Evening star., 1937-04-11
TOML|NSON TRIAL
AS MASTER MIND
OPENS TOMORROW
Lawyer Accused of Direct
ing Gang of CoIored
HoId-Up Men.
ROBBERY OF TAILOR
CHARGED TO TRIO
Two, Described as Accomplices of
Attorney, Also Will Face
Court.

]. William Tomlinson, 40, we'll
known Washington lawyer, is sched-
uled to go on trial in District Court
tomorrow on charge of robbery The
Government has accused him of being
the master mind" of a gang of COL
ored hold-up men.
TOmlinSon was associate counsel
for CASTOR B. Means during the
latter's trial here in connection with
the Lindbergh baby kidnapping hoax.
Two colored men, described as his
accomplices, will be tried with the
attorney. They are Philip John
Pratt and Charles Henry Bass. The
three are under indictment on a
charge that they robbed Sam Sra
TOMS, proprietor of a tailor shop at
30o3 Fourteenth street on August 18.
SiratonB was badly beaten with black
jacks by two colored men who took
S785. The Government does not
contend that Tomlinson actually was
present during the robbery.
Trio Under Indictment
Tomlinson, Pratt and Walter Small
wood, also colored, are under in
dictment in connection with the Fair
fax Farms Dairy pay roll robbery
March IA, 1885. On that occasion,
two colored men forced two dairy en-
ployes to surrender more than $4,000.
Pratt and Smallwood have pleaded
guilty to that crime.
The trial will be held before Justice
j. Dickinson Let's. Assistant United
States Attorneys Samuel F. Beach
and Charles B. Murray will present
the Governments case
The Tomlinson case will be followed
in Justice Let's court, probably Tues
day, by trial of Samuel Leighton
Frooks, So, Jackson Heights, N. Y,
attorney and former candidate for a
congressional nomination, and Mrs.
Mary Krieger, 35, former Oklahoma
school teacher, on charges of black.
mail and conspiracy to blackmal.
Pierce Was Complainant.
Complainant in the case was Car
roll Pierce, elderly president ana trust
officer Of the National Bank of Alex
andria, who died less than a month
ago.
Arrested last Summer. the couple
has denied guilt. Both are at liberty
under bail, as is Tomlinson.
Frooks was taken into custody by
detectives in a downtown hotel after
arrangements had been made for
Pierce to meet him there with $4,000.
Mrs. Krieger was arrested in another
hotel few minutes later.
Assistant United States Attorney
Roger Robb, who will prosecute the
case, said the alleged blackmail
scheme was concocted when Mrs.
Krieger went to the Alexandria bank
and leased safe deposit box. In do
ing so she was introduced to Pierce.
Later she is said to have threatened
to sue the banker if he did not employ
her, as she claims he promised.
Frooks supposedly was engaged as her
attorney.
Robb said he did not feel that the
death of Pierce would hamper the
prosecution to any considerable
degree.
Rhodes Faces Second Trial
Retrial of Fred B. Rhodes, former
head of the Fidelity Building & Loan
Association, originally scheduled for
tomorrow, has been postponed until
Thursday at the request of defense
attorneys.
The one-time banker, who also is q
Well-known lawyer, was tried several
weeks ago, but the jury could not
reach a verdict.
Rhodes will face another jury on
the same charge-that he forged
$500 withdrawal slip in the name OF
Desire A. Irr, IS K street an engraver
at the Government Printing Office,
who was a substantial depositor in
the building association. Justice
Peyton Gordon again will preside and
Assistant United States Attorney John
J. Wilson again will represent the
Government
There will be an additional attor-
ney for the defendant, however. He
is William E. Richardson, a friend Of
Rhodes of long standing. Richardson
said yesterday that his entrance in the
case did not mean that William E.
Leahy and William j. Hughes, jr.,
who conducted Rhodes first defense,
will withdraw. All three will be at
the counsel table Thursday, he said.