Evening star., 1962-01-31

Iltcnle road, ForeStVllle, told a
store but the boy said, no, my
fathers waiting outside"
Five minutes later, she re-
lated, the boy came back in the
store, on Maryland Route 202.
resumed looking at the book
bags and told her he wanted to
be Boy Scout. Then, the man
she identified as Alvey came up
to him, acting rudely, she testi-
fled.
HE didn't look like an or
dinary father" she said. HE
had a strange look in his eyes"
Mrs. Leistra, under vigorous
cross-eXamination by J. Carl
Hill, clashed with the defense
attorney several times. once
over the issue of how close he
was standing to her in the wit
ness chair.
Mr.. Tydings rose to object
to Judge Roszel c. Thomson
that Mr.. Hill was standing too
close to the witness.
IF you'd feel better, I'll move
back" Mr.. Hill said.
Mrs. Leistra replied that she
would feel better and added
that she could state the reason
for that if desired.
After some rather excited
discussion among Judge Thom-
sen, Mr.. Hill and Mr.. Tydings,
the defense attorney asked
what her reason was.
Because last Friday you
called to try to get me to meet
you in your car" Mrs. Leistra
told Mr.. Hill vehemently. "You
said you'd get me to see that
I was trying to burn the wrong
man"
LAS God is my witness, I'm
not trying to burn anybody"
Reporters learned that Mr..
Hill had called Mrs. Leistra but
Guild not come in the house be-
cause her husband had the
mumpS.
Mr.. Hill said he wanted to
discuss the case with her be-
fore the trial but never was
able to meet the witness and
that she did not want to dis
cuss the case over the phone.
She said on the stand she had
offered to meet him later but
that he never called back.
COndetti's Testify
Earlier today, the parents of
the slain boy. MI. and Mrs.
Augustine j. Condetti, fighting
for control of themselves, told
the court about Michael's last
day alive. British-born Mrs.
Joan Condetti, 81, told how
Michael had always wanted to
be a Boy Scout like his brother
Chris, now 13.
"They played together and
wrestled and Mikey followed
Chris everywhere" the slim
brunette mother said with
great self-possession, Mickey
wanted a knapsack bookbag
like the one Chris got for his
birthday. They walked home
from st. Anthony's School that
day and Mikey said, Can I go
look at bookbags, Mummy?'
II said no at first, but he
kept on and on and as soon as
I said he could go to Kresge's
to price them, he dashed right
off.
"Mikey was a child every one
loved. He was well hammered
and pleasant, but he was shy
of alder people, even if he knew
them"
Under cross-examination by
Mr.. Hill, Mrs. Condetti an
swered affirmatively when she
was asked if Michael was afraid
in the dark.
Tells of Search
Mr.. Condetti, tight-lipped
and grim, gave details of how
he, neighbors and police
searched for the missing boy
through most of the night after
he disappeared. Next morning,
the 36-year-old Washington
bartender testified, he went to
St. Anthony's School in the
hope that Michael would turn
up there.
Two other women witnesses
testified this morning that they
had seen Michael alone in
Brentwood Village, apparently
while he was on his way to the
shopping center there from the
family home at 2415 Fourteenth
street NE.
Mrs. James Lake of 2503
Fourteenth street ne, testi-
fled she saw Michael on the
afternoon he disappeared. Mrs.
Lake said she was walking her
dog near Fourteenth street and
Saratoga avenue NE, when she
saw the little Roy.
Mrs. Lena Smith of 2145
hirtieth street NE, testified
that she stopped her car for
a red light at Fourteenth street
and Rhode Island avenue NE.
that afternoon and saw the
little boy standing by the curb.
She said he was alone.
The Government contends
Alvey encountered the boy in
Brentwood Village, took him
by bus to Palmer Park with
several transfers, and then
lured him into the woods where
he met his death.