Evening star., 1950-01-31
FBI Clerk Describes
How She Helped Agent
Trail Miss CopIon
By jones J. CuIIinon,
Stcr Stoff Correspondanf


NEW YORK, Jan. 31.-A tall
brunette Justice Department clerk
today told a Federal Court jury
how she became an after-hours
counterspy to help FBI agents
trail Judith Coplon to a rendez-
vous with Valentin Gubitchev, the
Soviet engineer.
Miss Sappho Manos, chief clerk
OF the New York Office of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation,
said she accompanied Special
Agent Thomas McAndrews when
he trailed Miss Coplon from Penn
sylyania Station to an uptown
meeting place with Gubitchev on
February IS, 1949.
Miss Coplon and Gubitchev are
being tried on espionage con-
spiracy charges.
Broken Slipper Strap.
The tiny defendant, who worked
for the Justice Department as an |
analyst of confidential documents
before her arrest here last March.
had a broken strap on her slipper
when she stepped off the train
from Washington, Miss Manos
said. and walked with some diff
Guilty.
With Agent McAndrews, Miss
Manos testified, she rode on a
subway beside Miss Coplon and
followed her into Fort Tryon Park
In upper Manhattan.
Deep in the park, Miss Manos
related, Miss Coplon turned and
confronted her pursuers to ask
II they knew how she could reach
Broadway.
Said They Were Lost.
'Mr. McAndrews told her we
were lost, too. and were trying to
find our way to Broadway" Miss
Manos testified.
Because Miss Coplon had seen
their faces. Miss Manos related,
Agent McAndrews decided they
should discontinue their surveil-
lance after they followed Miss
Coplon to 190th street and Broad
way.
Three other FBI agents picked
up the pursuit of Miss Coplon and
watched her meet Gubitchev
few minutes after she and Mr..
McAndrews turned away, Miss
Manos said.
Wanted Charts Introduced.
Earlier the prosecution fought
for the right to place before the
jury a stack of elaborate charts
outlining the circuitous routes fol-
lowed by Miss Coplon and Gubit-
chev when they met on three oc-
casionS here last year.
Federal Judge Sylvester J. Ryan
ruled late yesterday that the
charts-which formed vital part
of the Governments case when
Miss Coplon was convicted of the
theft of secret documents in
Washington-could not be admit
ted because they were drafted by
an FBI agent who had not par
ticipated in the surveillance of the
couple.
Chief Prosecutor John M. Kel-
ley. jr., told Judge Ryan the
Governments case would be sever
ly damaged unless it could present
the charts. Mr.. Kelley won per-
mission to argue points of law
supporting his contention before
the jury entered the courtroom
today.
Miss Coplon lmpersonated.
Mr.. Kelley sought to introduce
the charts after a 6-foot FBI
agent stepped down from the wit
ness stand yesterday to imper-
senate Miss Coplon.
Standing before the jury of six
housewives and six businessmen,
Special Agent Daniel F.. Garde
waved folded sheet of paper to
demonstrate how Miss Coplon
"gesticulated" toward Gubitchev
after they emerged from an Up
town restaurant.
In notes written after the Incl
dent, Mr.. Garde had said the
5-foot brunette former Justice
Department employe struck at
Gubitchev with her hand or a
folded newspaper. Mr.. Garde re-
lated yesterday that he meant to
write that Miss Coplon gestured
emphatically toward Gubitchev
with the newspaper but did not
strike at him.
Two Other Agents Testify.
Two FBI agents who tetsified
earlier also said they saw Miss
Coplon gesturing with the news
paper but insisted she did not
strike the blond foot 8 Russian
engineer with whom she says she
was in love.
At her trial in Washington last
summer Miss Coplon said she beat
Gubitchev with the folded news
paper after he told her for the
first time he was married.
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