Evening star., 1950-01-17
Chambers Maid
Identifies Kisses
As SO Visitors
Perjury Prosecution
Scores Heavily With
RebuttuI Testimony
By NewboId koyes, Jr.
Stor Stoff CORRESPONDENT

who once worked as a maid for
Whitaker Chambers today point
ed out Mr.. and Mrs. Alger Hiss as
persons she remembered having
seen in MI. Chambers Baltimore
nome in 1886.
The development is regarded as
a major blow to the former State
Department official, who is &C
cused of perjury by falsely deny
ing to Federal grand jury that
he gave Government secrets to
Whitaker Chambers, an admitted
ax-Communist courier, and that he
falsely swore that he did not see
Mr.. Chambers after 1886.
The woman, Mrs. Edith Murray,
colored, rose from the witness
chair to identify that lady there
in the black hat" as one of the
Chambers visitors. A moment
later she pointed to Mr.. Hiss as
the man who was with her.
Both Mr.. and Mrs. Hiss have
repeatedly denied that they ever
visited Mr.. and Mrs. Chambers
anywhere.
Hiss Grins Broadly.
Mrs. Hiss appeared pale and
shaken while Mrs. Murray gave
her testimony. But her husband,
seated beside her in the court
room. grinned broadly when Mrs.
Murray made her initial identif1-
cation of Mrs. Hiss. He continued
to smile, almost without interrupt
ton, throughout her testimony.
Mrs. Murray said she had
worked since 1884 for Mr.. and Mrs.
Chambers, whom she knew as Mr..
and Mrs. Lloyd Cantwell.
She said Mr.. CantWell was away
from home a great deal" She
said she remembered no other
visitors at the CantWell home ex-
cept Mr.. and Mrs. Hiss.
Mrs. Murray's testimony was
admitted over the strenuous OBJ
jections of Defense Attorney
Claude B. Cross.
Saw Mrs. Hiss Four Times.
Mrs. Murray said that she saw
Mrs. Priscilla Hiss four times in
Baltimore, and that on only one
of these occasions was she ac-
companied by Mr.. Hiss. All the
visits. the witness said. were at the
Chambers residence at 1917
Eutaw place.
She said she never saw them at
903 st Paul street where the
Chambers family lived earlier.
Mrs. Murray confirmed the
testimony Of Mrs. Chambers that.
on one of her visits to Baltimore,
Mrs. Hiss spent the night, as a
baby sitter" while Mrs. Cham
bers went to New York for pre-
natal obstetrical treatment.
She said she remembered that
while she and Mrs. Hiss were in
the bathroom with the baby, she
asked whether Mrs. Hiss had a
child of her own.
She said yes, she had one lit
tie boy" Mrs. Murray reported.
Known as Miss Priscilla"
The witness said she was not in
troduced to Mr.. and Mrs. Hiss by
name. She said she called Mrs.
Hiss Miss Priscilla"
Mrs. Murray said she only saw
Mr.. Hiss once at the Chambers
home when she opened the front
door for him and later returned
from the kitchen to say good-by
before leaving the house.
But when Thomas F. Murphy,
assistant United States attorney,
asked whether Mrs. Murray could
identify the man who came to the
Chambers home, the witness
pointed him out with the remark:
II couldn't help but remember
him."
Unrattled by Defense.
The frail, dark skinned woman
seemed completely relaxed in her
testimony, and refused to become
even slightly ratified when Mr..
Cross attacked her in cross-exam-
nation
Mr.. Cross seemed particularly
skeptical about Mrs. Murray's
ability to recognize Mr.. Hiss after
-allegedly seeing him once, IA years
ago. But Mrs. Murray explained:
She (Mrs. Chambers never
had any company at all-only
those two-and I remember be-
cause. right away, saw there was