Judge Orders Rosenberg Evidence Kept Secret

Evidence that could clear the name of Ethel Rosenberg must stay under wraps to protect grand jury secrecy, a judge ruled yesterday. Ethel and husband Julius were executed in 1953 for passing atomic secrets to the Soviets. Her brother David Greenglass, who testified against her, has since said he lied about Ethel's role to protect his own wife from prosecution. But he has requested that his grand jury testimony not be made public.

Greenglass, now 86, served a decade in prison for his part in the conspiracy. "He may be a scoundrel, he may be a hypocrite, he may be a liar," the judge conceded. But he added, "It's no easy task to compare the value of accountability with grand jury secrecy." The evidence may be released after Greenglass' death. (More Communists stories.)