Typed Letter, Signed, on US Supreme Court Letterhead, Framed by Manuscript; Frankfurter, Felix; Stryker, Lloyd P - 1935

1935. Washington, DC, November 29, 1950. Washington, DC, November 29, 1950. Frankfurter Letter to a Distinguished Lawyer Concerning Alger Hiss [Manuscript]. Frankfurter, Felix [1882-1965]. [Stryker, Lloyd Paul (1885-1955)]. [Typed Letter, Signed (With Full Signature), On U.S. Supreme Court Letterhead, Washington, DC, November 29, 1950]. Single-page letter on 10" x 8" sheet and 7"x 5" portrait photograph of Frankfurter in judicial attire in attractively matted and glazed 15-1/2" x 19-1/2" frame. Light toning to letter, four related clippings affixed to rear of frame. $2,500. * Alger Hiss [1904-1996], one of Frankfurter's proteges, was an American government official who was accused in 1948 of spying for the Soviet Union during the 1930s. Because the statute of limitations for espionage had expired by 1948, he was indicted for perjury. He was tried twice, once 1949 and again in 1950. His first trial ended with a hung jury, his second with a conviction. To this day, Hiss's guilt remains a matter of debate. In the first trial, Stryker, arguably the most famous American defense lawyer since Clarence Darrow, was Hiss's lead counsel; Frankfurter was one of several notable character witnesses who testified on Hiss's behalf. In his letter, Frankfurter notes, "Time has not lessened my naive surprise that denial should seriously be contemplated of the duty to give relevant testimony where a man's fate is at stake, simply because the witness happens to be a judge." He goes on, "But you have every right to feel that you lived up to the best traditions of our profession by your share in the Hiss case." Note: Letter not examined out of the frame.