Evening star., 1948-10-21

OlllCe Is dCTOSS Illc Hall lTOIIl MI
Smiths, said he had seen Mr.. Smith
half an hour before his death. At
the time, Mr.. Benney told a re-
porter, Mr.. Smith was wandering
aimlessly" down the corridor. He
said he had known Mr.. Smith for
18 years casually and had noticed
that he seemed ''highly nervous" in
the past few days.
Miss Mary King, an elevator op-
orator who lives in the TOO block
of c street Sc, said the doors of
her automatic elevator opened just
as the body hit the floor. He ap-
parently was killed instantly.
Mr.. Smith was questioned by the
House Committee on Un-American
Activities on August 24-the eve OF
the face-to-face meeting between
Mr.. Hiss, former State Depart
ment official, and Mr. Chambers, an
avowed former Communist agent
who accused Mr.. Hiss of leadership
in a prewar Communist under
ground here.
Stories Confiicted.
Mr.. Smith was asked to identify
his signature as notary on a transfer
of title of 1929 Ford from Mr.. Hiss
to the Cherner Motor Co. Mr.. Hiss
and Mr.. Chambers had told con-
fiicting stories as to the disposition
of the car.
Asked to comment on Mr.. Smiths
part in the case, Chief Committee
Investigator Robert E. STRIPPING said
today it was through Mr.. Smith
that 1t was definitely determined
that Mr.. Hiss signed the transfer
of title. The car, Mr.. STRIPPING
said, Is still a partial mystery
Mr.. Smith told the committee in
al executive session that the
notary's signature was his own, but
he did not recall the transaction
He said he worked in the same
Office as Mr.. Hiss at the time, 1896
When Mr.. Hiss, the following day,
said he wanted to see the original of
the transfer Of title before identify
ing the signature as his own, he was
told that Mr.. Smith had identified
the notary's signature. After that,
Mr.. Hiss said he was willing to
identify his own signature.
Report Completed.
Mr.. Smith was not questioned on
any other part of the car transac-
ton. Subsequently. Mr.. Stripping
said, a handwriting expert estab-
lished Mr.. Hiss signature and the
report on the whole Hiss-C Chambers
controversy has been completed. He
said it would not be released until
it has been approved by the men,
bers.
Mr.. Smith. who had been working
for the Justice Department for 81
years, was occupied with the de-
partment's annual report at the
time of his death.
Solicitor General Philip B. PERL
man said Mr.. Smith was an expert
on criminal cases and had argued
many of them before the Supreme
Court.
Mr.. Smith lived at 48O6 Chevy
Chase boulevard, Chevy Chase, Md.
with his wife and one of his two
daughters, Mrs. Leonard. Another
daughter, Miss Jeanne Smith, 20
lives at 116 Wayne place Sc. She i:
employed by the immigration Serv-
ice.
Mrs. Smith was reported pros
trate with grief and was not imme-
diately told details of her husbands S
death.
Worried About Cases.
Mrs. Leonard insisted that her
father wasn't the kind of man" te
take his own life. She said he had
spoken occasionally of men who
threatened to commit suicide be-
cause of difficulties and had ex-
pressed the belief it was the wrong
thing to do because it didn't solve
any problems and always left people
behind to worry about them"
The last time she saw her father
Mrs. Leonard said, was on the night
before his death when he kissed hel
goodnight
She said he often worried about
his cases and at such times the
house was always Uttered with Gig.
arctic butts.
! He never mentioned Alger Hiss OF
the Hiss-Chambers controversy, she
said
In addition to his wife and two
daughters, Mr.. Smith Is survived by
brother. Irving Smith of Jackson
Miss. The funeral has been sci
tentatively for Saturday from
Pomfrets funeral home in Bethesda
Was Native of District.
Mr.. Smith was a native of the
District. He was graduated from
Georgetown University Law School
in 1914 and received his masters
degree in law the following year. He
also had studied accounting at
Georgetown.