DAY LEAD POWERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000400130003-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 19, 2000
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: January 16, 1963
• Content Type: PREL

UNITED PgffS-- . ------ ----'-ANTIARY' I`S; '11763 ---------------
INTERNATIONAL
CPYRGHT -'DAY LEAD POWERS
(PICTURE COVERAGE. PLANNED)
MILLEDGEVILLE. GA., JAN. 16 (UPI)--FORMER U2 PILOT FRANCIS GARY
SANCE FLIGHT OVER RUSSIA IN 1960 SPARKED AN INTERNATIONAL CONTROVERSY
MUST PAY HIS WIFE ALIMONY.
AND DECIDE WHETHER THE 33-YEAR-OLD PILOT WHOSE ABORTIVE RECONNAIS-
A. JURY OF 12 MARRIED MEN WAS EXPECTED TO RELIEVE. .,THE CASE TODAY;;
NESS TOWARD HER. "ALL HE WANTS IS HIS MONEY," SHE SOBBED.
LEFT HER HUSBAND A CHANGED MAN. "VOID OF ALL FEELING".-EXCEPT BITTER-
HIM TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT "EVEN THE RUSSIANS GOT WORRIED.
ATTRACTIVE BARBARA GAY POWERS COUNTERED THAT IMPR'ISONMENT- HAD
POWERS TOLD A DIVORCE COURT YESTERDAY THAT HIS WIFE ..WAS?AN HABITUAL
DRUNK WHO;; SENT HIM "CHEAP" MAGAZINES IN A SOVIET PR,I~SQN AND NEGLECTED
WENT AS LONG AS 45 DAYS WITHOUT A LETTER FROM HIS WIFE WHILE IN
PRISON. SHE WAS SO DELINQUENT IN HER WRITING. HE SAID. THAT IT
BECAME A MATTER OF CONCERN TO BOTH AMERICAN AND RUSSIAN OFFICIALS
IN MOSCOW.
POWERS, 33, PETITIONED FOR DIVORCE FROM HIS WIFE OF EIGHT YEARS
LAST AUGUST, SEVEN MONTHS AFTER HIS RELEASE FROM PRISON IN EXCHANGE
FOR SOVIET SPY RUDOLPH ABEL. HE HAD SERVED 20 MONTHS OF A 10-YEAR
SENTENCE FOR ESPIONAGE. POWERS CHARGED HIS WIFE WAS HABITUALLY
DRUNK AND ABUSIVE. MRS. POWERS, 28, FILED A COUNTERSUIT, CHARGING
THAT POWERS FAILED TO TREAT HER LIKE AN AVERAGE AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE.
THE HANDSOME, SOFT-SPOKEN POWERS. WHOSE TESTIMONY AT TIMES
BROUGHT APPLAUSE FROM SPECTATORS IN THE PACKED COURT ROOM, SAID HE
MATTER.
CONTAINED SUCH "CHEAP MAGAZINES" THAT HE HAD TO REQUEST OTHER READING';
HE SAID HE RECEIVED SEVERAL PACKAGES FROM HIS WIFE BUT SOME
MRS. POWERS TESTIFIED THAT SHE MARRIED POWERS "FOR COMPANIONSHIP;,
LOVE AND CHILDREN BUT I DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT." SHE
SAID SHE WAS UNAWARE AT THE TIME THAT POWERS HAD BEEN ASSIGNED BY THE,
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (CIA) TO MAKE U2 FLIGHTS OVER RUSSIA AND
ACCUSED HIM OF TAKING "OUR FUTURE INTO HIS HANDS WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE."
AFTER THE NEWS BROKE THAT HER HUSBAND'S PLANE HAD. BEEN SHOT
DOWN OVER RUSSIA. SHE SAID, "THE PHONE RANG CONSTANTLY AND THERE WERE
REPORTERS EVERYWHERE. I COULDN'T BREATHE OR SLEEP. I JUST SHOOK
ALL THE TIME." SHE SAID SHE "SUFFERED JUST AS MUCH AS GARY DID WHEN
HE WAS IN PRISON."
"THE ONLY PERSON WHO EVER MISTREATED ME WHILE I WAS IN PRISON
IN RUSSIA WAS MY WIFE, BARBARA," POWERS SAID.
SHE SAID THAT WHEN POWERS RETURNED TO THIS COUNTRY "HE TOOK ALL f
HIS BITTERNESS OUT ON ME." SHE DENIED SHE WAS AN EXCESSIVE DRINKER..`
Approved For Release 2000/06/30 : CIA-RDP75-00001 R0004001;30003-7'
 A $aveFJQ f'MidaltEZPOWDI/i;OHLC#AfMWR00WJE0t q 0 1 ERS' IMPRISON-
MELT. ONE WITNESS, MRS. CHARLENE JUSTICE, SAID HER FATHER AND MOTHER
HAD EXPERIENCED SERIOUS DOMESTIC TROUBLE AFTER'MRS POWERS ARRIVED.
MRS. JUSTICE SAID SHE ONCE SURPRISED HER FATHER AND MRS. POWERSi
"INDECENTLY DRESSED" AT THE HOME OF MRS. POWERS' MOTHER. SHE.. SAID
MRS. POWERS WAS ATTIRED IN A HOUSECOAT AND HER FATHER IN TROUSERS`,
AND A T-SHIRT.
MRS. POWERS DENIED THE ALLEGED INCIDENT EVER .HAPPENED AND SAID
SHE NEVER HAD SEEN MRS. JUSTICE.
POLICE OFFICER JIMMY NIBLETT SAID HE AND ANOTHER OFFICER ARRESED
MRS. POWERS ON A "DRUNK DRIVING" CHARGE JUNE 220 1961.
POWERS, NOW A TEST PILOT FOR LOCKHEED AIRCRAFT CORPORATION IN
CALIFORNIA,, WAS ON THE STAND AROUND FOUR HOURS. ATTORNEY ROBERT
GREEN, REPRESENTING MRS. POWERS, QUESTIONED THE PILOT ABOUT HIS
PATRIOTISM.
POWERS SAID HE HAD NEVER VOTED AND DID NOT KNOW WHO WAS THE VICE
PRESIDENT WHILE HE WAS IN PRISON. HIS IMPRISONMENT, HOWEVER, "MADE
ME APPRECIATE THIS COUNTRY QUITE A BIT," HE SAID, "BUT IT DIDN'T
MAKE ME APPRECIATE MY WIFE." .
ASKED BY GREEN WHAT HE THOUGHT OF THE HARDSHIPS HIS WIFE ENDURED
TO GO TO MOSCOW TO BE WITH HIM AT HIS TRIAL, POWERS REPLIED, "WHY,
I'LL BET THERE WERE 5,000 PEOPLE HERE IN MILLEDGEVILLE WHO WOULD HAVE
ENJOYED THE TRIP." SPECTATORS APPLAUDED.
MG222AES
Approved For Release 2000/06/30: CIA-RDP75-00001 R0004001`30003-7