Imperial Valley Press

MRS. MORROW DEFENDS GIRL WHO TOOK LIFE

ENGLEWOOD, N. J., June 11. (U.P.)—Pale, nervous Violet Sharpe, dining room girl in the Dwight Morrow home, was "innocent simply frightened to death," Mrs. Dwight Morrow told friends after the girl had killed herself by drinking poison.

She disagreed with the police version that the servant girl who failed to answer satisfactorily all their questions, had "guilty knowledge" of the kidnaping and murder of Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr., Mrs. Morrow's curly-haired, blue-eyed grandson.

"Violet was absolutely devoted to the baby. She wouldn't dream of allowing harm to come to him," a friend of the family said.

"She was always nervous and excitable. Only a month ago she went to the hospital for an operation on her tonsils, and she was still weakened from that," the family friend said.

And in contrast were the words of Detective Harry Walsh, investigating the kidnaping:

"Someone had to tip off the kidnappers, and we are assuming that Violet Sharpe was that party."

It was his questioning that brought conflicting stories, a little clue here, another there and finally the suicide of the girl and the arrest a few hours later of her escort the night of the crime.

"She was fresh at first," Walsh said after the suicide. "She said first she and her sister had gone on a date with Ernie that night. They went with another couple to a picture show, she said. Then she changed her story and said they had gone to a cabaret 30 miles the other way.

"She was plenty fresh until the baby was found. Then when we talked to her again she was shivering, a bundle of nerves. We went to work. We prowled in her room, found the little card of the 'Post Road Taxicab company,' and that led to Brinkert.

"We got other evidence. And then we sent word to the Morrow home that we were ready to talk to her again at Alpine.

"The next we heard, she was dead.

"And all we had to go on was a little taxicab business card. Maybe it will solve the mystery in the kidnaping and murder," Walsh said.