Hearst’s writings may sink her

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34097, 8 March 1976, Page 17

Hearst’s writings may sink her

(By

LINDA DEUTSCH

of the Associated Press,

SAN FRANCISCO, March 7. In the months before her capture, Patricia Hearst wrote and rewrote her thoughts on feminism, guerrilla warfare, and the need to destroy monogamy. Those writings, placed in evidence against her despite the protests of her lawyers, are in sharp contrast to her witness stand avowals that she was always a terrified victim while in the clutches [of the Symbionese Liberation Army. Her bank robbery trial entering its seventh and perhaps final week, the damaging pile of pages in Hearst’s own fine handwriting could become a de-j ciding factor in the final: outcome.

“As women, our primary; focus was on becoming; strong female guerrillas,”; she wrote at one point ini the undated documents! found at the time of her ar- | rest last September 18. In another sentence, she declares: ‘Struggles again t sexism continued on a one-to-one level, but these; struggles just weren’t as important as getting the men to teach us about weapons.”

On a page dealing with the S.L.A.’s sexual mores, she writes: “We had to smash the dependencies created by monogamous sexual relationships, and to do this we had to destroy monogamy in the cell.”

Jurors, who will be shown the file of pages when they retire to deliberate on a verdict, are likely to be told in final argument by United States Attorney. James L. Browning, Jnr, that these writings reveal the real Patty Hearst — a strong and dedicated revolutionary.

These thoughts on sexism and guerrilla warfare have

through N.Z.P.A.)

been depicted by Mr Browning as the manuscript of a book Hearst was writing in ! her last days with the S.L.A. L The question which arose at the week’s end was whether ’ Hearst, fighting for acquittal, 1 would resume the witness ■ stand once again to give i jurors an explanation of her written words. “As of now, we don’t plan E to do that,” said her attor- ; ney, Mr Albert Johnson, but he indicated the possibility 1 was under consideration. : After, the pages were 1 entered in evidence, Mr ; Johnson spent five hours in . conference with Hearst at her holding cell in the Fedi eral building. That night, she did not return to her San ’ Mateo County gaol cell until ' nearly 10 p.m.