OS - KRONTHAL, JAMES SPYER

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06619071
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: February 6, 2020
• Case Number: F-2013-01784
• Publication Date: May 17, 1989

Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
B
nomfamo &HD MCORD OEIMM'
SUBJECT: (Optiondl)
KRONTHAL, James Spayer (U)
FROM:
OS/PS/SI&
SAD
NSIOP4 I NO.
17 May 1989
TA: (Minor doBienation, room nu velbof, and
building)
3.
DAT.
OFFICETS co
INITIALS tthem.
thar alach cornnu;Int 90 Aar/ froAi WhOM
It lino acron colnent algor onch canunonP.I
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
13).
14.
warning Notice
Intelligence Sources
or Methods Involved
4-6 Attached for your
signature is a case summary
to be forwarded to the DCI
should you so choose.
&�C`1(
--
StS1+,,t (b)(3)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
OM
1-79
ft)) us2 Pamous
mmoms
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
�
cf
14
0
a
&L.-0
St (.72-3
6frD u,/afl cin-,iruva,-4- 4-0 co2k cturAj
s 2 MAY 1981
(b)(3)
(b)(6)
(b)(6)
(b)(6)
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
661-A-4)�A.
-
/d1''Ll
C514- d L-zz-1,1
-`1
ec)_t
kA,6 II
att,4-
PviaL)
Le
1/1/-Ltab
cA,U-croc
Auew J2_,E_A_ -ic).../00yus2UrU
bL}-09,6cicsices
..7771/
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)D)(3)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
`-/-
sirl,etpvite6
LA.-cuiza
(b)(6)
(b)(6)
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
SECRET
11 May 1989
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Special Activities Division
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Special Investigations Branch
Special Activities Division
KRONTHAL, James Speyer
1. Subject is a deceased Agency employee who committed
suicide in his Georgetown home on 31 March 1953. Current SAD
interest stems from a request by C/CIC/SG, Ray Reardon, to
determine what information OS holds concerning Subject. This
memorandum will review the case and document SAD actions.
2. Subject was the topic of a Newsweek article "The Soviet's
First CIA Mole," published in the 15 May 1989 issue. (Attachment
"A") The article makes reference to the book "Widows," written by
William Corson and Joseph & Susan
Trento, which alleges Subject had been co-opted by the Soviets due
to his homosexuality.
3. The database contained no information concerning
Subject. SRD related that Subject's file had been destroyed in
the late 1970's, when many files over 20 years old were purged.
Subject's Security File information, due to its age, was never
entered in the newly-created Subject's polygraph file
was destroyed in October 1980. There is no information on
PD in ex cards except Subject's file number and the destruction
date.
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
4. OP/SAS was contacted and the Subject's Personnel File (W(1 )
retrieved from Subject's OP file contained several (W(1 )0)
WASHINGTON POST articles concerning his suicide, as well as an (b)(3)
Agency report on the suicide. (Attachments "B", "C") Information
in the file indicates that Subject's housekeeper arrived at his
residence at approximately 0830 on 31 March, finding a brief note
WARNING NOTICE
INTELLIGENCE SOURCES
OR METHODS INVOLVED
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
SECRET
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
SECRET
SUBJECT: KRONTHAL, James Speyer
(b)(3)
from Subject stating that he would be sleeping late and did not
wish to be disturbed. When Subject failed to report to work, the (b)(3)
Agency phoned and asked her to wake Subject. The housekeeper
called to Subject, but could not rouse him. Two Agency employees,
Gould CASSAL and were (b)(3)
sent to investigate and found the body at approximately 1030 hrs.
It was noted that an empty vial was found near the body. The
presumption was he had taken poison. Neither the OP file nor the
newspaper articles indicate what substance the Subject may have
ingested.
5. C/CIC/SG supplied SAD with a memo dated 8 May 1989 from
Gus Hathaway, ADDO/CI, detailing information on Subject received
from former DCI Richard Helms. (Attachment "D") Helms noted that
Subject was a bachelor and probably a homosexual. He further
noted that the polygraph was uncovering HA cases at that time and
Subject, feeling that his career would be ruined by a revelation
of homosexual activity, committed suicide. There was no thought
whatsoever given to him being a agent of the Soviets. It was
never determined what substance was in Subject's system. (Though
Helms was the addressee of one of Subject's suicide notes, he does
not recall ever receiving it.)
6. Ed Sayle, ICS/UDAC was contacted on 16 May 1989 and
reported that his information concerning Subject's case came from
Paul Gaper, then C/SRS. In August 1954, Sayle was assigned to
SRS and GaVnOr related the following information concerning
Subject dufing a purge of SRS records. It should be noted that
much of this information is speculation, and there is no
documentary information currently available to connect Subject
with the Soviets.
a. Subject traveled to Germany in the 1930's on business and
assisted in the marketting of art works confiscated from the
German Jews by the Nazis. The Nazis discovered his homosexual
proclivities and he was blackmailed. He was a close friend of
Allen Dulles, worked with the OSS in Switzerland, and was
later the Agency's station chief (W(1)
(b)(3)
b. At the end of WWII, the Soviet forces obtained information
from the Nazi files on collaborators and allegedly recruited
Subject by threatening to reveal his homosexual activity.
2
SECRET
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
, Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
SECRET
SUBJECT: KRONTHAL, James Speyer
Among other information, Subject supplied the Soviets with
Dulles' unpublished manuscript on how the Germans in Italy
were brought to the surrender table in WWII.
d. On 30 March 1953, Subject had dinner with Dulles at
Dulles' home. Subject was found dead the next morning at his
home.
e. Sayle believes that two WFO agents, including
then C/WFO, were the first to respond
to the scene of the suicide and went about "sanitizing" the
home. They were nearly arrested by the DC police. (There is
no information in any files to indicate ever responded
to the scene, or was connected with this case in any way) The
DC detective investigating the case (Lawrence Hartnett) was
briefed, and continues to speculate the Agency murdered
Subject. Corson has interviewed the detective.
f. Sayle also noted that Corson was a friend of the Dulles
family and roomed with Dulles and his wife in Georgetown for a
period. (There is one reference in Corson's file to him
having known Dulles found in an interview with James J.
Angleton by the IG) Corson received Dulles' diary from his
son, who wished to ruin his father's reputation. Subject's
sister, appalled at his collaboration with the Nazis, assisted
Corson in his written account.
g. Sayle states he was told by Ga/ner that the Bureau may
have spotted Subject meeting with his alleged Soviet case
officer(s) and reported it to Col. Sheffield Edwards. Edwards
briefed Allen Dulles. Dulles confronted Subject with the
information, obtaining a confession from Subject during the
dinner meeting. Dulles told Edwards, who in turn reported
back to the Bureau.
7. C/IG/OS, located the soft file on Subject,
created by SAG when William Corson and Robert T. Crowley
submitted the draft of their book "The New KGB," for Agency
publications review. A review of this file revealed the following
allegations from the book draft:
3
SECRET
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
,Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
SECRET
SUBJECT: KRONTHAL, James Speyer
a. On capturing Nazi Germany's files at the end of WWII, the
Soviets set about the task of identifying information
detrimental to Western governments and military commands.
b. Subject's file was located in old German police records,
identifying him as a homosexual.
c. Subject, while employed by a Wall Street firm in
international finance, spent four years in the 1930's
"fencing" precious art that the Nazis had confiscated from
German Jews.
d. Subject traveled to Germany in the late 1930's and was
compromised, or entrapped, by the Gestapo while engaged in a
homosexual relationship.
e. Subject worked for
later becoming
Dulles in Switzerland while in
the OSS,
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
f. The Soviets recruited Subject through entrapment with an
"especially imported 'Chinese' boy" and, co-opted him into
supplying a review of facts on the German surrender.
g. Subject returned to Washington, felt severe stress over
revelations of other Soviet espionage cases against the US,
and felt his compromise of information was a betrayal of US.
h. On 31 March 1953, Subject had dinner with Allen Dulles at
Dulles' home. Following dinner he went home and killed himself
It should be noted that the Publications Review Board (PRB) asked
Corson/Crowley to remove this section from the book. The section
was edited and re-submitted to PRB. PRB still objected to the
section as amended and it was removed from the final publication.
8. Additionally, the SAG soft file held copies of documents,
including FBI memoranda pertaining to the case.
a. A 31 March 1953 FBI memo notes Subject's death and claims
the Agency cleared him of allegations of homosexuality.
4
SECRET
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
SECRET
SUBJECT: KRONTHAL James Speyer
It also reports that Subject's name was on Senator Joseph
McCarthy's list of subversive Agency employees, a fact of
which Subject was aware.
b. A 3 April 1953 FBI memorandum concerning an interview with
John W. Ford, Director of State Department Security, notes
that he conducted an investigation of homosexual activities
among CIA and State employees in 1951 and developed evidence
that Subject was a homosexual. This evidence included a
signed statement from a member of who had (W(1)
engaged in two homosexual acts with Subject. (b)(3)
c. Ford further stated that Subject
Agency in the early summer of 1951.
and recalls Subject's
Ford felt Subject was not cashiered
close friend of Allen Dulles and that the Agency felt the
activity was in his past.
was polygraphed by the
Ford monitored the test
because he was a
d. A 10 April 1953 FBI memo reports that Dr. Magruder
MacDonald, DC coroner, reported that Subject's body had been
tested for narcotics without result. Two blood samples from
Subject were turned over to the FBI Laboratory for analysis.
Attached Bureau Lab reports found no poisons in Subject's
blood samples.
e. An 8 December 1954 FBI memorandum details an interview
with Agency employee George MUSULIN Musulin
stated that Subject left a suicide letter that the DC Police
found and was of the opinion that Sen. McCarthy had obtained a
copy. The Agency had kept the original note, but the DC
police had kept a copy. This memo also mentioned that Subject
learned his name was on Sen McCarthy's list and killed
himself, rather than face the publicity.
9. The SAG soft file contains correspondence between the PRB
and Crowley. Crowley, in a 2 February 1984 letter to OGC cites
public domain material available concerning Subject's case and
reveals this additional information:
a. Corson had interviewed Subject's sister,
5
SECRET
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
SECRET
SUBJECT: KRONTHAL, James Speyer
(b)(3)
She stated that that Subject's homosexuality was known to her
and family members from the time he was 13-14 years old.
who was ailing at the time, remains convinced Subject
was "murdered by agents of the CIA" and was an addressee of
one of three suicide notes left by the Subject.
b. Also interviewed was a first cousin
of Subject, who related information about Subject's close
association with John Foster Dulles and Allen Dulles prior to
WWII. also notes Subject's homosexual preferences
since late childhood.
c. Note is made of DC Metro Police records at the National
Records Center in Suitland, Maryland, which contain Police
incident reports on Subject's suicide, including three suicide
letters, addressed to: Subject's sister, Allen Dulles (then
DCI), and Richard Helms (then C/OPs).
d. Corson interviewed Lt. Lawrence Hartnett, DC Metro Police
Homicide Squad, in December. Hartnett threatened the two
Agency officers ( Gould Cassal, (b)(3)
on the scene with arrest for ransacking the (b)(3)
Subject's house and possessions. Hartnett believes this
disturbance of the crime scene made any .conclusion except
suicide unsupportable and still retains his investigation
notebook. Hartnett was never satisfied that Subject committed
suicide and believes the Subject might have been murdered.
10. SAD received a copy of "Widows" on 16 May 1989. Chapter
One, "The First Death," concerns Subject and is very similar to
the information deleted from "The New KGB." In some places it is
duplicated word for word. A review of this chapter of "Widows,"
makes the following allegations:
a. After the housekeeper did not wake Subject, Cassal and
"from the CIA's Office of Security," arrived and (b)(3)
iscovered the body. (Cassal and were actually from Ops (b)(3)
Training Office, Subject's office)
b. Joseph Speyer & Company sent Kronthal to Germany and used
the Speyer connections to sell artworks the Nazis confiscated
6
SECRET
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
SECRET
SUBJECT: KRONTHAL, James Speyer
from Jews between 1933 and 1940. (Speyer & Co was Subject's
employer from 1934-1938, as noted in Subject's PHS) Subject
became acquainted with several high Nazi leaders.
c. The Gestapo found out about Subject's homosexual
activity. This arrest record was found by the Soviets through
a penetration of the German BND.
d. Due to the emotional cost of selling the property of
people who were going to the death camps, Subject quit Speyer
& Co. (Subject's PHS says he left the company upon its
liquidation in 1938.) Subject returned to Harvard to pOxsue a
graduate degree, entering the US Signal Corps and later the
OSS when WWII broke out.
e. Subject worked with Dulles in Bern during the war and
later became One of his tasks was to (W(1 )
recover the art the Nazis stole during the war. (b)(3)
f. The Soviets' wanted Subject to become an agent-in-place in
the highest offices of the CIA. Soviets felt Subject's
friendship with Dulles would make him a rising star when he
returned to Washington.
. Subject was provided "Chinese boys" by the Soviets while
and filmed. He sent regular "packets" of information(W)
to Moscow Center. (b)(3)
h. Subject's Soviet handler told him to press for assignment
to head of the Agency's clandestine services. Subject feared
being exposed as a homosexual and a Soviet agent.
i. Dulles had Subject to his home for dinner on 31 March 1953
to determine Subject's next assignment. Subject left after
dinner, returned home, wrote suicide letters to Dulles and
Helms, and then killed himself. (Previous information from
from the Crowley/Corson manuscript said three notes were left,
the third went to Subject's sister. The new book alleges
Subject mailed a letter to his sister before he killed
himself.)
7
SECRET
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
SECRET
SUBJECT: KRONTHAL, James Speyer
j. Lt Hartnett, DC homicide squad, was used to covering up
problems from the CIA and maintained a large file of
Agency-supplied information on Washington politicos. (If
Hartnett was so connected with the Agency, why did he try to
arrest Cassal and .)
k. The book erroneously alleges that Subject's file is
"buried deep in the Archives of the CIA. (This investigation
has certainly shown that the Subject's case was closed, filed,
and eventually destroyed due to its age.)
11. It should also be noted in the Acknowledgments of
"Widows" that two references are made in appreciation of Samuel
Papich, who was then the FBI-CIA liaison working on Subject's case.
12. Based on the current interest in the Subject and
"Widows," SAD has taken and will continue the following actions:
a. Continue to add to the recreated security file on Subject
for future reference, basing it on information obtained during
this investigation;
b. Continue to interview current and former Agency employees
to gather information on Subject. These interviews should
include who is retired and currently living in
North Carolina;
c. Have a WFO officer go to the National Records Center in
Suitland and attempt to obtain copies of the DC Police report
on Subject's suicide, the autopsy report, and other associated
documents -- forgoing an attempt to interview Hartnett, who
appears to be hostile to the Agency;
d. Obtain information from the Executive Registry pertaining
to Allen Dulles' datebook for 31 March 1953 and verify the
dinner engagement; and
8
SECRET
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
SECRET
SUBJECT: KRONTHAL, James Speyer
e. Obtain copies of any FBI files pertaining to Su ject to
verify or discount the Soviet connection. (On 16)jay, ADDO/CI
contacted the Bureau to receive their files. C/C e/SG will
pass this information to SAD)
Attachments
9
SECRET
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
, � ; S77
-Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071:
�
TWIE.Z.COPT
iitce�
��� ir4,7
'4;;V:.:7A04."40--Vkl�!-'24174511,4W4T;,'L
Denied staff retreat and even mess privileges:
�4�1,�Titz,titiotttarlitttr.
''4?Mir;P4S
0 El T4t. 11 CI Ow
elatinna`tet-wee
Ge v
st �11-;7,u-rge�ii-
e
YVeke tar
ore
lin an -ge
. -Y. re
-
'tea submittedhj resignation last..
'
'
week. Health and Human
ices sources say
oop had been
orn a
of his own 4PPOintlneSe9s�
7-,anct denfe'd -
'ecreta�jLo�js ekin
xin 8 �
1�!n'ilir:IY6ate-Clinifi'''' room'
-,
* Though
K-4gave Jif reason'
for lee-'4"
.---.�-.12:,,11::1�u�g?r,e7a.lfalY;P-63"Poepilit'.RVthla-1:
,,,,..s.,4,ee-1,- --,i- .-.-Y,
b. 1.101...,p4offpf lifin't-Iwtdr,
r
lit: 1.1-1(5....rri;.fr_!.-sc_�.7nl'etai:71:ctliiini:70c,..444.hia:_.i.
ur appoinifirt-c''
preii.,_,-...slOW7e-h adrii'f--
�-� 0-
-�1,,,��*-4.?..: -.
CD OE
t'100 Iieavy Stge-De
ment prodding, zut the' en-
on last week finally .heg. an
drawing up cpninigencysplans -
or U.S: military in Pan-,
� �
ama, .a
ratinniurces,v
7�77A 77.77AAAV V1_sti"A7
say.. yptions�preperRa e
.Joint phieti of StifIrange -from
lie'eVanliatiniicitAikerfcatTcg,'
PendtTJ.Smilitaryleses
the':naeOt
entail lea4er,IVIantier None-
"
"The JCS routinely
" adies such plans for the prem.:4
ent, .%the delay on Panama-re-
aiYmilitaryPen n oppos,ition
:..140,vr,37tiAgon ere,, ese
irS"A
,rlyheto -appoint, muc
ess _lin't4earpoirie," rs
iienior White gouseliiffiCial.
�OthersonreensaithatKooP'S�
datroirersie
--itandsoirtragineifionierira".:
41,.azes,.ystres.singesfunationand
Xfin:�si-iL the S war.. for
CV'
�
OD �WOOD
:IF9ft g EA
arltp.d their firstxU. mole ,in the CIA in 1952 .
iiid'heWagta person friend of
Director uen,.Dulles,accord
new diook called 'as
:yif4Eir'a� ea ,..p..deitZir:
, station chief inBe n
--Switzerrian�'"d. ''47K-r-o-r-nth� al�VC 47;rn- -eSp 42".
itteIsuicidefterdnjjigfth
him
44. and, cosaiithora
an of clandestine
san and �:ageii-"Tr\""'
�iirathal P flt� 'say
am444e'-kn'-'1'w%-jfiriCi%94eazi�;i6 � 44"tY. 13.e:Ve
�-aars,,,Raier;,,thalt:the :Soviets
SA.,,,,s7,471�77,7 � � 7 ,
those ffles
with bOYS recruited ehinih7t
the Kreinlin'think the'
%CIA: recruiting dwarfs when
Sint: aoieliS'of
'fritiny-fiiii7e7iitilhe�TrO4cts-V
�.,��s.
enc head rte �
par, iaple7made ,Rtirsh5s7aidess" �-lley�,1-Va.,`rthis 'fall? Thies the
dory'24Faieaf2D.E*6513'8'::ie'rsiciii-
may - appear in a 'book he's: work concludes on the first day-
.VreecitoVelgei�bjitall:-W �SelitelltnitIA'offif-Aa'4
.*'WIP,4Z4'%+;;;�..:11&511
,..:4".��,-v�At7=�atm
MOUNDUPI
public witt
__,..,,,I,,turranforttLa -and 4rim
rct.:16tigatCW-1%fr4r�h4reiiis6t7rs a'"orff.7ein.1";:
�
rooa sport. ofIlloicnt's "rtisre7iliere ar"eno
71110s-Ste, sex
owsi.poin�, own.
,
Ronal
Oliver
SOOREBOARD
o t:141cf (3,)Ist r
,f`�.� pr'or.r.ii, fit � � eq. dt�- ,P
A's In? .s.51.2111W 41'4
nil!EMR121?
;."
new :method ,forst,cleaning
,niaSsi'Ve:.pil spills will
gefa real-life test is a re-
Suit of the Exxon Valdez disas-
ter. The Enyironniental Pro-
teCtion Agency month will
-begin determining the ability
79.1,stini Micronrganisrns to de-
.
quarter Mile nf oil-contaminat-
ed beach. The Microorganisms
consume the 'Oil,: breaking it
-iti;;;v7i'iii.f7:;:?..4arl3O'd'ilioidde and
water. Lab tests with therfaicro
A7...^.� � '7. �
organisms have -been_suoceiS- .
r�- - - +1� �
liar oil spill, the EPA
- use the tec mque on arger
t-vour from the tanker that
1- is now blackening Alaskan
! beaches: Using bacteria taken
'Prince : William Sound
that hv betensinixedNith spe-
cial `nat,r,ieritS:MitrOgen and
ain4hOrtisi and oicygen in a
biological reactor, EPA scien-
tists will i:inoculate" up to a
ttf� "
;last
LJJChristiciashin Aynn Sent
Redi;.15eifurige to
.;eds� 7.8f '
'But
._1(;iierliiltanI-cieritiolii
spouse recently,Jearned the
ffpncc-;`,$,17q
:lledtheI&use�icscomrnit-
tie, It ordered unopened bottles
ietarned4and,��npened ones
aid s
or by sonal heck
,fhen; li-loniihole:'" -*hen
Red was not Yet on the
�iarket. As "a' piomotionai
gift," the,panel's chief counsel
'ruled, it wa.s safe to keep: "
TJCY HOWARD with bureau reports
� --+� �� �
���,;rsissAs.s.
-`�Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 66619071.,
47-
,CiA Man Found
In 324$!re.ef orn.e;
Note :101131.i,e.s, Suicide
AdminiStiatiye Past
HiriOver $10,000
Yearj. POlice Cautious
An adininistrative . official of
the super-secret Central Intel-
ligence Agency was found dead
today in. his fashionable George.-
town home::
.The body of James S. -Kron_
thal, 41, of 1662 Thirty-second
street N.W. was. found 'about
10:30 but It *as nearly 1
p.m: before homicide police,
exercising ." unusual , :,.eaution,
would give out details. .
Lt.- Lawrence 'Hartnett of the
homicide squad said Mr. Kron-1
thal's body was stretched fully '
clothed, except for a coat on a
bed in the larger of two second-
floor bedrooms. , I
Note Implies Suicide.
On a bed stand pollee found
an empty clear-glass vial and
a page-long, handwritten note
"indicating likely suicide," Lt..
Hartnett said. He refused to
divulge the note's . contents , a
standard police practice.
A spokesman for .the CIA said
only that Mr. Kronthal was em-
ployed in an "administrative ,
capacity." He !refused to say,
whether it ,He
the handling
of matter 'involving' the -national
seaurity. His salary was More
than $10,000 a year. -.�
� 'Coroner A.= Magruder'.* Mac-
Donald went to the home to as--
sist in the investigation. 'He re-
fused to comment on the cause
of death pending an autopsy this
afternoon, ' � �
Found by. Other :CIA Men.
_ .
:Toth- ':other employes of CIA,
Gould. Cassel, 43, of. 3445 Thirty-
eighth .--street -N.W.,-, 'and Mc-
Gregor' Gray, .31., *of 4501 Walsh
street, Chevy Chase::Md., discov-
ered the body after Mr: Kronthal
failed to report to hi., office. .
An 'hour earlier, a Maid had
begun her work downstairs, una-
ware Mr. Krorithal. was dead.
�One policeman, said death 13.13
parently occurred about 12. hours
before the 'body was found. There
were no :marks: of
Agency' Works 'With Police.
The CIA was working closely
with the police_ in the investi-
gation.' �
Following .close-lipped prac-
tice, the CIA revealed little about
Mr. Kronthal. He had worked
at the agency "two or three
years."
A native of Deal, N. J., he was
born August 21, 1912: He was
graduated from .Yale University
In 1934 � and obtained a degree
from Harvard University in 1941.
Police said he had relatives
living, outside the city, but none
in this vicinity.
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
Certificate Wails
CIA-Officer
Found Dead,
Vial Nearby
An "important!' administrative
officer in the hush-hush Central
Intelligence Agency was found
dead in his Georgetown home
yesterday, with an empty vial
!beside his body.
I Police said the circumstances
and a page-long fetter to a friend
pointed to suicide.
The body of James S. Kronthal,
40, of 1662 32d st. nw., was found
about 11 a.m. -by two friends
from CIA. . ..
Police said the maid, Mrs. La-
vinia Thomas, of 2813 N st. nw.,
arrived as usual at 8:30 a.m. atl
the attractive, white brick home !
where Kronthal lived alone. She I
found a brief note from Kron-
thal, asking her not to disturb
. .
him because he wanted to sleep
late. She went about her work.
When Kronthal failed to report [
to his office, CIA telephoned the I
house and asked that he be
aroused. Police said Mrs:Thomas
called out and got no answer,
but hesitated to disturb her em-
ployer because of the' note.
According to police, Gould Cas- I
sal, of 3445 38th st. nw., and Mc-
Gregor Gray, of 4501 Walsh st.,
Chevy Chase, came to investigate.
Police said they found Kronthal's
body, full-clothed except for a
coat, on a day he'd in his second-
floor bedroom. An empty' vial
was on the floor. � '
Homicide "Lieut. Lawrence
Hartnett said investigators found
a hand-written letter- to ,a male
friend indisating Kronthal ;was
"Mentally upset because of pres-
sure connected with work.".
An autopsy indicated Kronthal
died between -10 p.�m. and mid-
night Monday. Actual cause had
not been determined last night.
Dr. A. -Magruder MacDonald,
District coroner, withheld a
death certificate pending chemi-
cal analysis. .. .. :
Kronthal, believed to .have
been unmarried, ivas 4 ioriner
, assistant instructor it -Harvard'
and a former Army' captain. He
wr he n : K.' ro. ne-
entered the State Department in
March, 1947, and, served as an
attache in Byeal�,SwiterIand.,
Records show ne left tA diPart.-1
' al "
icmre:tdiencliNnleady rl9a5sry2:a. , dice .
th th
ministrativ e s . spokes-
e sered i A n an "ad-
job
oj .
fide dh
m th to
,I man capacity" and his
was important"
; ,,�
N'. jrritha 1 e . 13.. was born In Deal,
Approved for Release: 2020/01/15 C06619071
*-77,,,m,rx.Y,rr4.,trMMr'
JAMES KRONTHAL.
Police Await Report
By Chemist in Death
Of Intelligence Ma
,The cause of the death. of
James S. Kronthal, Central In-
telligence Agency administrative
officer, will remain e a mystery un-
til police receive a- report on a
*chemical .analysis. � �
Mr. Kronthal. 40. was found
dead yesterday morning .on an �
upstairs bed in his Georgetown
home at 1662 Thirty-second
street .N.W. �
, � On the table near the bed was :
handwritten note which Lt. i
Lawrence Hartnett said may
'have explained the case with the
words that Mr. -Kronthal was I
"mentally upset because of pres-
sure connected with -work."
On the same. table was an ,
empty glass Vial.'Unable to de- I
termine what had been in it.
Coroner' A. Magruder McDon-
ald. ordered the chemical analy-
sis, which may ,not be completed
before next week. � �
Following its practice, the CIA �
revealed nothing of Mr. Kron-
thal's work there the last two
or three years except that he
was in an administrative ca-
pacity. His salary was more ,
� than $10,000. ,S,,.