Evening star., 1961-10-24
Defense Offers
Insanity Plea
For Scarbeck
BY PHIL THOMAS
Star Staff Writer

expected 10 SCarC QellOeraCl0nI
today on whether Irwin c.
Scarbeck, former American
diplomat is guilty Of passing
American secrets to Polish
agents.
Presentation of evidence,
which started three weeks
ago. ended yesterday as the
defense offered an insanity
defense.
However. the only testimony
the defense attorneys. Samuel
c. Klein and Arthur Wagman,
produced was the guarded
statement of a single pSychia-
triSt that he had found "suf-
ficient evidence to suggest the
existence Of a mental diSor-
der" in Mr.. Scarbeck's mind
between January and May 80
of this year.
DR.. Paul Chodoff said he
had examined Mr.. Scarbeck
twice-once in June and once
in July-for a total of four
hours. But the pSychiatrist
said he did not consider that
this was a complete and COM
prehenSive enough examin-
alton to determine whether Mr..
Scarbeck was responsible for
his actions in cooperating
with Polish secret police while
he was second secretary of the
American Embassy in War
saw.
DR.. Morris Kleinerman, an
other psychiatrist called as a
witness by the defense. made
an anti-climactic appearance
in the courtroom. only to be
excused from testifying when
he explained to District Court |
Judge Leonard P. Walsh that
he had been told he would not |
be asked to testify.
Prosecution Witnesses
Paul Vincent, Justice Depart
ment attorney, called DR.. Al
bert Marland and DR.. John r.
Cavanaugh, both of whom said
they became absolutely" con-
vinced that Mr.. Scarbeck is not |
mentally i'll and was not insane
during the time he allegedly |
turned over information from
the American Embassy in War
saw to the Polish police in an
effort to escape exposure of his
love affair with a 23-year-old |
Polish girl, Miss Ursula Dis
cher.
DR.. Marland said that during
a four-hour interview he and
DR.. Cavanaugh had with Mr..
Scarbeck several days before
the trial began, the ex-diplo-
mat appeared to be a man
"obseSsed by a feeling Of guilt"
The psychiatrist said the Al
year-old. twice-married. father
of four children became misty
eyed when he discussed prob
lens he had had with his wife
and his sweetheart.
Mr.. Klein brought out through /
testimony Of the two pSyehiat-
ric witnesses put on the stand
by the Government that the
ex-diplomat had not wanted to
talk to the two doctors, ap-
pointed by the court at Govern
ment request.
DR.. Cavanaugh said Mr.. |
Scarbeck felt st. Elizabeths
Hospital had used "subterfuge"
in getting the former diplomat |
to talk to the court-appointed |
psychiatrists.
Talks at Length
However. he said that once |
in the hospital, he and DR.. |
Marland had Immediately in
troduced themselves and that |
Mr.. Scarbeck finally agreed to
talk to them out of politeness. |
The psychiatrist said Mr.. Scar
beck talked on for most Of the |
four-hour interview without |
any urging from the two doc
tors.
DR.. David j. Owens, head Of |
the section of st. Elizabeths in
which the other two psychia-
trists examined Mr.. Scarbeck,
said he examined Mr.. Scarbeck
for about 2la hours until he
learned that the ex-diplomat
had been committed to the
hospital to be examined only
by the two court-appointed
pSychiatrists.
However, DR.. Owens said he
did not believe he could make
a proper diagnosis as to
whether Mr.. Scarbeck was or
was not mentally i'll in a four
hour period.