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Before the Trial / 21
Preliminary Hearings for the Slander Trial: November 1948
Hiss filed a slander suit against Chambers, suing him for $75,000. His lawyers challenged Chambers for proof that Hiss was a Communist.
On November 17, 1948, Chambers produced typewritten copies and summaries of State Department cables and coded reports and four notes in Hiss's handwriting. Chambers said that Hiss had given him the documents. When questioned why he had previously denied that Hiss was a spy, Chambers explained that he had not wanted to inflict injury on Alger Hiss. "The Hisses had been my closest friends in the party. But now I see that Hiss is determined to destroy me and my wife, if possible."
Hiss was shocked and denied that he had stolen the documents. Chambers's lawyers turned them over to the federal authorities.
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