Evening star., 1937-04-20
EXT0RT|0N
CASE OUTLINED
BEFORE D. c. Jury
Robb Reviews Evidence
Against S. |. Frooks
and Mrs. Krieger.
PAIR PLEAD INNOCENT
BEFORE JUDGE LET'S
Defendants Are Accused of At
tempt to Blackmail Late
Alexandria Banker.

A jury in District Court today heard
Assistant United States Attorney
Roger Robb outline Government evil
dence by which he seeks to convict a
New York attorney and former Okla
homa school teacher of a carefully
conceived scheme" to blackmail the
late Carroll Pierce. Alexandria banker
to the extent OF $4,000.
The defendants are Samuel l.
Frooks, 52-year-old former candidate
for Congress. and Mrs. Mary Krieger
IS, mother Of an attractive girl in her
teens.
The pair WAS arraigned after an in
dictment charging blackmail con-
spiracy before Judge F. Dickinson
Let's as the trial opened this morning
and both pleaded innocent.
Motion Is Denied.
A motion by the defense to dismiss
the case because Robb, in his opening
address to the jury failed to state the
Government would prove the defend
ants made any threats against Mr.
Pierce" was overruled by Justice Let's
Hearing Of witnesses for the Govern
ment was begun shortly before the
luncheon recess.
Robo told the altman jury that a
chance meeting in the club car of q
railroad train in August, 1885, led to
the alleged blackmail conspiracy.
He said the Government would show
that Mrs. Krieger "scraped an ac-
quaintance" with the elderly banker
during return trip to Washington
and that she determined then and
there to snare him with blackmail."
Called as the first Government wit
ness, M. Carter Hall, the late bank.
er's attorney, told in detail of his first
meeting with Frooks in Alexandria
early last September. He said during
this conference he charged Frooks
with being a party to blackmai
scheme and told the New Yorker
neither he (HalD nor Pierce woulc
stand for it,
Hall told the jury Frooks then re-
laxed somewhat in his insistence or
payment of the original demand oi
$4,000 and agreed he might be in.
duced to settle for less The Alexan.
dria lawyer testified Frooks had sale
that when he first met Mrs. Kriegel
he thought she was "a simple country
girl" but he had later changed hi
mind.
Under cross-examination Hall sale
he understood Frooks had suggested
to Pierce he should get a lawyer.
Robb interrupted the cross-exam.
ination with vigorous objection tt
"grimaces' which he declared Mrs
Krieger was making at him and the
jury. Justice Let's cautioned thu
defendant in this connection. Mrs
Krieger had been smiling, noddins
her head and otherwise showing hel
reactions to questions and answers
United States Attorney Leslie c
Garnett is directing the prosecution
personally. Frooks is represented by
William r. Berkson and Mrs. Kriegel
by John j. McGinnis.
Sought Political Office.
Frooks, a former candidate for {
New York Republican congressional
nomination, and Mrs. Krieger wer,
to have been tried last Thursday
but Mrs. Krieger protested that sh.
had no attorney and had been unable
to raise counsel fee.
Although the court some time be.
fore had designated Thomas j. Aherr
as her attorney, Ahern told the juris
that his client had not conferred
with him, and consequently he hat
not been able to prepare a defense
Justice Let's then appointed Attor
ney John J. McGinnis to represen
her.