Seldom is the hobby presented with such an unusual piece of Americana. Amid certainty that his role in the Lindbergh kidnapping would result in his execution, Bruno Richard Hauptmann nevertheless saw fit to cash this check. Drawn on the business account of Chicago attorney Mark D. Yellon, the instrument is dated January 15, 1936, just four days after New Jersey Governor Harold G. Hoffman was unsuccessful in his plea for clemency on behalf of Mr. Hauptmann. How curious, then, that the man officially credited with the death of the twenty-month-old Lindbergh child, a man slated to face the electric chair and with seemingly no hope of judicial vindication, would attempt to make use of these funds. Perhaps it was for the support of his wife, Anna Hauptmann, who famously fought to vindicate her husband well into her eighties. Whatever his reason, Hauptmann’s full-name, “Bruno Richard Hauptmann” endorsement graces the back of the piece. A historically significant find, this example of Hauptmann’s black fountain pen signature is among the most impressive of his pennings ever offered for public auction. Bank stamps and cancellations decorate the rare piece (none of which affect the signature. Measures to 8.25 x 3 dimensions, and displays fine condition overall. RRAuction COA.
