|
18 / THE ALGER HISS TRIAL
together. When Hiss was asked if he had ever seen Chambers, he hesitated. He said he couldn't be sure. Chambers looked different from the man he remembered as Crosley thirteen years ago. Chambers had been heavier then. His hairline had receded. And his teeth had been fixed. Hiss asked Chambers to open his mouth wide. Hiss said Crosley had had very bad teeth. Chambers said his teeth had been fixed. Hiss asked Chambers to read from a newspaper. Then Hiss said, "The voice sounds a little less resonant than the voice I remember as George Crosley's. The teeth look improved. I am not prepared without further checking to take an absolute oath that he must be George Crosley."
Chambers said he had never used the name Crosley. He insisted he had stayed at Hiss's apartment in 1935. Hiss had given it to him for free because they were both Communists.
In the next few days the committee called many other witnesses. There were newspaper headlines and long stories about Chambers's accusations against Hiss. On August 25 television cameras crowded the hearing room. At one
|
