The Case of Scientist X

Almost as soon as they began trailing Scientist X around Berkeley, Calif, back in 1943, atomic security agents began to have grave doubts about his reliability. Though he toiled faithfully enough at his work at the University of California's radiation laboratories, the agents reported that he was cozying up after hours to Steve Nelson, a known Communist leader. But it was not until 1949 that the House Un-American Activities Committee identified Scientist X as a black-haired young physicist named Dr. Joseph W. Weinberg, and flatly accused him of passing wartime atomic secrets to Nelson.

Dr. Weinberg, then teaching at the University of Minnesota, denied the accusation with equal flatness. An attempt to charge him with contempt failed in court, but last year he was indicted on three counts of perjury: that he had lied 1) in denying that he had been a Communist, 2) in denying that he had attended more than one party meeting, and 3) in denying that he knew Nelson.

Making the charges stick, however, was not so easy. The 36-year-old physicist looked worried when his trial began, but as it wore on in a Washington federal court last week, his spirits rose. The Government dropped one charge against him, the court threw out another. Only the first count remained at the trial's conclusion.

The jury's verdict: not guilty. Judge Alexander Holtzoff had no doubt that the jurymen had acted conscientiously and discharged their duty. But, he added: "The court does not approve of your verdict." Commented Weinberg: "I am happy to prove my innocence . . ."

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