive identification and instructions for a $50,000 reward for the safe return of the jewels to his henchman, who would appear on the thirtieth day after the transaction."
Rev. Mr. Schaar said he accompanied the "prince" to the railroad station and saw him purchase a ticket to Chicago. Seven days after the swindler's departure five persons, including the victims and the clergyman, received postal cards from the "prince." The messages all were printed, and admonished the South Dakotans "not to betray the confidence and trust he had placed in us." The cards were mailed in envelopes from the Fox Street station in New York City.
Similar messages were received on the fourteenth day. On the thirtieth day no henchman appeared, and the befrienders of the "prince" hastily dug up the buried box. Inside were imitation jewels.
"About four weeks later," said Rev. Mr. Scharr, " I discovered that the same swindle, apparently by the same man, had netted the "prince" tidy sum in Milbank and Waubay S.D. and Napoleon N.D. and Marshal Minnesota.
The "prince" concluded the clergyman, possessed a "fine Physique." He told the pastor that he weighed about 185 pounds and be walked with a military step. "He was a mental genius and had hypnotic powers. His story was repeated again and again with remarkable accuracy. He spoke good English and often conversed in Swedish and Norwegian. He seemed to have an unlimited knowledge of American and European history which he claimed he obtained as a war spy. Sometimes he spoke hurriedly, but more often slowly and sternly, and occasionally with humor."
Taken from Morristown World February 7, 1935-Reprinted from the St. Paul Dispatch