February 2014 Auction Ends Thursday, February 27th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/27/2014
Richard Nixon handwritten notes on the notorious Alger Hiss case. Nixon, as a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee, rose to national prominence for spearheading the highly publicized prosecution of the accused Soviet spy on charges of perjury. Nixon's extensive notes might have been written during the trial itself, or perhaps later for speaking engagements on the subject. Notes name the key players - Alger Hiss, Whittaker Chambers, Bert Andrews - and touch on a multitude of aspects of the trial, including testimony, lie detector tests and his personal opinion on the case as it unfolded, the ''...most controversial congressional hearing in history...'' In small part, ''...the counterattack almost blasted us off the map...How it started: 1) I first saw Ch [Chambers] on Aug. 3 - a heavyset man - quiet - an amazing story...the 8 people - Hiss to break away - His importance at Yalta...the counterattack...The weak spots: 1) Picture identification / ...qualified answer - Even if shown he did / could not be guilty of perjury / 4) What motive could he have? 3) Chambers backed up by friends on the charge 4) New York to hear Chambers: / a) couldn't prove he was a commie / b) if he knew him - could prove that c) So we asked him how well he knew him: 1) Hobbies 2) [illegible], 3) business as a boy 4) car...important later 5) where he lived - 6) cocker dog at kennel - d) Lie detector test...'' Notes run 5pp. on 5 separate sheets of yellow ruled legal-sized stationery. Measures 8'' x 12.5''. Four pages are written in pencil and stapled together. Loose page in ink has staple punctures to upper left. Some creasing and coffee stains, else near fine.
Richard Nixon's Amazing Handwritten Notes on Alger Hiss -- The Trial That Put Nixon's Career on the Map -- ''couldn't prove he was a commie...the counterattack almost blasted us off the map''
Click above for larger image.