|
Defense Wit nesses 7121
The fact that Chambers had bought a farm in Maryland that Hiss had once tried to buy was damaging evidence. The defense tried to show it was a coincidence.
Q. Did you try to buy a farm in Westminster, Maryland?
A* Yes. In November 1935, Mrs. Hiss saw an ad in a Baltimore newspaper and contacted a real estate agent. We saw the property and put a deposit on it, and I think signed a contract to buy it. About five months later, the realtor told me that the original price had gone up. I told him I was no longer interested.
Hiss showed his letters to the real estate agent.
For over three hours Hiss continued denying Chambers's accusations: He had never given him any furniture. He had not loaned him $400 to buy a car. In fact, when Hiss had gone to buy his new car, he had taken out a bank loan because he didn't have enough money. Hiss explained that his wife had withdrawn $400 from their bank account to buy furnishings for their new house on Volta Place.
As for New Year's Eve 1936, Hiss testified that he returned to Washington from Chap-
|
