|
Before the Trial / 17
On August 7 Chambers was re-called and offered many details to prove that he had known Hiss intimately. He said that Hiss was called "Hilly" by his wife and that Hiss called her "Dilly" or "Pross." Hiss knew Chambers by another name, "Carl." Hiss had once seen a rare bird, the prothonotary warbler. The committee members knew Chambers could have gotten some of this information from research, easily available at Time, but this last detail seemed too personal to have been gotten from research alone.
Richard Nixon was ambitious. He knew this case could bolster his reputation. He was determined to find out if Chambers really knew Hiss. Nixon and Stripling went twice to talk privately with Chambers at his farm.
On August 16, Hiss was re-called to a closed session. Again he denied knowing Chambers or a man named Carl. He said he had once met a writer named George Crosley and let him sublease his apartment and sold him his car. When questioned about seeing a prothonotary warbler, Hiss said he had once seen one. Hiss asked to confront Chambers.
The next day the two men were brought
|
