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Lawyers Halt Character Boosting—The government was blocked today in an attempt to show that FBI informer Boyd iF. Douglas Jr., led an exemplary life of “sterling character” since he stopped reportingon the Harrisburg Seven antiwar activities in 1970.Douglas* testimony ended at'mid-morning of his 14th day on the witness stand as the key government witness in its attempt to prove that the Rev.Philip F. Berrigan and six other opponents of the Vietnam war plotted to kidnap Henry A. Kissinger and sabotage Washington heating systems.DEFENSE OBJECTIONSprevented William S. Lynch, chief prosecutor, from a line of questions which would have taken Douglas into an allegedly 4‘hard working, dependable” life he has led in the last •18 months — after a career of forgery, con man activities, and impersonations that began in 1956.O n cross-examination,defense attorneys had implied that Douglas began copying letters to and from Berrigan in prison because he originallyhad the idea of using them to extort money from donors to •the Catholic Left peace movement, including Berrigan himself.After copying a few letters,(Douglas on June 3, 1970, became an FBI informer and turned over more than a score of allegedly criminally con-spiratory letters to the FBI.4‘You were asked if you ha4sa corrupt economic motive iiv copying the letters,*’ Lynch said. “Did you have an extort tionate intent?”1 *“I did not,” Douglas replied^ Lynch brought out that after^his testimony helped indict the,, seven here in January, 1971, •Douglas had gone to Phoenixr. Ariz., and had been employed and then settled in De$.(Moines, Iowa, where he,^worked as a salesman in thermens’ clothing department ofa large store.
Newspaper Details
El Paso Herald Post
El Paso, Texas, US
Thu, Mar 16, 1972
Page 22
Full Page
Clipped by
Madison H.
NA, 25 May 2023
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