Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-03-07
Miss CopIon and Gubitchev Found Guilty

strategy on winning a reversal on
that ground if the jury should
find Miss Coplon guilty on any
charge.
Judges Charge to Jury.
In his charge to the jury, Judge
Ryan made three main points:
l. The Government has pre-
sented no direct evidence to prove
that Miss Coplon and Gubitchev
we're actually engaged in spy
conspiracy.
2. That, nevertheless. circum-
stantial evidence is permissible
and because of a conspiracy charge
lit is often necessary for the Gov
eminent to rely on circumstantial
evidence" He also said that a
conspiracy may be proved by cir
cumstantial evidence.
3. That the jury must consider
the Governments case proved be
yond a reasonable doubt" before
it could find one or both guilty.
Judge Ryan also stressed the
right of an individual juror to
stand up for what he thinks is
right-even against all the other
jurors, and that the jury could not
take into account the fact that
neither defendant testified in his
own defense.
In another part of its charge
the judge said the jury could
make up it's own mind whether the
FBI destroyed parts Of its wire
tap evidence ito obstruct justice. !"
Jury Asks Qualification.
1T is for you to say where the
truth lies" he said.
An hour and Ave minutes after
getting the case, the jurors re-
turned to the big, dimly lighted
Federal courtroom, heard parts
Of the testimony reread and took
second look at some Of the
Governments key evidence-pa-
pers found in Miss Coplon's purse
after her arrest.
Judge Ryan then excused the
jurors for dinner until 1880 pm.
The chief testimony read to the
jury after its return to the court
room was that Of William E. Fo-
ley, Miss Coplon's former Boss in
the Justice Department. This
testimony the defense called
earlier a lying attempt to frame
the slight brunette defendant.
The jurors were allowed to re-
examine these papers in Miss
Coplon's handbag:
EXTRACTS from "decoy"
memorandum which Mr.. Foley
said he gave Miss Coplon to see
what she would do with it. The
defense contends Mr.. Foley told
her to take it home with her. Mr..
Foley denied giving her permis-
sion to take it out of the Office.
2-Another memorandum In
which Miss Coplon told of trying
to see top secret FBI report on
Russian and Communist intelli-
gence activities in this country.
3-Various data slips reporting
on FBI Investigations.
Judge Albert L. Reeves who
sentenced Miss Coplon to a max
imum 10-year prison term last
July following her first trial in
Washington declared from the
bench he did not have the slight
est doubt that she had attempted
to betray her country.
THE fury would have been
derelict in its duty if it had re-
turned any other verdict" Judge
Reeves said after the jury of eight
men and four women found her
guilty of both counts in an
espionage indictment.
The 75-year-old visiting jurist
who presided over the stormy 10
week trial in District Court here,
told the diminutive brunette who
graduated cum laude from Bar
nard College that she had "a bril-
liant mind" and said he was mys-
titled as to her motives in seeking
to betray her country.
Called Extreme Case.
I'm the country to which the
defendant attempted to give aid
and information I seriously doubt
If she would have been given q
trial at ALL" Judge Reeves de-
clared. He added that he could
not Imagine more extreme case
Of what Congress had in mind"
when it enacted the espionage
statutes under which Miss Coplon
was convicted.
The finger of suspicion first
pointed to Miss Coplon, a trusted
analyst Of confidential documents,
in December. 1913, when under
cover FBI agents reported secret
information was leaking" to So
wet agents from Justice Depart
ment files.
Along with other employees who
had access to the secret files Miss
Coplon was placed under surveil-
ance. Telephones in her apart
ment at Mclean Gardens and at
her office were tapped.
Trailed to New York.
FBI agents trailed her to New
York on January IA, followed her
over q circuitious route to a res
taurant in uptown Manhattan
and saw her meet Gubitchev.
They did not learn his identity
until the next day when they saw
him emerge from headquarters of
the Soviet delegation to the
United NationA. Thereafter Miss