New Collection Released: Collection No. 140; Charles F. Snyder Papers

The HCHS Archives is pleased to announce the release of a very interesting collection: No. 140, the Charles F. Snyder Papers. This collection contains correspondence, news articles, and personal records concerning Charles F. Snyder. Charles Snyder, a farmer from Lebanon, NJ, was a member of the jury who decided the fate of Richard Bruno Hauptmann for the kidnapping of the son of aviator Charles Lindbergh.

The collection is composed of a series of correspondence and news clippings, presented in the order in which they were preserved by Mr. Snyder in a small scrapbook. In addition, there are a small number of personal records and ephemera of Mr. Snyder.

This material illustrated the degree of national attention the trial recieved. Letters from the scrapbook, autograph requests, and the death threats to Charles Snyder are from nationwide sources. According to some of the news articles in the collection, Mr. Snyder only retained a small amount of the total volume of correspondence he received after the trial. The collection also demonstrates the uncertainty in public opinion surrounding the outcome of the trial. The many letters show the diversity of emotions surrounding the trial, and the wide and varied opinions of those who took the time to write. This collection would be of interest to anyone who wishes to research the trail of Richard Bruno Hauptmann.

Special Thanks to archival volunteer Scott Preston for arranging and describing this collection.