Evening star., 1950-02-02
FBl Agent Plays Role
OF, Judith CopIon in
Trial Demonstration
BY james J. CuIIinone
Sfor Staff Correspondent


y NEW YORK, Feb. "A six
foot former football blocking
back impersonated tiny Judith
Coplon before a Federal Court
jury here today to show how she
dipped into her purse when she
met Valentin Gubitchev last Feb
ruary 18. -.
. FBI Agent Roger w. Robinson
descended from the witness stand
with black purse in his hand
at the trial of Miss Coplon and
the Russian engineer, on espion-
age conspiracy charges.
Abraham Pomerantz, attorney
. for Gubitchev, demanded that
the d-shouldered agent show
the jury exactly how Miss Coplon
acted when she approached Gubit-
chev for a five-second meeting on
upper Broadway.
Gubitcnev Extended Hand.
Agent Robinson opened the
purse as he Rugged it to his chest
. and placed one large hand half
inside. He then turned his back
and walked away from the jury
to demonstrate that he could not
see whether Miss Coplon actually
took anything from the purse.
Earlier, he testified that Gubit-
chev extended his hand when he
joined Miss Coplon as if to take
something from her.
Judge Sylvester Ryan sternly
rebuked Mr.. Pomerantz this
morning for donning an "expres-
sion of injured innocence" before
the jury when the court ruled
against him. "I want you to stop
that" Judge Ryan said.
Mr.. Pomerantz stood with
bowed head after the judges ad-
monition and said, 81 would like
to have 80 seconds to compose
myself"
Lawyer Rebuked Again.
Judge Ryan ordered a five-min-
ute recess and Mr.. Pomerantz
walked to the counsel table and
said something in a low voice to
Gubitchev. Judge RYAN overheard
the remark.
"Mr. Pomerantz, I resent your
actions and what I just overheard
you say" Judge Ryan said angrily
after the jury filed from the room.
THE court heard you say this is
q new experience for me-, You
had no occasion to make such a
statement"
What I meant, your honor"
Mr.. Pomerantz said, was to say
that for the first time in 25 years
of legal practice I have been rep
rirnanded before jury"
Perhaps this is the first time
the occasion has arisen to justify
such reprimand," Judge Ryan
said as he left the bench.
Conference in Chambers.
Earlier Judge Ryan summoned
the defendants and opposing
counsel to his chambers to hear
a ruling on Mr.. Pomerantz' motion
to permit him to question FBI
agents about how they established
the identity Of Gubitchev after
they first observed him meeting
Miss Coplon last January. Yes
terday Judge Ryan said that such
questions would be ruled out of
order. Mr.. Pomerantz told Judge
Ryan he wanted to pursue the
subject further, today. Judge
Ryan excused the jury and called
for the conference i'm his cham
bers. Results of the conference
were not made public.
Two more FBI agents are wait
ing to tell what they observed at
the meeting of the former Gov
ernment girl and the Soviet engi-
neer attached to the United Ma
tions staff. After they have testi-
fed, Government prosecutors
plan to shift the subject to events
in Washington where Miss Cop
lon was employed as an analyst
of confidential documents in the
Justice Department.
william Foley, head of the In
ternal Security Section of the JUS
tice Department and Miss Cop
Ions former boss, will be called
to describe the types OF conf1den-
tial FBI reports to which Miss
Coplon had access. Her purse was
crammed with extracts from such
reports when she was arrested
with Gubitchev on the night of
March 4.
The indictment on which the
two are being tried charges that
LOST.