Evening star., 1937-05-27
T0ML|NSON MAY
GIVE SIDE TODAY
Character and A|ibi Wit.
nesses Defense Reliance
Up to Date.

Up to Date.
j. William Tomlinson was expected
to take the witness stand today in his
District Court robbery trial.
Since Monday the Government has
paraded witness after witness before
the jury in determined effort to
prove that the lawyer planned and
directed the robbery August 1s Of
Sam Siratonis, proprietor OF tailor
shop at 5000 Fourteenth street.
The defense so far has relied on
character and alibi witnesses.
On trial with Tomlinson is Philip
John Pratt. colored, accused with an
other colored man, Charles Henry
Bass, of actually perpetrating the
crime. Bass has pleaded guilty and
freely testified against both Tomlin-
son and pratt.
Woman Is Witness.
The principal witness this morning
was Mrs. Sadie A. Gentry, notary pub
lie with Offices in the Woodward Build
ing, who was put on the stand by de-
fenSe counsel in an effort to bolster
Tomlinsons alibi
She testified Tomlinson was wait
ing in her office when she arrived for
work between $50 and 10 am. on
August l8 and remained there between
20 minutes and half an hour after
her arrival
Pratt, the last witness yesterday,
was on the stand again this morning
when court convened, and most of
the morning was consumed in his
cross-examination by Assistant United
States Attorney Samuel F. Beach,
who hammered at him continually in
an effort to shake his story or confuse
him. Throughout, however. the COL
ored man denied any connection with
or knowledge Of the robbery.
Trial Justice F. Dickinson Let's
! told opposing counsel this morning
he intended to finish the case today
even If it required a night session.
The highlight of the session yester.
day afternoon was testimony by
lawyer, Dorsey K. Of1utt, who for
merly represented Bass. Did Bass
say to you he did not make his state
ment to the police until Inspector
Thompson and Capt. Keck promised
him probation, and said they would
see that he got it?" inquired Defense
Counsel James A. OShea.
Affirmative Answer,
When Justice Let's ruled the oues-
ton a proper one, Ofutt replied, He
! did"
Justice Let's then turned to the
jury and explained Ofutt had re-
ported the matter to the court yester-
day morning and that the court had
called in attorneys for both sides so
they might be advised of the situation.
The same question had been put to
Bass when he was on the stand Mon
day, but he denied any promises had
been made to him.
Earlier in the day Assistant United
States Attorneys Beach and Charles
| B. Murray voluntarily had with
drawn an offer OF a statement said
to have been signed by Pratt, after
Pratt testified his signature was OBJ
tanned, by Detective Sergt. Paul
Ambrose through promise this his
mother and sweetheart would be re-
leaser from police custody. Ambrose
denied such coercion had been used
Tomlinson's wife, Mrs. Josephine B.
Tomlinson, testified near the close OF
the day as an alibi witness for her
husband. She said he took her to work
In his automobile on the morning of
August 18, the date of the robbery,
adding she did not leave him until
8:45 am. The robbery occurred about
am.
Fur Coat Purchased.
Explaining how she remembered the
date, she produced little green diary
in which she had noted that she
purchased a fur coat on that day
She said she asked her husband that
morning as they were driving to work
to meet her in the evening to purchase
the garment.
Pratt was the last witness of the
day. Speaking in scarcely audible
voice, he said he was at his home, A
I street northeast, the morning of the
robbery.
His only dealings with Tomlinson.
he testified, were those of client and
attorney. He first met Tomlinson
through his employer, whom he de-
scribed as bootlegger, he said, ex-
planning that Tomlinson was his en-
ployer's lawyer. He later employed
Tomllnson as an attorney in two
traffic cases, Pratt declared.
Three colored witnesses also placed
Pratt in his own home at the time
the robbery was committed. They
were Mrs. Maggie Harrison, Ralph
Seaton and Maurice Pratt, brother of
the defendant. all of the I street
address.