it
was a
sickening and
to americans almost
incredible history of men
so fanatical that they would destroy
their own countries & col
leagues to serve a
treacherous
utopi
a
The Free Nations of the World, bracing for the holocaust, are fragmented and exhausted. Even sturdy little Judge Kaufman seems suddenly drawn and haggard, aged past his years, as he emerges from the synagogue, mounts the three steps to the bench, and in a hoarse faint voice charged with repugnance and something bordering on panic, tells the packed galleries: “These defendants made a choice of devoting themselves to the Russian ideology of denial of God, denial of the sanctity of the individual, and aggression against free men everywhere! I feel that I must pass such sentence upon the principals in this diabolical conspiracy to destroy a God-fearing nation, which will demonstrate with finality that this nation’s security must remain inviolate!” This is true; the nation assents: “Wickedness must be humbled and left without remnant!” The tumult of the cries of the common people resounds in the Courthouse at Foley Square. “No survivor shall remain of the Sons of Darkness!” Julius sways slowly back and forth on the balls of his feet; Ethel’s right hand is clasped in a white-knuckled grip on the chair before her. It is High Noon, and the bells of St. Andrew’s are tolling deep vibrating peals, as Judge Irving Kaufman turns to the atom spies standing mutely before him. “Plain, deliberate, contemplated murder is dwarfed in magnitude by comparison with the crime you have committed!” the Boy Judge rasps grimly, stretching forward so as to be able to see over the top of the high bench, and shouting now over the clanging bells:
I believe your conduct in putting into the hands of the Russians the A-bomb years before our best
Scientists predicted Russia would perfect the bomb has already
Caused, in my opinion, the Communist
Aggression in Korea, with the
Resultant casualties exceeding fifty thousand and who knows but millions more of
Innocent people may pay the price
Of your treason. Indeed by your betrayal you undoubtedly have altered
The course of history to the disadvantage of our country!
The Sons of Light fall to their knees: “O Lord, how long shall we cry, and thou wilt not hear?” Behind the fading echoes of the noontime bells can be heard the distant evil laughter of the Phantom. The whole world seems to be falling down, imploding upon Room 110 of the Foley Square Courthouse! But then Judge Kaufman gathers up his strength and says: “I have deliberated! It is not in my power, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, to forgive you — only the Lord can find mercy for what you have done! The sentence of the Court upon Julius and Ethel Rosenberg is that, for their crime, they are sentenced to death!” And then Uncle Sam says: “Those who have cast their lot with me shall come to dominion! Those who have cast it with the Phantom shall get their ass stacked!” And then the people say: “Bless Uncle Sam and all His unerring works!” And then Julius turns to Ethel and sings “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” It’s as though a great weight has been lifted from the courtroom. “Mine eyes have seen the glory!” They all join in. All except Morton Sobell, ever the spoilsport, now in a deep sulk over being sentenced to thirty years in Alcatraz. “Glory, glory, hallelujah!” At the conclusion of which, Rabbi William Rosenblum of New York’s Temple Israel, soon to enter History as the first of the Holy Six, steps forward and delivers a “Worse Than Murder” sermon, declaring that the death sentence would be applauded by all decent Americans…
Such acts of treason…are always an invitation to our enemies to attack us in the hope that they will find countless others who are ready to sell us down the river! However, equally guilty with these atomic spies, though they are rarely brought before the courts, are the men in our arts, science and even the clergy, who are constantly making appeals for appeasement of those foreign nations which any schoolboy knows are just waiting for a propitious moment to unleash their weapons against us! Judge Kaufman has done the American people a great service!
The Boy Judge accepts the many honors due him, gives his wife and J. Edgar Hoover a hug, then goes fishing off Palm Beach with Thomas Dodd, leans back, lights a cigar, and while the rest of the nation settles back to await the inevitable finale, lands a five-foot wahoo….
So, Sam cocked his gun an’ Dave pulled the trigger,
But the one killed the ‘hog was old Joe Digger!
The chil’ren screamed an’ the chil’ren cried,
They love groun’-hog cooked an’ fried!
To-my-ring-a-ding-doodle-all-DAY!
PART ONE: WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY
1. President Eisenhower’s News Conference
I was with the President at his news conference that Wednesday morning when the maverick Supreme Court Justice William Douglas dropped his bombshell in the Rosenberg case. Everything had been proceeding according to plan, the appeals had been exhausted, the Rosenbergs were due to be executed the next night, and Eisenhower had called the news conference the day before to confirm the details and remind the nation: “I think I am as implacable a foe of the Communistic theory as there is in this world!” The General had been submitting himself to these confrontations at the rate of nearly three a month since taking office in January, and this worried me. They exercised a visible drain on his powers, he seemed almost to deflate, to simplify, from beginning to end, and from one news conference to the next. As a precaution, we had begun weighing him — down to 180 already — but I didn’t need medical proofs, I could see for myself. He won’t last, I thought. Not at this rate. Can the Phantom see this? Am I ready, if it comes to that?