Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-11
STAPLES, ON STAND,
DENIES INTEREST IN
BURL|NGAME CASE
Challenges Policeman to
Prove Statement Made
Before Trial Board.
QUESTIONED By. LEAHY,
BECOMES BELLIGERENT
:kebuttal Begun Soon After Trial
Is Resumed-Defense Rests
Without Testimony.

orviAe Staples, former member Of the
metropolitan Police Department, whose
name has repeatedly been mentioned in
connection with the charges against
Capt. Guy E. Burlingame, took the wit
ness stand at the trial of the veteran
police officer this afternoon and vigor-
otusly denied he had any interest what
soever with the case or had made anv
statements he has been quoted as max
ing to police officers and others.
The extraordinary trial board called
Staples as its own witness after he had
been subpoenaed by the prosecution to
testlly In the rebuttal. After recounting
the story of how Mrs. Helen F. Blalock,
accuser OF Capt. Burlingame, had sought
MIN TO aid her In locating former Rep
resentative BlantOn of Texas, Staples
vehemently contradicted the testimony
OF defense witnesses Of conversations
they say they had with him about Capt.
Burlingame.
Staples then issued direct challenge
10 Policeman Irving Rosenberg of the
Iourth precinct to prove u statement he
made to the trial board last week to
the effect that the former policeman
had couple OF members of Congress
working to get" Burlingame.
Staples was willing witness until
Chief Defense Counsel William z. Leahy
started with the cross-examination
Then the former policeman became bel
l1gerent, shouted some of his answers
to the defense counSel's questions and
In one instance refused to answer until
ordered to do SO by Maj. Donald A.
Dawson, chairman of the trial board.
Denies Talk With BIanton.
As soon as Staples was sworn as p
witness Chairman Dawson began his
interrogation, and in response to
series of questions, the former police
man denied he had ever had a con-
versation with Blanton about Capt
Brrlingame's relations with Mrs. Bia-
lock and declared he had never visite.!
the studio of the palmist, although the
defense had attempted to show that
he had.
Chairman Dawson then asked him to
relate the story of how Mrs. Blalock
had appealed to him to help her locate
BlantOn. He testified the woman came
to his place of business, u lunchroom In
Bethesda, Md, with her eyes full of
tears" and asked him If he had ever
seen her before. When he told her that
he had not, Mrs. Blalock, he said, ex-
planned then that she wanted to get in
touch with Blanton, as she had q suit
case filled with documents involving a
police officer, some Of which concerned
his own case before the Police Trial
Board about q year ago. The witness
said he then asked Mrs. Blalock to tell
him the nature of the papers and she
answered, IT will not tell living soul
except Mr.. Blanton."
The rebuttal began few minutes
after the trial was resumed this morn
ing when the defense rested its case
without calling another witness to the
stand.
Six witnesses were put on the stand
by the prosecution which opened the re-
buttal before the luncheon recess, for
the purpose of refuting the story that
the charges Of Mrs. Blalock, are the
result Of q "frame-up" by enemies of
the veteran police oficer.
The prosecutions star rebuttal wit
ness. 1t developed. was Policeman James
p. Hendricks. whose record of service in
the Police Department exceeds slightly
in tenure the 80 years of Capt. Burlin-
game.
Served Under Burlingame.
Hendricks. who has been station clerk
at the second precinct for the last 90
years and served two years under the
accused captain, declared in the face
OF the testimony Of a number of de-
tense witnesses, among whom were his
associates in the second precinct, that
Mrs. Blalock had visited the police sta
tion often, he had only seen the palmist
there on several occasions and had
never observed her using the typewriter
IN the captains office.
The prosecution also recalled Charlie
Green. the colored expressman, who
contradicted story by one defense wit
ness that he had carried q galvanized
iron tub filled with dishes and alumni
mum ware to Burlingame's home for
him. Green stuck to the original YER
sion of his story that he had made only
one trip to Burlingame's home and that
was when he was engaged by Mrs. Bla-
lock TO carry a tub containing articles
which the woman testified were the Of
ticer'S unwelcome gifts.
Another surprise was sprung by the
prosecution when it called to the stand
Everett H. Parsley, auditor of the Ma
tional Bank of Washington, who testi-
fed that the $4,000 check which has
figured so prominently in the case rep
resented money which Mrs. Blalock told
him she was returning to a person who
had given 1t to her and she did not
want to accept 1t.
Leahy Rests Case.
Chief Defense Counsel Leahy an
at the outset of the trial that
he had no additional witnesses to put
on the stand for the direct testimony
of the defense and rested his case.
Assistant Prosecutor Fowler called to
the witness stand as the first rebuttal
witness Everett II. Parsley, auditor of
the National Bank of Washington.
Parsley told OF opening an account at
the bank for Mrs. Blalock, December II.
1927. and said at the time she was ac-
by Capt. Burlingame. Fowl
er showed him the $2.500 check which
had played a prominent part in the
case and asked him under what cir
1t was drawn. He testified
that Mrs. Blalock came to the bank
and told him that some money had
been given to her that she didn't want
to accept and asked his advice as to
how 1t should be returned. He suggested
that q certified check be used and at
her request he drew check for $2,50O,
under date OF January z, 1928.
Under cross-examination Parsley was
shown number Of deposit slips and re-
luested to identify the handwriting on
them. Some of the signatures he identi-
fed as those of Mrs. Blalock and others
IS those of clerks at the bank. There
we're few signatures. however, that
ne was unable to identify.
Questioned as to whether Mrs. Bla-
ock had mentioned the name of the
person to whom she wanted the check
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