Evening star., 1951-03-01
Co|Iazo MayGo
On Stand Today
Without Jury
Rover Seeks to Prove
Coercion in Story Of
Blair House Shooting

OSCdT OOlldzO 5 dCLOTneyS nOpSd
to put the little Puerto Rican
Nationalist on the witness stand
this afternoon.
But if they succeed, the District
Court jury trying Collazo for his
part in the November l, 1850,
attempt to assassinate President
Truman will not hear what he
has to say.
Leo A. Rover. chief of Collazo's
three court-appointed lawyers.
indicated to reporters in advance
of today's session that he would
put Collazo on the stand only if
he got approval from Judge T.
Alan Goldsborough to send the
jury out.
His objective in calling COLLAGE,
Mr.. Rover said, would be to keep
out of evidence statements Col
lazo allegedly made to Federal
law enforcement officers.
Judge Must Decide.
Mr.. Rover said that if his
strategy succeeds, the officers who
questioned Collazo would be called,
presumably to testify that Col
lazo made statements to them
voluntarily. Then, Mr.. Rover
said. he would call his Puerto
Rican client-in the jury's abb
sence-to say he made the state
ments under coercion.
1t is for Judge Goldsborough to
decide whether to allow this pro-
cedure.
Joseph j. Ellis, jr., a Secret
Service agent who questioned COL
lazo after he was wounded in the
assassination attempt, had been on
the stand only short time when
Judge Goldsborough adjourned
yesterdays session.
MI. Ellis testimony was resumed
today, with an alternate juror in
the box. AS court opened one
juror. Mrs Ella M. Jettmar of
1888 Kennedy street NV, was alb
sent. The alternate is Aruthr J.
Wicker, jr., "a. a laundry route
man, of. 1880 Belmont street NV.
Almost Immediately after Mr..
Ellis began his testimony Judge
Goldsborough excused the jury in
view of possibility that Mr.. Rover
would contend statements by Col.
lazo to the Secret Service we're
not voluntary and might have
been made while the defendant
was under Sedatives.
Mr.. Ellis recounted in detail
his questioning of Collazo as the
Puerto Rican lay in Emergency
Hospital with a bullet wound in
his chest. He said Collazo showed
no hesitancy in answering ques-
tions and that the wounded man
appeared to be in full possession
of his faculties.
Mr.. Ellis quoted Collazo as adj
mitting he and Griselio Torresola
came here to shoot the President.
He told Mr.. Ellis the reason was
"political-so my country could
be free ....
Yesterday Mrs Gertrude Bux-
baum, a nurse who attended Col
lazo when he was admitted to
Emergency Hospital, said the
Puerto Rican was very calm"
and gave very responsive" an
swers to her questions.
Nurse Recounts Conversation. e
II asked him if he wanted to
kill President Truman" Mrs. Bux-
baum testified. HE said yes"
When I asked him why, he said
he had to because he was a Puer-
to Rican Nationalist and he
wanted his country to be free the
same as we wanted this country
to be free
She also told the jury she asked
CollaZo the name of his companion
and he told her it was Torresola.
Torresola, like Collazo Puerto
Rican Nationalist. was slain
in the gun battle in front of
Blair House. White House Guard
Leslie Coffelt was killed also. MIR.
Truman was taking a nap inside
at the time.
Witness Tells of Gun Fight.
Matthew j. Cullen, jr., Budget
Bureau employe, testified he saw
Torresola fire at least three bullets
into the guard booth occupied by
Mr.. Coffelt. Later in the trial
the prosecution is expected to con-
cede formally that Torresola,
rather than Collazo, killed Mr..
Coffelt. But District of Columbia
law makes no distinction between
associates in a felony resulting in
murder. Collazo is charged with
numbering Mr.. Coffelt.
Corpl. Joseph H. Downs of the
White House police. who was
struck by three bullets, told the
court he didn't get a good look at
the man who shot him. He added
he was standing right in front Of
Mr.. Coffelt's booth.
Several witnesses told of seeing
Collazo standing and later
crouched on the Blair House steps
firing at Guard Donald T. Birdzell
who was wounded in both knees.