Judges Seek to Speed Up Trial of Sheik, Hebron Massacre Instigator

Judges sitting in the case of Sheik Taleb Markah, accused of instigating the Hebron massacre, are making every effort to speed to conclusion the trial which has been twice interrupted due to the defection of the Arab prosecutors. Since the defence has still to call twelve character witnesses it is indefinite how long the trial will be prolonged.

Today’s testimony on the part of a Moslem shop-keeper on behalf of Taleb resulted in the confusion of the witness. The shopkeeper testified that on the Friday which marked the beginning of the riots, he was indisposed and remained at home, seeing from the window of his house. Taleb pacifying the crowd.

Under cross-examination, it developed that the shopkeeper had himself been in the midst of the excited crowd for three or four hours that Friday. This development brought from the prosecutor the query whether the little local excitement had cured him of his indisposition.

Judge Defreitas, who is sitting in the case, was exasperated by a witness for the defense, a Hebron Arab teacher, Kaleb Haseli, who was unable to read a map and who was confused in his testimony regarding whether or not he saw Taleb pacify the crowd, as the Sheik testified when he was on the witness stand.

The prosecution asked the witness, why, in his capacity of teacher, he did not think of helping to disperse the crowd of boys and correcting them in their conduct.

Leonard Weinberg, Baltimore attorney, was named by Governor Albert C. Ritchie as a member of the Social Welfare Commission, which will report to him before the next session of the Legislature on the social welfare needs of Maryland. Other members of the commission include a Catholic clergyman and a Protestant Episcopal rector.