Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-02-19
CHESSMAN
Legislature to Study
Death Penalty Issue
Continued From First Page

Continued From First Page
President visits Uruguay March
g."
The telegram was signed by
Roy R. Rubotton, jr,, Assistant
Secretary for Intef-American
Affairs, Department of State.
Conferred With SuperiOrs"
In Washington, Mr.. Rubot-
tom said he sent the telegram
after comforting with my SUI
periors" and there were other
expressions of concern about
the case, l think from Brazil"
A. L. Wirin and George T.
Davis. two of Cheeseman's law
yers, said they doubted Chess
man would ever be executed.
Mr.. Davis added, II think
this is the beginning of the end
of capital punishment in CAL
ifornia."
.CheSsman had excited world
wide attention by his long and
mostly single-handed struggle
to, escape death through legal
technicalities.
With little knowledge of the
basic evidence, hundreds of
thousands of person in scores
of countries had demonstrated
and petitioned that Chessman
be spared.
Ironically, the State Depart
ment telegram which saved him
was almost lost in the thou
sands of kilograms pouring into
the Governors Office, urging
clemency.
Cecil Poole, the Governors
clemency secretary, happened
to- open it, and the stay was
ordered shortly after midnight.
Leaves waiting Room"
Chessman, scheduled to
enter the gas chamber at 10
am, psf, was whisked out of
the waiting room" cell next to
the green-painted gas chamber
and returned to the death row
cell on San Quentin's sixth
foor-the cell which has been
his home since July 3, 1913.
He had no comment, and
Uruguayan Report
Benito Nardone, Uruguay's
next President, said in Monte
video that Communists and
anti-American groups had
planned to use Cheeseman's eX-
ecution to stir demonstrations
against Mr.. Eisenhower during
his visit.
Mr.. Nardone, a member of
the ruling Government Coun-
Gil, will take over as President
the day before Mr.. Eisenhower's
arrival March 2.
Mr.. Nardone said ne told
United States Ambassador Rob-
ert Woodward a few days ago
about the governments fear of
demonstrations.
Il did not act as a member
Of the government but just as
a private citizen. since we can
not interfere with a purely in
ternal matter of the United
States" Mr.. Nardone said.
Anti erican groups
planned to capitalize "on the
feelings OF the people of this
country against the death pen
atty in general" he said. The
Communists and other groups
will use anything" as grounds
for protests against the United
States, he added.
The Ministry of the Interior
had reports of street meetings
being organized. and plans for
agitatorS to stir up the crowds
welcoming Mr.. Eisenhower,
Eduardo Victor Haedo of the
Government Council said.
THE country'S psychology is
contrary to the death penalty"
he added. Cheeseman's stay of
execution creates more
favorable atmosphere for Pres
ident Eisenhower's visit"
Plans Legislative Proposal
Gov. Browns announcement
also said, Il want to give the
noted that the State Supreme
Court had divided, 4-3, against
clemency and said that Cali
fornians were clearly divided"
on the issue of capital punish
ment.
The appeals received and the
history of the case, Gov. Brown
said, have centered not so
much on the person of Caryl
CheSsman and his history as on
whether this State should con-
tinue capital punishment"
Attorney Davis had hit the
same theme last night in a
television debate in which he
declared, "Caryl Chessman is
nobody. Chessman is lust a
number"
Book Provided Funds
CheSsman, convicted of I'M
punishable crimes against
women as the notorious red
light bandit" of Los Angeles
lovers lane in 1948. had made
the number famous with his
first book. Cell PASS Death
Row"
Written In prison, that book.