Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-05
.BURL|NCAME HITS
BACK At ACCUSER
Attempts to Tear to Pieces
Story Told by
Pianist.
Continued From First Page

! persuading her that this was not the
case.
Burlingame denied that he had ever
| paid David Hart, assistant United
States attorney, any money to write
| letters at Mrs Blalock's request.
Capt. Burlingame then turned to the
/ charges made by Mrs. Blalock to the
effect that he had forced her to accept
| certain improvements on the property
| at 1904 Seventh street, where she moved
| after surrendering her establishment at
| 1906 Seventh street. He said that all
improvements made there were put in
at her request and under her super
vision.
During the period in which you
knew Mrs. Blalock. did she ever come
to your Office in the station house?''
Leahy asked.
Eyes, many time. She probably
averaged coming there twice a week
sometimes five or six times in a week
She made habit of telephoning to
make sure that l was in before she
came over"
Capt. Burlingame denied that he had
ever held any clandestine meetings with
her in the station house. asserting that
other officers, and sometimes civilians,
were present at all times when she was
with him in his office.
Capt. Burlingame went into some de-
tail to describe the manner in which
Mrs. Blalock relayed information to
him which she did not want customers
in her establishment to understand
tn n a e
her if she had decided which book she
wanted She would answer that she
had decided and that the names were
written on little slips of paper which
she handed to me. In reality. these
slips bore addresses where she had rea-
son to believe gambling houses or speak
easieS were being conducted.
Acting on this information, I secret
ly made raids which resulted in arrests
and convictions"
Capt. Burlingame also said that Mrs.
Blalock had furnished him with in
formation In the Bitner murder case.
Mrs. Blalock denied this when Che was
giving her testimony.
Burlingame also named several boot
leggers whose names had been given to
him, he said, by Mrs. Blalock. He sa--.
that he had arrested these men on sew
information she furnished.
Tips Reliable"
Burlingame said that the reliability
of Mrs. Blalocks tips was the best he
had ever known" He then mentioned
the name of policeman attached to his
precinct who had seen him 60 into the
palmiSt's apartment and come out with
information as to where certain law
violations could be located.
In response to LeahyS questions, Bur-
lingame said the condition of the Sec
ond precinct is at least so per cent
better than 1t was when he first went
there to take command.
He declared his police work was "his
life; that he devoted nearly all of his
time, day and night, to his duty, and
personally went ON nearly all raids con-
Quoted in his precinct.
| Leahy then questioned Burlingame as
to whether Mrs. Blalock ever used a
| typewriter, and he replied many times, -
and said he had seen her tipping. The
defense counsel next switched to the
| subject of whisky bonds which the
palmist testified were wrapped around
some money in an envelope which
Burlingame had in safe in the station
house bearing seal with the number
1904, her address on Seventh street.
The accused officer said he did not
think the envelope contained whisky
bonds because he had only served one
or two since he has been in command
OF the precinct, and that the customary
practice is to return as soon as prac-
tlcable all unserved whisky bonds to the
issuing agency.
Leahy again returned to Mrs Bla-
locks use OF typewriter. and in re-
Spouse to his questions, Burlingame said
that the woman had often used the
typewriter In his Office at the station
house and while he was there the door
to the Office was never closed.
Denies Possession of Key.
Burlingame subsequently denied that
he had ever possessed a key to Mrs.
Blalock's apartment, as she had charged
IN her testimony. He then told of one
instance. after the palmist had had an
attack of vertigo. when she suggested
that one Of the keys to her apartment
be kept in the station house so she
might call in case of an emergency. The
officer said he told her on that occasion
that the key would be useless because
she kept the door to her apartment
bohed from the inside
Burllngame then stated that the en-.
Velope which Mrs. Blalock said con-
tanned $4,000 in bills Of large denom-
ination actually had in it insurance
papers and other documents. He adj
mitted, however, that he had some Of
her papers in his safe at the station
house and had given her a card en-
titling her to claim them.
Some OF the envelopes containing
Mrs. Blalock's papers. the witness de-
clared, were sealed with red sealing
wax, with the numbers 1904 impressed
on the back. In reply to Leahy,s in
terrogations, he said the woman had
a seal which she had procured for cards
she distributed for advertising purposes.
When Capt. Burlingame finished his
testimony at 10 minutes of this after
noon. he had outlined framework upon
which his entire defense will be con-
structed
During his three hours of testimony
he denied categorically all of the
charges made by Mrs. Blalock which
tend to reflect discredit on him as a
police officer. These denials included
Reputation of all love letters which
Mrs. Blalock said were written by him
several of the receipts and business let
ters introduced in evidence and, the
most serious charge Of all, that he had
been intimate with the palmist.
Capt. Burlingame told the board that
the presence of his signature on the
Heartsore Daddy letters resulted acct
dentally while he and another police
man were trying to kid" Mrs. Blalock
Mrs. Blalock came to my office one
morning and asked If she could write
letter on my typewriter. I told her to
go ahead. She wrote the letter and
then, being. dissatisfied with its appear
ance, decided to rewrite 1t.
AT this juncture Policeman Carroll
came into the office. gave him the
letter to read, remarking Read this, Car
roll, and see If you don't think it is a
perfectly good love letter. Mrs. Bla-
lock snatched the letter away from
him and protested against being leased.