Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-06-10
Pentagon Aides Once Suspected
OF Giving Data to Soviet Agents.
Evidence in Cop|on Case Shows
Doto Slip Based
On FIJI Report
Offered at Trial
By jones J, CuIlinope

tIolIcO OH CHe secret HuSSlau
desk" at the Pentagon in Septem-
Der, 1946, were suspected of giving
out information to the NKVD, the
secret Russian police organization,
according to information that
came out today at the espionage
trial of Judith Coplon in District
Court.
The disclosure came when a data
slip which had been found in Miss
Coplon's Iurse was admitted into
evidence. The data slip contained
extracts from 128-page FBI in
vestigative report on Trina Ef1mova
Aleksander of New York.
The employees were identified In
a data slip signed by Agent Murphy
September 5, 1916 as William Her.
mann Eckhart johnson and his
wife, Annette F. Johnson.
Pair Discharged i'm 1916.
The Army said today that Mr..
and Mrs. Johnson were employed
In the Eurasian Branch of the In
telligence Division. but were dis
charged in September, 1916. be-
cause of a normal reduction In
force" The department had no
information as to where the john
sons are at present.
The data slip further revealed
that a married couple living in
Arlington, friends of Miss Alexis
ander, had been reported to the
F3I in April, 1948 by nejghbors
because of suspicious meetings
held at their home. The neighbors
reported that as many as six or
seven Army officers, all carrying
brief cases, would attend meetings
at the Arlington residence. The
report continued:
Approximately once month
an unknown civilian, appearing to
be a foreigner, attended the gath
erings at the residence; when this
individual appeared, great secrecy
was maintained at the house. all
curtains were drawn. Such pre-
cautions were not taken at other
gatherings"
Moved Several Years Ago.
This part of the data slip, signed
by Agent Litcher April i. 1948.
identified the couple as Vera San
domirsky Durham and her hus-
band, Henry Warren Durham. 1t
stated that the gatherings were
called to the FBI's attention by
Elvin Sill. Arlington.
Elvin w. Sill of 5005 Seven
teenth street north, Arlington,
told reporter today that the
Dunhams moved away from an
address in the same block as his
several years ago." but he did not
know where the couple now re-
sided. Mr.. Sill said he believed"
Mr.. Durham worked for the Gov
eminent at one time.
Mr.. Sill declined to comment on
the data slip. other than to say.
81 will confirm my name and
address"
Defense Attorney Archibald
Palmer told Judge Albert L.
Reeves that he did not intend to
have the full text of the investi-
gative report on Mrs. Aleksander
read to the jury. 1t is his inten-
ton, Mr.. Palmer said. to disclose
to the jury only such portions OF
the document as he feels are nee
essary in the defense of Miss
Coplon.
Judge Admonishes Prosecutor.
This is strange situation,
Your Honor" said Chief Prosecu-
tor John M. Kelley, jr. Defense
Counsel has insisted that 1t is
necessary to disclose the full con-
tents of all these reports to the
jury, although we have commended
such disclosure would endanger
national security. If counsel does
not intend to read the full docu-
ment to the jury then ask the
court to tell the jury that the
matters that he omits are irrele-
want and have no bearing on this
case"
Judge Reeves sharply admon-
ished the prosecutor and told the
Jury to ignore his remarks. The
75-year-old jurist said that he hao
ruled earlier that the full 'docu-
ments should be produced in court
and that counsel for either side
could use them in whole or in part