Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-28
Leahy Attempts to Show
They Were Produced by
Speedy Typist With Light
Touch.
CAPTAIN SAID TO USE
SLOW AND HEAVY STYLE
Bureau of Standards Expert Is
Quizzed-High Police Officials
Summoned as Character Wit.
nesses-Many Privates Also May
Be Called.

The first definite Indication that
Capt. Guy E. Burlingame intends \,
deny the authorship of the collection
OF love letters which Mrs. Helen r.
Blalock has accused him of writing
was given today. when his trial before
the extraordinary trial board entered its
fourth day.
Although Capt. Burlingame has ad-
mltted that the signature attached to
the widely discussed "broken-hearted
daddy" letter and several other docu-
ments is his own, the defense made a
move to prove that the actual contents
and sentimental passages we're written
by some one else without the knowl-
edge or consent of the veteran police
officer.
William E. Leahy, chief defense coun-
sci. spent the entire morning cross ex-
amining DR.. Wilmer Souder, measure
ment and typewriter expert of the Bu-
reau OF Standards, in an attempt to
show that the typewriter letters were
produced by speedy typist with light
touch, whereas Capt. Burlingame is
said to be slow typist with a heavy
touch.
Testifies on Typing.
DR.. Souder is the expert who made a
minute examination of the typewriter
found in Burlingame's office in the sec
ond precinct station house and on which
ne testified on direct examination, all
OF the typewriter communications in
troduced as evidence in the case. were
written. After a severe cross exami-
nation by Leahy he finally agreed that
the normal combinations of letters writ
ten on the typewriter business COM
munlcation were piled together in the
love note indicating that the latter were
produced by speedier typist using a
lighter touch.
The trial board room was crowded
with the administrative officials and
ranking officers of the Police Depart
ment, who had been summoned by the
defense as character witnesses. These
included Maj. Edwin B. Hesse, superin-
tendent of police; Inspectors Henry G.
Pratt, William s. Shelby and William
q. Harrison and dozen police captains.
Three other captains were on the floor
below conducting the weekly session of
the regular police trial board.
The summoning of the high police
off1cialS as witnesses for the defens,
was taken as an indication that Burlin-
game plans to rely on his 33-year record
with the Police Department as a COM
parison with the reputation of hi
accuSer who so freely disclosed her past
life.
Aside from the Police Department
ofhcials the defense also plans to call a
number of police privates who have
served under Capt. Burlingame in the
second precinct. Most of these. II /.
understood will be used to picture Mrs
Blalock's visit to the station house.
The trial was Is minutes late getting
started this morning, due to the delay
OF Chief Defense Counsel Leahy In
reaching the sixth precinct police sta
ton. Burlingame came in behind him
smiling. II was l0:l5 o'clock when
Chairman Dawson called the trial board
to order.
Afternoon Session Opens.
Half dozen additional defense wit
nesses had augmented the Police De-
partment group when the afternoon
session of the trial board opened. These
included Robert N. Harper, president
OF the District National Bank. where
Mrs. Blalock had real estate trust
note; Daniel j. Donovan. auditor of the
District; Maj. James l.. Lusby. disburss
ing ofiicer of the District, and Mai
William l.. Peak. superintendent of tho
District Jail
Despite the presence of the lsrg,
group OF defense witnesses, Leahy con.
tlnued his cross-eXamination of DR.
Souder, questioning him In detail about
the letter characteristics and letter
combinations in the "heartSore daddy
ana other documents Line by line.
Leahy went over the words In the docu-
ments and called attention to the shad-
ing and other peculiarities of the letter
in further effort to show that the
business letters were written by a slow
typist with heavy touch. while the
love messages were written by a speedy
typist with light touch.
Souder Again Testifies.
DIR. Souder. who testified yesterday
afternoon on the result of his examina-
ton OF the typewriter on which he said
the love letters and other typewriter
documents in the case were written, was
recalled to the witness stand for cross
examination. He said he found the type
writer in the second precinct police sta
tion. where Capt. Burlingame was in
command. and was given most hearty
cooperation" by the accused officer and
others at the station house.
Leahy questioned DR.. Souder at length
on the condition of the typewriter at
the time Of his examination and the
defects in certain letters which he said
he had found in an effort to show that
difference in the indentation on paper
would vary in accordance with the pres
sure or the keys. The defense counsel
contended that the defects found in the
Keyboard OF the machine by the witness
were due to the individuality of the
writer. DIR. Souoer. however. said that
this was not always the case but he
declined to go into the individuality of
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