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ne DAILY TROJAN | Special Events _. Joe Nevens, Speciat Events Editor Caryl Chessman: The Face Across the Table By JERRY A. BURNS | Daily Trojan Editor-inChief This face actoss the table from you—with its clear eyes staring right at you and its seemingly over-sized nose and meuth—if might belong to a» older war yeteran at~ “ending night: school or to a social studies teachers at -ae junior high school or to the attendant at the Union Station on the corner. 4 . . But it doesn’t. It belongs to Caryi Chessman (pro- nounced Carol) Chessman. You don’t notice ‘whether his wrists still bear the marks of the handcuffs just removed py the two burly sheriff's officers in the corner of the room; you don't search for physical marks imprinted by ‘0 years in San Quentin, You just pinch yourself subcon- sciously and tell yourself that, yes, you arecreally here in Los Angeles County Superior Court chatting amiably with one of, the most controversial criminal figures of modern time. Seem ei! ot Tolson ———-———- Boardman ———-- Belmont ——-—— “*. ” Ooneow FOsOns ———-w— Rosen —————* Tann ————— Trotter ———_-_—_- Clayton ——=+—- Tele. Room ———~ Holloman ————-- Gandy i When_he’s gone you snap the cover on the—tanpe- | corder, thank the officers and the investigators jor their | kind cooperation and leave the jury room and the Superior :Court’s Department 67 behind. But somehow you don! ‘leave Caryl Chessman behind. Not only do you have him ‘captured on tape, but you just don’t forget the man whe has been called every name printable and some not so inice... the man about whom an anonymous d@uthor once | wrote: “Let Chessman get his justice in Hell.” That's not the Chessman you remember.-You remeni- ber that he was neatly dressed, that he was warm anc friendly to you, that he secmed honest, sincere and wii: ing to help. And especially you remember that his vocabu- Jary, his speech, his intelligence were as good as that of any middle-class intellectual. Why, this man no more dite the stereotype of a rapist-robber-convict than does your ‘university adviser. But as you finally get off the elevator and leave the cdurt building one question still remains unanswered: I+ ‘ Cary) Chessman—that friendly man fighting upstairs—th: “Hed Light Bandit” who left a bloody path of rape anc ropbery around Los Angeles in 1948. You'll probably neve. know. But Chessman’s first: words send fears flying. He is + friendly, well-spoken with a firm and modulated voice, and willing to help out inexperienced interviewers. The offhand manner with which he casually. answers your questions are good proof that this isn’t the first time ne’s been put on the spot in/an interview. ; 4 You sit down, switch on the tape recorder and spend thirty minutes tossing . back ideas between yourself and this condemned man fighting for his life daily in the courtroom. When the session is over you bid Chessman, his investigators and the officers goodbye, promising to see them again at 9 the next morning. a Today's interview goes much better than yesterday's. Both you and Chessman are more relaxed, more sure of yourseives. When the questions and answers end and the tape slows to a ‘stop, Chessman rises to go back to the courtroom where he will resume his debates with J. Miller Leavy, the assistant district attorney who prosecuted him in 1948. But before he goes he pauses to jaugh with you when you tell him that Dr. Baxter used the word"“chessman- isms” in class yesterday to refer to an delaying, beating- around-the-bush, legalistic putting-off action. | . Sf - aa 3 Wash. Post and Times Herald Wash, News Wash, Star _ N. Y. Herald 2 Tribune , * N.Y. Journal-_____. American N. Y. Mirror ———____ N. Y. Daily News __ N. Y. Times Daily Worker _____,.. The Worker ——_____. “w - . wee - TON yarn fede we AL