Evening star., 1959-12-23
CubansConvict
Miami Writer,
Order Him Out

vs. SSH uHuuuu I'll
HAVANA, Dec. % (AP).-I
American newsman James Bu-
chanan today was under orders
to get out of Cuba after being
convicted Of helping an Amer
lean fugitive from a Castro
prison. He was scheduled to
leave by plane for Miami this
afternoon.
A five-man military court in
Pinar del Rio convicted the AZ
year-old Miami Herald corre-
Spondent last night, gave him
a suspended sentence Of IA
years. and ordered him de-
ported within "a hours.
That's good" said Buchan-
an, and left Pinar del Rio for
Havana to catch a plane home.
Buchanan was charged with
concealing facts about the
escape earlier this month of
Frank Austin Young of Miami.
who broke out of a Pinar del
Rio prison after being sentenced
to 80 years in prison for lead
ing an armed anti-CaStro band.
Buchanan interviewed Young
before the latter was recap
tured. The newsman was ar
rested as he approached
Young's hotel room hideout
with bandages for the fugitive's
| injured leg.
Editor Voices Support
In Miami. Lee Hills. execu-
tive editor of the Herald and
the Knight newspapers. said
his organization is absolutely
convinced" that Buchanan
was guilty of nothing except
covering a legitimate news story
| in Cuba"
Mr.. Hills added that the
Herald will continue to cover
all legitimate news in Cuba in
the future as it has in the past. d"
The flve-man military court |
was hastily summoned yester-
day although other tribunals
were in recess for the Christ
mas holidays. Earlier in the day
the United States State De-
paartment sent a note to the |
Cuban Ministry of State pre-
Sumably requesting expeditions
handling Of Buchanan'S case.
The trial lasted only a few
hours.
Denies Aiding Escape
The prosecution asked for a
20-year sentence. But Oscar
Fernandez Jordan, the civilian
prosecutor. said Prime Minister
Fidel CaStro's regime would |
show its benevolence" by de-
porting Buchanan.
He accused the editors of the |
Herald of sending Buchanan to
Cuba to help Young flee the
country.
What would happen if a
Cuban newSman went to the
United States to help a fugitive |
from justice?" Mr.. Jordan said.
1T would shake the Justice
Department"
Buchanan. taking the stand |
in his own defense, denied aid
ing Young to escape. He told
the court through an inter-
prefer that his own purpose in
coming to Cuba was to inter-
view the other American and
that he brought him bandages
only as a humanitarian gesture.
Admits Taking $40
He admitted that he took $40
from Young to pay the hunted
mans hotel bill. But he said he
tried to get in touch with the
United States Embassy to ex-
plain the situation and was
blocked by his arrest.
He added that he had planned
to remain in Havana only a |
few hours after the interview
and had already bought his
plane ticket home.
Young also took the stand
in Buchanan's defense and de-
MED the newsman tired to help
his escape. He confirmed Bu-
chanan'S testimony about the
hotel bill.
Young, who will have to stand
trial next year for his jailbreak,
refused to answer questions
about his own activities. The
prosecutor said the Herald had
quoted Young as saying that
the United Fruit Co. and other
United States companies were
helping the counter-revolution.
Young replied he had actually
said the companies were af-
fected by CaStro's revolution,
not that they were aiding its
opponents.