Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-14

look it up. using the night service at
police headquarters. I told him there
was no necessity for doing this until
Monday morning."
Later McMuilin asked him il he had
looked up the license number and
| was told that 1t had been done. In
the alleged false affidavit, made by
| McMullin, the car in question was
stated TO be that of Horace r. r.
Lamb. special assistant to the At
torney General. an interested spectator
during the proceedings today.
| Acrimonious verbal clashes between
counsel. which occupied at least two
thirds of the morning session. gave
dash Of red TO an otherwise coiorless
| day.
| Mr.. Hoover repeatedly took excep
ton to the manner in which Govern.
ment counsel directed the examination
| OF the witness The Sinclair attorney
protested on several occasions against
trick questions" put to the witness,
| and on other occasions various or the
nine defense attorneys sought to block
testimony which prolonged the pro-
ceedings.
At one point. O'Leary asked OReil-
| w if his reports had always contained
| truthful statements" when Hoover
| objected The Government attorney
protested that counsel for Sinclair
was evidently trying TO protect the
| witness"
Resents "InsinuatiOnS."
| Mr.. Hoover's face flushed as he
| illmped 10 his feet to tell the court
that he resented this insinuation."
The records show that the Govern
ment counsel has been trying to
| trick the witness. Hoover protested
| and added that the Government eVi-
IDENTIFY was dissatisfied with the testi-
mouy 1t was getting from OReiily.
Frequent and bitter clashes between
defense and Government counsel over
| admissibility of evidence marked the
outset Of proceedings when court con-
yened for the morning session. In
| practically every instance. the court
overruled objections made by the de-
| Tense, reserving to them the right,
| however. motion to strike out the
evidence later.
Another violent dispute in which
| the court took mart also arose when
| Police Sergt. Frank Nj. Dent was
called 20 the stand to testify In con-
nection with the shadowing OF Juror
Kidwell, whose admission that ne was
conscious of being shadowed caused
/ a mild sensation last week. Sergt.
Dent said he had been about 81 years
on the police force.
| He Identified one of the Burns men,
/ Daniel r. Merritt. as man with
whom he had a converse ton on Octo.
Der 25, at the corner of Fourteenth
| and u streets southeast. While In
his automobile. Sergt. Dent testitied
that a man came out of house TO
make q complaint TO him.
At this point. defense counsel
sought to shut him OFF. Hoover OBJ.
jected that the testimony relative to
| the conversation should not be used.
AS an upshot Of bitter wranglins
that lasted for about 20 minutes.
Justice Siddons overruled the objec.
ton and reserved to the defense the
right later to move to have the testi'
mony stricken from the record. Justice
Siddons said each one OF the detec.
tives was an agent OF their employer
| Day. and for this reason. their testi-
| mony could be used.
Justice Interrupts.
At one point during the controversy.
Justice Siddons interrupted Attorney
Douglas. who represents the senior
Burns. with an admonition not to pre-
sune on what impressions the court
may have. II have no impressions
whatsoever except those founded on
the evidence in this case" the justice
said.
The court ultimately disposed of the
matter by holding that evidence al
ready had been presented in the case
tending to show that the particular in.
stance about which Sergt. Dent was
heing questioned, had been reported
today.
Permitted to continue his testimony
Sergt. Dent related that he had en-
gagged in conversation with a man
he identified as Merritt. In response
to questions put to the detective. Mer'
rift was said to have told the police
officer that he had come to Washing
ton that day. that he was salesman
and was living at the Wardman ParK
Hotel.
II asked him what he was doing
in the 1900 block of IT street Dent
said, land he replied that he had an
engagement to meet gentleman who
was to give him employment. He said
q this mans name was Ruddy, who also
was a salesman"
Dent said he then remarked that II
must be ra ther expensive living at tbs
|
ment. and that Merritt had showed
him his room key.
Boarded Street Car.
IT then told Merritt that there had
been a number of robberies in the
neighborhood and police officers NIGH,
misundersta nd il they saw him hang
; ing around the neighborhood." Dent
continued. Merritt then shook hands
. and walked away. put out the lights
on my car. ran around the block ant
saw that he boarded street car"
: Later under cross.eXamination
} Sergt Dent was asked about the first
man who had approached him. He
said It was some one who had spoken
to him about suspicious char
acter."
Government Scores.
The Government scored heavily yes
. terday before putting on the three
final witnesses during the afternoon
In direct conflict with the denia
made by MIR. Day in his answer t.
the contempt charge. it was establish
ed through two local real estate men
Britton Browne and Robert c. Dove
. that the Sinclair Oficial had made in
quiries through them relative to :
mortgage on the residence of Juro
John p. Kern
. On the top of this evidence cam'
other testimony calculated by the Gov
. ernment to show that Mark B. Thomr
son, attorney for Albert B. Fall. for
rner Secretary Of the Interior and CO
- defendant in the Teapot Dome case
Y knew Of the jury shadowing by tn
Y Burns detectives. This testimony b.
;. Dan NJ Jackson. an attorney in tn
Department of Justice. was admitte
on promise by the Government I
connect il with the respondents late
I Ia he proceedings.