Evening star., 1947-04-01
"A ...THE EVENING STAR washington, D. c.
=
Duranf Court-Mariial
Adjourns as2 Women.
Describe Questioning

The court mdTClal Oh IOi. JhCA
w. Durant was adjourned at noon
today until tomorrow to await ad-
ditionaI defense witnesses, after two
former WACs testified that the
colonel made futile requests for q
lawyer while being quizzed about
the Hesse jewel theft after his ar
rest in Chicago last June.
The second of two witnesses today
was Miss Betty Woods Of Oak Park,
ILL.,, who said Col. Durant told his
ouestioners he would not talk until
he could obtain the advice OF an at
torney. He was unable to obtain
such advice at that time, she said.
"Was the defendant mistreated or
abused while under questionfngP"
Miss Woods was asked by Maj. JOS
eph s. Robinson, chief Of prosecu-
ton counsel. She replied in the
negative.
Treated Like Others.
Miss Woods said the colonel was
treated in much the same manner
as other suspects in criminal cases
she had seen under questioning.
Previously, another former WAC,
Miss Dorothy Deyoung, also OF Oak
Park, testified that the former In
terror Department attorney was
questioned continuously" for five
hours after his arrest in Chicago
les. June and was not permitted to
Call an attorney.
Miss Deyoung had been detailed
to the party following the ar
rest of Col. Durant's wife, former
WAC Capt. Kathleen Nash, who was
convicted in Germany last fall in
connection with the theft and SEN
fenced to five years in prison. The
couple was arrested on their honey
moon by Army agents investigating
the looting Of buried treasure trove
from Kronberg Castle, near Frank
furt-on-M Main, in Germany.
Asked to Talk to Wife.
Miss Deyoung said that during
extensive questioning of Col. Durant,
the accused man on several occasions
asked permission to speak to his
wife. The defense, headed by Maj.
Joseph Bryan, Is seeking to show
the only information furnished in
vestigators by Col. Durant was given
after the colonel had conferred with
his bride of a few weeks.
Mai. Robinson asked Miss Deyoung
II she realized that Col. Durant was
an attorney when he asked for a
lawyer to advise him. Capt. Glenn
Brumbaugh, defense attorney, pro-
tested it was a truism that any man
who acts as his own lawyer has
fool for client"
The accused Army Air Force COL
onel figured little in the testimony
of three principal defense witnesses
during a four hour session yester-
day afternoon. Questions centered
chiefly on the responsibilities OF
Capt. Nash, who was mess officer at
Kronheim Castle.
Two Arlington (Va0 lawyers,
Homer F. Carpenter and Allan Coe,
called as character witnesses, were
former associates of Col. Durant IN
the Washington Offices of the United
States Consumers League, an In
terlOr Department agency. Mr. Car-
penter said the defendants reputa-
tion was very good" while Mr.. Coe
characterized it as excellent"
Col. Robert @. Brown of Atlanta,
Ca, former headquarters comman--,
dant at Frankfurt, was one of the
defense witnesses. Another was Maj.
Joseph N. Hartley of Flourstown, Pa,
who commanded the Special Serv-
ices unit in charge of organizing an
officers mess and club at Kronheim
Castle. A third was Capt. Julius
Buchanan of New York City.
The defense now is seeking as
witnesses two military policemen
who helped guard Col. Durant while
he was under examination in Chi
cago. Efforts will be made, it was
said to have the two men here
lop