Evening star., 1947-02-26
Mrs. James Duranf
baIks al Question
In jewel Theft Trial
By w. H. Shippen, JE.

MIS-. JdIIlcS e. OuTdIlG u dIlS
Church, Va. stood on her con-
stitutional rights today at the
court-martial OF her brother
in-law, Col. Jack w. Durant, and
refused to answer a question re-
garding her husbands conversa-
ton with Army investigators.
Col. Durant is on trial in connec-
ton with the theft of the Hesse
jewels from Kronberg Castle in Ger
many. Mrs. Durant previously had
testified that she and her husband.
a Fails Church councilman, received
exactly five packages" from Col.
Durant before his return from Ger
many last March or April.
What was In them?" she was
asked.
"One box contained a mummy"
Mrs. Durant said. She indicated two
of the wooden boxes were about az
feet by IL feet by 2 feet in size.
When Mrs. Durant insisted she
had opened all five packages, Maj.
Joseph Robinson, chief prosecutor,
told the court he would attempt to
impeach his witness. and asked her
II she had signed certain state
ment to investigators. Mrs. Durant
identified the paper In question and
Maj. Robinson read an excerpt say
ing that Col. Durant had mailed a
package to his brothers home at
Falls Church which had been given
to him on his return to the United
States.
II am going to show Maj. Rob-
inson stated, that this is a hostile
witness and ask the court to SO de-
clare her"
At this point the court declared
a temporary recess.
Mrs. Durant had been vague as
to the exact contents of the five
boxes received from Col. Durant.
She often said Il don't recall' or
I'm not sure" when shown various
articles from the exhibit in evidence
The articles she identified in
cluded a silver beer stein or tankard.
two fashioned silver watches,
several antique books, a barometer
in q silver case and a hel-shaped
silver dish. Asked If she had ever
seen a ball of gold wire recovered
from the bushes near Falls Church
by Army investigators, Mrs. Durant
answered emphatically. mo"
Mrs. Durant's testimony that one
Of the boxes received from Col
Durant contained "a mummy"
puzzled court ofiicials. It was be-
ieved that this might have been
a broken idol or q Budda said to
have been received here No owner
in Germany was found for the
souvenir. it was said.
In answer to q direct question,
Mrs. Durant said she was not posi-
tive where the articles came from
She admitted having placed the beer
stein in a cabinet in her home.
Is it customary for you to place
on display at your home articles
whose origin you do not know
about?" the witness was asked by
Maj. Robinson.
The defense objected to this line
of questioning and Maj. Robinson
next asked Mrs. Durant If she could
remember conversations between her
husband and an Army investigator.
At this point the witness refused
to answer and said she stood on
her constitutional rights" The
courts then explained to Mrs. Du-
rant that while the Constitution
protected her from answering ques-
tions which might tend ito incrimi-
nate" her, it also imposed duties
and certain penalties on citizens
who refused to testify as to other
matters. The court read the fines
and prison sentences as part OF
statute providing for the giving OF
testimony.
Capt. Glenn Brumbaugh pro-
tested for the defense that the wit
ness might interpret this as a
threat or coercion" In response
to questions from the court, how
ever, Mrs. Durant said she under
stood her rights fairly we'll although,
Il am a little confused as I under
stood I was not obliged to testify
to something that might incrimin-
ate me or my family"
The Washington section Of the