Evening star., 1949-06-23
Hiss Trial Told
For typewriter
Defense Witness
Soys FBI Agent
Wanted Machine
By kewboId Noyes. jr.,
and Robert K. Welsh
S'o, S,oH Correspondent

ne" 1oSh, June zo.-A Ut
fense witness at the Alger Hiss
perjury trial today asserted that
FBI Agent CORTLAND Jones Of
fered him 5000 if he would turn
over an old Woodstock typewriter
which the Government contends
was used to copy State Depart
ment documents for Whitaker
Chambers. a former Communist
spy courier.
Raymond Sylvester Catlett. 27,
colored. 2728 P street NV. Wash
ington, who did odd jobs for the
Hiss family in 1897 and 1888, made
this charge. Earlier he testified
that Donald Hiss. brother Of the
defendant, gave him about $50
last January to pay any one who
might be able TO locate the then
missing machine. The typewriter
was found about a month ago, the
defense had indicated.
Unable to Refresh Memory.
Defense attorneys told reporters
during a court recess that Mr.,
Catlett had meant to say the FBI
agent told him last month that
the Government would have been
willing to pay him 5000 II he could
find the typewriter. At the time
of the alleged statement by Mr..
Jones, the typewriter already had
been discovered by the defense.
Assistant United States Attorney
Thomas F. Murphy thundered at
the witness. but was unable to re-
fresh his recollection as to the
exact time of the alleged offer by
Mr.. Jones, or other pertinent cir
cumstance concerning the Incl
dent.
Mr.. Murphy scored point
earlier today when he produced a
Washington real estate agents re-
port indicating that Mr.. Catlett
did not live at the P street address
where he said he did when Mr..
and Mrs. Hiss gave the typewriter
to him and his brother.
The brother, Perry M. Catlett,
who is hard Of hearing. but was
much less fiustered than Raymond
as a witness. testified later that
the typewriter was given to them
about the time that Mr.. and Mrs,
Hiss moved from Thirteenth street
to Volta place NV. Warrington,
in late December. 1887. Perry
added, however. that he and his
brother might have received the
gift "a little later after the Hiss
family had moved into the Volta
place house.
Can't Remember Date.
Raymond testified yesterday and
insisted again today that he and
his brother received the typewriter
when the Hiss family moved ,'but he
could not remember whether 1t was
in the summer of 1885 during a
move from P street to Thirtieth
street or in December, 1887, at the
time of the move from Thirtieth
street to Volta place.
Both brothers declared that
they got the typewriter. Mr.. Muir
ply produced a real estate agents
report showing. he said. that the
lease for occupancy Of that house
by the Catlett family was dated
January II. 1888. 1t was obtained
by a man named George Roulhac.
Raymond Catlett explained that
Mr.. Roulhac leased the house for
his family as well as the Catlett
family because both families lived
there together.
In his cross examination OF
Perry Catlett, Mr.. Murphy UNDER
took to establish that the type
writer was received from the
Kisses late in 1898, rather than
in December. 1887, when the
Kisses moved to Volta place.
He secured an admission from
the witness that shortly after re-
ceiving the machine he took it to
a repair shop at Connecticut ave-
nue. and K street, where he was
told it could not be fixed. This,
Continued on Page "A. Col. H.