Evening star., 1949-12-17

Hiss
Continued From First Page)
on a less strategic point. 1t, too.
had it's Importance, however, as
does everything that bears on Mr..
Chambers credibility.
:. Story of Peterborough Trip.
For months, Mr.. Chambers has
been swearing that he and the
Kisses were together in Peter
borough, N. H, on August 10,
I1937-that they drove there from
Washington so that he could talk
with the late Harry Dexter White.
and that they went together. that
night in Peterborough, to the play
"She Stoops to Conquer 1t has
been one of those circumstantial
details studding the story of his
alleged association with the
Kisses. neither proved nor dis
proved.
But the defense came up. yes
terday, with seemingly alright
alibi. Thomas Fansler Of Chi
cago, Mrs. Hiss brother. testified
he spent the week end of the Au-
gust 7-8 with Mr.. and Mrs. Hiss
in Chestertown, Md. and that on
August 8, they drove him to Will
mington. This is the day. Mr..
Chambers says. on which he and
the Kisses were driving to
Thomaston, Conn, where they
spent the night en- route to
Peterborough.
When all the holes have been
punched, however, observers in
the Foley Square courtroom re-
mained plagued with puzzling
questions. Where, they WON
dered, was Mr.. Fansler at Mr..
Hiss first trial, which ended with
a hung jury last July 8?
Tactic Opens Speculation.
On the other hand, what did 1t
mean that the Catletts' story was
punctured, not by the prosecution.
by the defense? Did Mr.. Cross
have something up his sleeve?
Even the Government attorneys
speculated openly on these ques-
tions.
In this uncertainty there was
a tendency almost to forget the
days one clearcut development. 1t
had no direct relation to the issue
on trial-whether Mr.. Hiss lied to
a Federal grand jury when he
swore he never gave secret papers
to Mr.. Chambers. a self-confessed
former Communist agent.
But Mr.. Chambers had also ac-
cused the defendants brother,
Donald, of engaging in prewar
Communist underground activity.
And Donald Hiss yesterday took
the witness stand to deny fatty
that he is or ever was a Commu-
mist. fellow traveller or Commu-
mist sympathizer-that he had
ever been asked to steal Govern
ment secrets for the Communists,
or ever had stolen secrets for
them.
Chambers Story Attacked.
A partner of Secretary of State
Acheson's old law firm, with long
service in the State Department
and other Federal agencies. DON
aid Hiss swore he never laid eyes
on Mr.. Chambers before last year.
He pointed out he did not join
the State Department until 1888,
although Mr.. Chambers has pic
tured his brother as discussing in
1887 the question of whether he
Donald) could be induced to pro-
cure State Department material
j for the spy apparatus"
The defense witness who refuted
the Catletts yesterday was Ben
jamin Dement, of Washington, a
representative of the Potomac
Electric Power Co. He testified
that electric current was turned
on for the Catlett family at 2728
P street NV. on January II, 1888.
!; Harmless enough, on its face.
But here is the setting:
) Perry Murphy Catlett, %, had
said he and his brother who did
odd jobs for the Kisses, got the
Woodstock typewriter from them
; before the Kisses moved to 3415
Volta place NV. This move
occurred in December. 1887.
1 Bad Explanation.
i Perry Catlett had also said he
took the typewriter, the day he
J, got it. to the Catlett home at
/ 2728 P street NV.
I. Now these dates do not appear
to fit, since the lights were not
turned on at the Catlett P street
house until January II. But the
brother, Raymond Sylvester Cat.
lett, 27, had an apparent ex-
]; PLANTATION for the inconsistency.
His story was that his family
moved to P street some time"
before January II, 1888. But he
distinctly remembered that until
that date, to save money, they
burned kerosene lamps.
! So far so good. But-and here
was the rub-Pepco's Mr.. Dement,
testified that on January II his
company did more than merely
! turn on electricity for the Cat
4 let's at 2728 P street.
: They also, on that date, turned
Z
I 2