Trendley doesn't find any identification value in the "x's" found in the ransom notes and also found in Hauptmann's automobile documents. They are also found in Hauptmann's address book where he writes "box" and "Alexander".

Trendley tells the jury the "x's" are typical of German people and that they are German in nature. He certainly put the kibosh on the idea that an American was writing the ransom notes and trying to sound like a German. Thanks John.

So Trendley deems the "x's" Teutonic. Where can we find Teutonic writers. Right here:

Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Germany
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
Iceland
Ireland
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Switzerland

At the present day we are talking about over 500 million Teutonic writers. Going back to 1932 we are still talking about millions and millions of writers that write an "x" just like Hauptmann, according to Trendley. This is preposterous to a reasonable thinking human being.

The "x's" are not English examples. You can look at the Zaner-Bloser and Palmer handwriting alphabets (two of the largest handwriting systems at the time) and see they are not. We can toss in the Spencerian alphabet for good measure and see the "x's" did not come from there either.

The "x's" are not German examples. You can look at the Kurrentschrift and Sutterlin alphabets and see they are not.

They are not from Latin script or Roman script alphabets when the "x's" are compared to them.

They are not Yiddish examples. This is very obvious but I thought I would mention it since someone once said they thought the Lindbergh ransom notes had a Yiddish influence in them. Based on what? We are never told about such things. I guess it is none of our business.

The "x's" are personalized, individualized letter forms that have evidential weight. Hauptmann either learned to write the "x" incorrectly when he was learning to write in Germany and wasn't corrected about it by his penmanship teacher, or he developed the letter form on his own once he put his handwriting into everyday use as an adult. A writer is not a slave to the copybook, alphabet, or handwriting system they were first taught as a student. They do not slavishly replicate letter forms exactly even when they are a handwriting student. We write the way we write because that is the way we like to write. Whatever is most comfortable and efficient to them is the way a writer will write.

Trendley's and Reilly's intention was to befog the jurors minds. It didn't work. Well, at least not the jurors.