Evening star., 1949-12-30
Mrs. A|ger Hiss Denies
Chambers Spy Story;
Trial in Long Recess
By kewboId Noyes, Jr.
s,er Stoff CORRESPONDENT

Alger Hiss will return to the wit
ness stand Tuesday to continue
testifying in her husbands de-
tense at his second perjury trial.
The trial, meanwhile, is in re-
cess for the holiday week end.
Mrs. Hiss, whose first name is
Priscilla. took the stand late yes
terday after the 45-year-old de-
fendant completed more than five
days of testimony. In constant
attendance at both of Mr.. Hiss
trials, she has aged visibly since
last spring. Her face was gray
and drawn beneath her prema-
turely gray hair-she wore a gray
hat and a black coat with a gray
lamb collar.
Voice Is Strained.
She answered the questions of
Defense Attorney Claude B. Cross
in a small, strained voice, which
barely carried beyond the first
row of spectators.
The Government says Mrs. Hiss
typed copies of secret State De-
partment papers. which her hus-
band gave to Whitaker Chambers.
an admitted ex-Communist cour-
ier, for transmission to Russian
spies before the war.
Mr.. Hiss is accused Of falsely
denying to a Federal grand jury
that he ever gave such papers to
Mr.. Chambers.
Like her husband, Mrs. Hiss
denied she is or ever was a Com
munist or fellow traveller. She
said she voted for Norman Thomas
in 1882, and once made contribu-
tions to feeding station" oper-
ated in New York by the uptown
branch of the Socialist Party.
Lists Her Clubs.
But she said she has never be-
longed to ANY particular political
organization" and when Mr..
Cross asked her to name organi-
cations to which she did belong
in Washington in the 1930s she
listed only the District of Colum-
bia Bryn Mawr Club, an ice-skat-
ing group. a square dance group
and a gathering known as the
Friends of Music"
She said she had seen Mr..
Chambers only three times in her
life before last year and never
knew him as anything except
George Crosley," free-lance
writer. She denied she or Mr..
Hiss made any of the trips with
Mr.. Chambers which the chief
prosecution witness has described.
A surprise witness preceded Mrs.
Hiss on the stand yesterday-Karl
H. Helfrich of Upper Montclair,
N. j., who roomed with Mr. Cham
bers at Williams College for three
days in the 1920s. They were
assigned to room together. Mr..
Helfrich testified, but the day the
college officially opened Mr.. Cham
bers decided he had had enough
and departed at midnight for
New York, where he planned to
transfer to Columbia University.
Got Series of Letters.
Mr.. Helfrich then told of re-
ceiving a series of about six letters
from Mr.. Chambers. He was not
permitted to state what those let
ters contained, but he said their
content was such that he felt
called on to turn them over to DR..
Harry A. Garfield, then president
of the college.
Mr.. Helfrich told of opening a
letter which Mr.. Chambers ap-
parently had written to himself.
He said he was supposed to for
ward this letter back to Mr..
Chambers, but that it was when
he saw it's contents that he de-
cided to lay the matter before
DR.. Garfield.
''Dr. Garfield advised me to for
get about it," the witness added
graphically.
Mr.. Helfrich was permitted to
describe the contents of one final
letter he received from Mr.. Cham
bers, about 10 days after discuss
ing the matter with Dr. Garfield.
Murphy Objects Repeatedly.
"Mr. Chambers said" the wit
mes reported, that he was disap-
pointed to find that apparently I
had taken some one else into my
confidence. He said he had been
interrogated-I don't know by
whom-on this matter"
Thomas F. Murphy, assistant
United States attorney, objected
repeatedly to Mr.. Helfrich's testi-
mony, but his objections were
overruled when Mr.. Cross ex-
planned he was laying the ground
work for psychiatric testimony on
Mr.. Chambers mental condition.
When Mr.. Helfrich was finished,
Mr.. Murphy moved that his story
be stricken from the trial record
on the ground that no basis for
psychiatric testimony had been
laid. But Federal Judge Henry
w. Goddard denied the motion.
Matter for Jury.
"It's for the jury to consider
what weight, if any, this evidence
has," he said.
Judge Goddard is expected to
announce formally next week that
the defense will be permitted to
present psychiatric testimony on