◆ SpookStack

: | By JOE NEVENS There “virtues of study” than Caryl Daily. Trojan Special Events Editor _ probably is no more violent example of the Chessman, who has delayed & date with death in the San Quentin gas chamber for ten years by expediently “cracking the books.” Breaking all: precedents, widespread nvtoriety due to the incongruous industry of a man condemned to-death. These ef- lurts included three. best-selling autobiographical. books. one navel (soon to be™ pubsished) | plus an extensive self-instruction | of the law. Prison Lawyer This study cof the law by} Chessman, though. confined in Neath Row and actually being .sneduled for the gas chamber on six separate occasions, “pro-{ duced an unusual* Jegal_ back ground. Chessman wrote le briefs, reviewed cases from an ever-increasing law library in his cell and actually conducted! his own defense from his cell and in the courtroom. Crimes committed by Chess- ‘aan, and to which he has con- ssed and the eventual judg- tent of the man.is not the province of this report. His judgment and ultimate fate will se decided in ‘the court down-; town, following the presentation! of arguments by the prosccution ; ad defense. The*Chessman case has further ironic twists in shat 14 people connected with the se have since died, including te fudge, Charles W. Fricke, ho first. sentenced Chessman to death. Diet of Crime Crime has many faces. It is growing and major problem in an apparently. progressive civilization. In the southern Cal- jfornia area alone, érime is al- snost a staple diet in the daily newspaper accotints. .. t.os Angeles Police Chief Wil- m Parker, just a few weeks zo, stated that the Jocal crime rate is alarmingly on the in- crease and pointed to the fabled San, Fernando Valley £tva-as-a8 potberarcriminal activi. | the Chessman’ caSe~gaimtd Local Crivifer—> Recently one of the biggest Jocal car dealers and several of his salesmen were convicted of| defrauding and cheating many{ of their customers. A suburban high, school principal's teen-age son ‘committed myprder, appar- ently’ unexplained, a short time time ago. Four of the first string of a local funior college basketball team, are making little ones out of hig} ones for acts of vandalism. Last | vear an SC grid potential was} jailed on robbery charges. And also fast year, two UCLA foot- hallers were arrested for steal- ing property from, a, Westwood! apartment. : Schaot Crimes Crime has many faces and many facets. It operates on the high school level and the col- lege level, covering subjects of vandalism, theft, violence, at- tack, narcotics. and a profound disrespect for law: and reason. In Brooklyn regently, a jun- Jor high school principal. who probably dedicated his life to education ‘and the proper culti: vation of youth, committed sui- cide. The suici vas attributed to pressures brought about by acts of rape committed in his junior high school by youths, whe—ix_zaglity cofrsmicced the ey VW murder of this principar~orswvas this the act that reflected tne capathy of a reclining socicty? Various Strata Also” Crime has many faces. Vary- ing degrees of criminal acts have been commiticd by mem- bers of the various social, and monied strata. The high-brow, the low-brow and medium-brow have all had their day before the bench and behind the bars Where then is the issue of crime? Where: and when can it be stopped or prevented? What is the cost of crime? How then does the rising crime rate af- fect the citizen, if noi in h + pocketbeok. then as a poter victim of a violent criminal act? Iucongruous Example Perhaps exemplifying crime in all its incongruities is Chessman, This man has gone} the route from a series of crim-; ‘Vinal acts to impriscnment, to” sYensified by noting hi ‘nal ability, yet previously ability was exercised in criminal acts. . Considering this entire pic- ture, the Daily Trojan decided: to gecure an interview with Chessman., Upon being granted! the necessary consent from all parties and cooperation from the court and the -county jail.! the interview was set up. Pretiminary Research Just before finals of last se- mester, we took the tape re- corder’ to the. Los Angeles County Superior Court Building. Preliminary back ground re- search was obtained by conver \sations with lawyers, reporters ‘Epolice, close friends’ of Che: man and his private investigat- ors. Chessman is brought to court each morning at 9:30 am. in handeutfs under armed guard of j two sheriff's deputies. Once in jcourt, the handcuffs are re: j moved. Dressed in g:.plain sui Chessman conducts his own de- jfense and, pleads his case to the 2 eexeay cy hqorthmpbained in his defense Onn Daren AY. Wirin and Paul Posner, | Los“Angeles attorneyye ‘parts of “e Tolson ———_——- Boardmen ———- Belniont ———— Trotter ———-— Clayton ——— Tele. Room —— * Special Inte: _On Wesnesday, Jan. 15, siding Judge Walter Ro Evar arranged to have Chessma brought over from the Los Ar: eles County Jail 4t 9 am. fc : this i intery: Jud j Evan ned the jury y adjoining the courtroom, whe. Chessman was pleading his for the half hour interview=Thr court was courteous in grantin jus the simiar facilities for an other interview on Tiurstla morning. Present in the fur room dur- Caryt | Ne the interview were Chose man. two of his rive fgatars, the two st dean. ties and your two Daily Trofn: editors. yore The following ave the saliqnt the questions at inswers of the taps Tek c hessman imerview ‘Spa’ being the only limitations. Wash. Post and —_ Times Herala . Wash. News Wash. Star i N.Y. Herald Tribune + N. Y. Journal-_____ American N.Y. Mirror ——____ N.Y. Daily News —_ N. Y. Times Daily Worker The Worker New Leader