Evening star., 1942-07-23
Trial Of Saboteurs
To Resume Tomorrow
After Days Recess
Three Nozi Defendants
And Five Witnesses
Heard Yesterday
By JAMES E. CHINN.

By JAMES E. CHINN.
The seven generals composing the
special military commission trying
the eight Nazi saboteurs took day
off today as the fate of the enemy
agents continued to hang in the
balance.
The trial has lasted 13 days so far.
The only official reason given for the
one-day interruption was that
counsel wanted 1.-THE large staff
Of Army officers who are both de-
Tending and prosecuting the eight
would-be enemy wreckers of Amer
icas vital war industries.
Decision of the commission to
delay the historic trial for day
was disclosed in its latest commu-
nique Brief as 1t was, it also re-
vealed that three of the saboteurs
had taken the witness stand and
made pleas for their lives. The
five others on trial are scheduled to
follow them when the trial is re-
sumed tomorrow.
Haupt Testifies.
Though the official announcement
failed to name the three prisoners
who testified, it was reliably re-
ported they were Herbert Hans
Haupt, George John Dasch and
Edward John Kerling.
Haupt, %. the youngest in the
group, was the first of the prisoners
to go on the witness stand, and
spent day and half there reciting
the story of how he left his Chicago
home last year and went to Germany
for special training in Nazi es-
pionage school. to return to this
country in U-boat last month on
a mission of destruction.
Dasch was the leader of the quar-
tet of enemies that landed from a
submarine on Long Island and en-
deavored to ''bribe" coast guards
man who discovered him and his
three confederates to forget about
the incident.
Kerling was in charge of the four
others who slipped ashore from
submarine off the coast of Florida.
According to the FBI. he worked in
this country for several years, and
returned to Germany in 1910 land
once home, donned the uniform of
the Nazi party"
Witnesses Also Testify.
The latest commission communi-
que also announced that two wit
Observation-Disclosures appeared
before it for the defense.
Newspapermen, who have stalked
the fifth floor corridors of the JUS
tice Department Building since. the
trial started, saw two women come
out of the closely guarded trial
chambers during the afternoon ses-
sion of the trial commission.
One was Mrs. Gerda Melind, an
attractive 24-year- Chicago wild
ow, who had been engaged to marry
Haupt, but Tilted him when she
learned of his pro-Nazi sympathies.
The other was Mrs. Agnes Jordan,
also of Chicago, mother of an Amer
ican soldier who has been reported
missing since the japanese captured
Bataan. Her son, Larry, is reported
to have given Haupt sound thrash
ing in Chicago before he returned
to Germany because of his views
supporting Hitler.
Neither of the two women would
talk to newspapermen. Mrs. Jordan
was smiling as she came out of the
courtroom. But Mrs. Melind was
wiping tears away from her eyes,
and nervously putting on cigarette.
Asked to Identify Haupt.
Capt. William Hummel of the
defense staff, who escorted the two
women from the courtroom, when
asked whether they had testified,
replied:
Silence is golden"
1t is known, however. that when
Mrs. Mehnd took the witness stand
she was asked to identify Haupt.
Her former sweetheart arose from
his chair-he sits nearer to the
trial commission than any other of
the defendants-anda as he did she
pointed her finger in his direction
and dramatically said: That's him"
After Mrs. Melind and Mrs. Jor-
dan came from the court chambers
both were given railroad tickets to
return to Chicago. Mrs. Jordan
left on the 5:45 train. Mrs. Melind
returned to the hotel on Fifteenth
street where she had been stopping
since the Government called her to
Washington to testify. She is ex-
pected to leave today.
Previously Testified.
In the early stages of the trial
Mrs. Melind was called as witness
for the prosecution. Mrs Jordan
came to Washington voluntarily and
offered to testify for the Govern
ment.
AS result, a puzzling question
was asked but not answered by
either the commission or the Of
fee of War Information, which
issues the twice daily Official COM
muniques on the prograss of the
trial. 1t was:
IF these two women did testify,
why were they called by the de-
fense?"
The latest statement issued by the
commission after 1t adjourned late
yesterday said:
The commission reconvened at
las pm.
The commission heard two wit
nesses for the defense.
The second defendant also took
the stand in his own behalf. He
was examined by defense counsel
and cross-examined by the prose
cution.
Third Cross Examined.
"A third defendant also took the
stand in his own behalf, testified on
his direct examination and was
oss-eXamined
The commission adjourned al
SIS pm. until Friday morning al
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