Evening star., 1949-06-23

Claude Catlett, II, VINO lived In
Washington As years before NOV
ing to Winchester, Va, three .'ears
ago. Her son Raymond fol-
lowed her on the stand aod pre-
cipitated what amounted to q test
of patience on, the part Of all at
torneys and the judge himself.
In all the time he worked for
the Hiss family he never saw any
visitors resembling Mr.. and Mrs.
Chambers. he said. His mother
testified that, while she was a maid
at the Hiss house at zoos p street
NV. in 1895, q man she subse-
|quently identified asEMr Cham
erssdroppedin IA once for Ahoait an
fhNf3sssss ~ SsssSss<%
Mr.. catlett ~s,o also hSslled
Mike, and Perry. who alsos lled
Pat. testified that Mr.. and Mrs.
Hiss, when moving from one house
to another, gave them some cloth
ing, books and an old typewriter.
r,Mra Mclean AM attorney
for MI. Hiss. reached intosa cSrd-
|bosrd sbox ard psilled out de
'lapidated looking Wsodstock
machine.
Pecking at several keys the
witness identified it as the one ne
and his brother got from Mr. and
Mrs. Hiss. He said he knew it
because of q missing knob, keys
that jammed. and a defective
wheel or ribbon runner.
Tells Of Search for Machine.
He related that the machine
stayed at his p street home for a
couple of years. then was given by
his brother to the girl he later
married. then found its way to a
ster who lived at the time at the
Forty-eighth place home of a DR..
Easter. now dead, and was sent
elsewhere in 1945.
He disclosed that last February,
at the request Of Mr.. Mclean, he
began a search for the typewriter.
His testimony did not reach the
point where the typewriter was
finally located. He remarked he
himself did not find it. but he
supposed" he had q lot to do
with the eventual find.
Gradually Mr.. Catlett became
apparently fiustered and resent
full when asked. even by Mr.. Nc
Lean, to recall dates and places.
"I didn't have q secretary to
keep all this" he complained.
Judge Samuel II. Kaufman Joined
In the laughter while tapping for
order. Laughter swept through
the courtroom q moment later
when the witness told how Mr..
Mclean, on bringing the Wood
stock to the Catlett home on p
street. recently. found not only
Mrs. Catlett and her sons but also
a bevy Of sisters. cousins and
aunts present to examine the
machine.
Afraid of Being Confused.
Seemingly suspicious OF Mr..
Murphy In the cross-examination
MFR. Catlett at one stage frankly
exclaimed he did not believe the
prosecutors, assurance that Il
don't want to confuse you."
When the witness explained he
was not an expert typist, but used
only one finger to punch out the
letters Of his name. Mr.. Murphy
asked:
How often did you use that
typewriter after you say you re-
|ceived IL from Mr.. and Mrs. Hiss?"
AS often as I felt like It,. the
witness said.
"How often was that?"
"Just told you." the witness re-
torted.
Judge Takes Over Questioning.
Judge Kaufman took over the
questioning when Mr.. Murphy ex-
lperienced difficulty in having Mr..
lCatlett understand precise ques-
tons about the date Of the type
writer gift.
Judge: "When did they give
you the typewriter"
Witness: when they moved. !"
Judge; From what house and
where to?"
Witness: 81 can't recall what
]move it was. It was % long ago. |"
| Judge: WAS It when they
moved from p street to Thirtieth