Jim wrote:
>My problem with the theory is Al puts forth in
that
>novel is that it depends on too many people to
be
>participants in the conspiracy of silence,
including
>people Al himself credits with being persons of
high
>integrity who gave no evidence in other aspects
of
>their lives of being willing to keep quiet while
an
>innocent man was executed.
Not speaking to that case specifically, but given even recent
history in places like Illinois and Oklahoma, it doesn't
always seem to require a huge conspiracy for an innocent man
to be sentenced to die (or even merely be convicted) -- more
a combination of overzealous prosecution, incompetent
counsel, misleading (or dishonest) witnesses, vested
interests, ulterior motives, corner cutting, bad luck and
other tragic errors and occurrences.
Is that what happened in the Lindbergh case?
Who knows? But it sure seemed plausible at the time I read
it. And Collins isn't the one who raised the doubts about
Hauptmann's guilt. Those have been around for decades.
And yes, Jack's Shamus-nominated MUNCHIES is on TD in the
fiction section for those of you who'd like to read it for
free.
--
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