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UNITED STATES GOVE ¢ “JENT. M em orandui - Soe Mr, amphi y pare: 2/17/60 From :W, D, Griffith A. Z sunject:APPEAL OF CARYL CHESSMAN “REFERENCE TO OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA woe HANDWRITING EXPERT J. ‘L, STERNITZKY ; ; i On February 16, 4860, the Washington Capital News Service carries an item concerning a final appeal in behalf of Chessman to'Justice Felix Frankfurter (Chéssman is to be executed Friday morning in California's gas chamber.) The news item states Chessman's appeal "included an affidavit by an Oakland, Calif. , | handwriting expert J. L--Sternitzky, who said a substitute shorthand reporter wno transcribed the trial forged some of his notes."' The Director has asked "What 1 do we know of him?" . be o There is no record in Bureau files definitely identifiable with | this . | individual, hoe? } ae Lys San Francisco advised by teletype today thatSternitzky is eighty years old and retired head of-Oakland Police Department Cneck Detail. Sterniizky~ retired from Police Department in 1949, after twenty-eight years service. During his service with the Police Department Sternitzky qualified in court as an expert . on handwriting with respect to fraudulent checks only. Stérnitzky now docs a price little general investigative work, is considered honest although due to his age “-’ itis considered he has a “fading mind." San Francisco teletype quotes an item appearing this morning in the “ San Francisco papers concerning this matter which is pertinent to Sternitzky's affidavit "Most of the documentary evidence has been considered and rejected by state or Federal courts. An example is an affidavit from a former Oakland [Potceman, J. L. Sternitzky, who says he is a handwriting expert and that some of the shorthand notes of Chessman's original Los Angeles trial are 2 forged. " ReC- 66 44 , - RECOMMENDATION: None, For your informations qxc« s=0:= ap 1 - Mr, DeLoach, Room 5640” i=" if FEB 22 3960 fi ; oa “og Ws LW, am > an WDG:mb “~~ ie £ & \ SRPEB 25 wee