Evening star., 1951-02-28
Truman PIotLink
To NationaIists
at Trial
Way Paved to Place
z Letters From Party
Leader in Evidence
By james J. CuIIinone

Two letters from Pedro Albizu
Campos, leader of the Revolution.
ary Nationalist Party of Puerto
Rico figured in the murder trial
of Oscar Callazo today as the
Government took it's first step to
link the plot to assassinate Presi-
dent Truman with Puerto Rican
revolutionists.
Secret Service Agent Vincent
Mroz testified he took the letters
and the little book containing nu-
merous names and addresses from
the pockets of Griselio Torresola,
Collazo's companion, who was
killed as he attempted to storm
the steps of the Blair House No
vember l..
After the documents were iden-
titled by Agent Mroz, United
States Attorney George Morris
Fay told Judge T. Alan Colds
borough he would not introduce
them into evidence until later in
the trial.
Downs to Go on Stand.
When the trail began Monday
Mr.. Fay in his opening address to
the jury promised evidence would
be introduced proving that the
attempt to assassinate President
Truman was plotted after the Ma
tionalist Party staged a bloody
revolution in Puerto Rico.
Collazo was a member of the
Nationalist Party. Mr.. Fay said,
and had been active in the move
ment in New York where he lived.
During the morning session, the
jury heard several witnesses
describe how Collazo and his CON-
panion shot and killed Pvt. Leslie
Coffelt and wounded Pvts. Joseph
Downs and Donald Birdseu.
The descriptions were given hy
Matthew j. Cullen, Budget Bureau
employe, who watched the gun
battle from his Office window in
the old State Department Build
ing across the street; John Nc
Wicker, a White House clerk, who
said he watched from behind a
tree near the west gate of the
White House; Pvt. Charles l.. Cal
lagher of No. 8 precinct, who was
directing traffic at Seventeenth
and G streets, and Elroy Sites, an
electrician, of 1850 Belmont street
NV. who was around the corner
on Seventeenth street when the
battle began.
Identified by Three.
Collazo is being tried by a jury
Of 10 women and two men for the
murder of Pvt. Coffelt and for
assault with intent to kill Pvt.
Downs and Pvt. Birdzell.
Pvt. Birdzell and two other
members of President Truman's
bodyguard identified Collazo yes
terday as one'of the two gunmen.
Collazo, a short, slender man
with an alert, intelligent face.
looked straight at the officers
when they pointed at him, but
no emotion showed in his ex-
preston.
Pvt. Birdzell told the jury Col
lazo walked up behind him. aimed
an automatic at his back and
pulled the trigger. The gun
jammed, Pvt. Birdzell said, but
Collazo fired again and shot him
in the knee. Pvt. Birdzell ran to
the middle of Pennsylvania ave-
nue.. where he was dropped by a
second shot in his other leg. He
fired five times, but could remem-
ber firing only one shot, he said.
Tell of Exchanging Shots.
Pvt. Joseph o. Davidson and
Secret Service Agent Floyd Boring
told the jury they exchanged shots
with Collazo until he dropped with
a bullet in his chest at the foot
of the Blair House steps. They
told the jury they did not know
whose gun wounded the defendant.
James Wade. colored. Blair
House doorman, told the jury the
front door of the Presidents tenn
porary residence was wide open
when the would-be assassins
reached the front steps.