Evening star., 1961-01-29
Cubo Asks Death Penalty
At Trial of 6 Americans

HAVANA. Jan. % (AP).-
The government today de-
manded the death penalty for
six American adventurers tried
on charges of trying to join
anti-Castro forces in Cuba.
Their trial before q five-man
military court at La Cabana
Fortress was completed in 2
hours and IS minutes. The YER
dict may not be returned until
Monday.
The Americans claimed they
came to Cuba to join Fidel
Castro's revolutionary govern
ment and not his opponents.
Their court-appointed Cuban
attorneys asked the court to
acquit or deport them as q sign
Of good viii toward the new
United States administration of
President Kennedy.
Courtroom Packed
The defendants smoked,
drank coffee and whispered
among themselves in the packed
courtroom as the prosecution
summed up its case, asserting
the charges against them -
crimes against the state
had been fully proven"
The prosecution asked the
court for the maximum penalty
death by firing squad.
There was no indication the
requested sentence was i'm
mediately understood by the
Americans. who speak no
Spanish.
They are George r. Beck. "a,
Of Norton. Mas; Tommy L.
Baker. 28. Of Dothan, Ala:
Donald Joe Green. 28, Of Cas-
tonia, N. c.: James e. Bean. "a,
Of Cedar Falls, N. c.; Alfred
Eugene Gibson, 80. Of Mount
Gilead. N. c.. and Leonard
Louis Schmidt. 81, Of Chicago.
Castro Raps Insurgents
While the trial was under
way. Prime Minister Castro |
lashed out against insurgents |
operating in the Escambray |
Mountains and promised tol
smash them "as we would have
smashed the imperialist armies
had they dared attack US"
The Prime Minister spoke at
the dedication Of q new schol-
astic center In Santa Clara,
capital Of Las villas Province
A province he said had been
heavily infiltrated by counter
revolutionaries.
The government charged the |
six Americans sailed from |
Marathon Key, Fla, and had
attempted to land on the north |
coast Of Pinar del Rio Province,
a rebel stronghold, but, the |
government charged, bad
weather forced them to sair
into Havana harbor. The prose-
cution said the Americans |
dumped their weapons and |
equipment before being ar
rested January Z.
The defendants insisted they |
came here to enlist In the
Castro forces and had no direct |
connection with o man the |
government identified as an
organizer Of anti-Castro ex-
peditions In Florida, former |
Cuban Senator Rolando Mas
ferrer.
Clippings introduced
Under cross examination,
Baker admitted that he went |
to Miami to see Masferrer but |
said he turned against him
after learning he was "a gang
ster and O butcher" opposed
to the Castro regime.
The prosecution introduced
clippings from the Miami (Fla.)
Herald showing q group picture |
Of Americans, Baker among |
them, with caption identifying |
them as volunteers against |
Castro. Baker admitted being |
in the picture but insisted he |
thought the group was made |
UP Of Castro supporters.
The Americans two defense |
attorneys charged that the |
prosecutions case was based |
entirely on "presumptions" and |
lacked corroborative testimony
by responsible witnesses"
Deportation Asked
Luis Raul Fleitas, q Negro |
attorney representing Gibson
and Schmidt, asked the court |
to deport his clients. The other
lawyer, Anibal Pachecho, called |
for acquittal Of the other four. |
MIR. Fleitas made references
to the recent Castro bid for re-
Cancellation with the United
States Government and this
weeks release by Soviet Pre-
mier Khrushchev Of two i'm
prisoned American flyers. He |
said these were signs of good
viii which the court should
follow.
Swiss Embassy Councillor
Gilbert de Dardel, represent
ing American interests in Cuba |
since the diplomatic break |
earlier this month by WASH
ington, sat with the chief de-
tense co-ordinator throughout |
the proceedings.
It was the first case before
q military tribunal that Amer
lean correspondents have been
permitted to attend in months.