May 8, 1973

sources close to Watergate case rept on May 7 that Pres Nixon, invoking natl security, sought on at least 2 occasions within last 2 wks to prevent release to ct of details of burglary at office of former psychiatrist of D Ellsberg, Dr L J Fielding; Nixon, in 1 case, was said to have reversed himself after receiving contrary recommendation from Asst Atty Gen H E Petersen in charge of Watergate investigation; reptd attempt to postpone release of information came after Justice Dept recd memo on Apr 16 or 17 from E J Silbert, chief prosecutor in Watergate case; in 2d case, information was reptdly provided to Fed Ct investigating Pentagon papers case at insistence of Defense Sec E L Richardson; 2d attempted delay came after former Pres aide E Krogh Jr was told by J D Ehrlichman that Nixon 'doesn't want any more of this to surface for security reasons'; White House on May 3 issued guidelines to Krogh telling him that he was free to testify regarding steps taken about Ellsberg but advised him that he was not authorized to discuss details of specific leaks or any information about specific security concerns; Krogh, in affidavit rleased on May 7, told of receiving rept from FBI indicating that Pentagon papers had been in possession of Soviet Embassy in Washington prior to their pub in June '71, in NY Times; affidavit also refers to Times article on US position in strategic arms limitation talks; White House sources have indicated this kind of information was considered too vital to natl security to be transmitted to Fed Dist Judge W M Byrne Jr, presiding over Pentagon papers case; Byrne's decision to release Silbert memo reptdly angered many officials in Justice Dept and White House

Schuyler G. Chapin, acting general manager of the Metropolitan Opera since the death of Goeran Gentele last July, is virtually certain to be named to the post today for a 3‐year term. Page 36.

Watergate grand jury testimony of E H Hunt Jr and affidavit from former White House aide E Krogh Jr are released to public on May 7 at Pentagon papers trial; Hunt, in his testimony, says that C W Colson, Pres Nixon's former counsel, ordered forgery of State Dept cables to implicate Pres Kennedy in assassination of Pres Ngo Dinh Diem of S Vietnam

 

NYS Appellate Ct on May 7 overturns murder and manslaughter convictions against Mrs A Crimmins in deaths of her 2 children in '65; ct orders her retried on manslaughter charge, holding that prosecution did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that death of her son resulted from criminal act; Crimmins was 1st convicted in '68 of manslaughter, but conviction was set aside in '69 after several jurors admitted having made unauthorized visits to scene of crime; '71 retrial resulted in murder and manslaughter convictions; 4 errors in trial detailed; her atty, H Lyon, will apply for bail pending possible retrial on charges of killing daughter; por