Evening star., 1937-03-24
DAWSON CHARGES
TAPPING OF WIRES
Alexandria Mayor Says He
Was Advised to End Life
During investigation.
BY stafr Correspondent Of The Star.


Mayor Emmett c. Dawson told
Federal Court jury today that his ,tele-
phone wires were tapped and he re-
celved several letters advising him to
commit suicide while authorities were
investigating charges that he con-
cealed assets in a bankruptcy proceed
ing.
When the Mayor left the stand for
the luncheon recess his attorneys an
nounced that Secretary Of War Wood
ring would be called as character
witness
Dawson, who is on trial as q result
OF the bankruptcy case charge, said
while being cross-examined by District
Attorney Sterling Hutcheson:
I know my telephone wires were
tapped plenty during the investiga-
ton"
AS Federal Bureau Of Investigation
agents helped in the case. Hutcheson
asked:
DO you insinuate that F. B. I.
agents did the tapping?"
L don't insinuate anything, l am
merely stating the facts" Dawson re-
piled, adding that on several occasions
while he was carrying on telephone
conversations voices would interrupt
to advise him to commit suicide "as
the best way out"
Denies All Charges.
Dawson categorically denied all allie
cations of concealment of assets and
making false statements in a bank
ruptcy proceeding, as charged in two
indictments returned by grand Jury
last June.
AS the trial went into its third day.
Mrs. Dawson, who recently underwent
major operation, appeared and will
probably take the stand as a surprise
witness for her husband. Mrs. Davi-
son was supported as she came into
the building, by a nurse and her
daughter, Mrs. Laura M. Heflin. She
is expected to explain the transfer of
savings and checking accounts in the
Citizens National Bank of Alexan-
dria, which were involved in the
charges contained in the indictment.
Dawson, the first witness for the de-
tense, was on the stand throughout
the morning explaining the intricate
financial system of the International
Association of Machinists, of which he
is general secretary and treasurer,
job he has held for 20 years.
Said Account Overdrawn.
Under questioning by Attorney Will
ham E. Leahy, chief of defense counsel,
and cross-eXamination by District At
torney Sterling Hutcheson, Dawson
explained he had overdrawn his ac-
count with the association when he
drew check for S3876l shortly before
the petition in bankruptcy was filed. 1t
was on the statement of Dawson that
he had no salary coming to him and
no cash on hand that the charge was
based.
With the surprise appearance Of
Mrs. Dawson and two other unan-
nounced witnesses, the defense was ex-
pected to take the remainder of the
day The jury probably will not get
the case before tomorrow, according
to attorneys on both sides.
Judge Luther B. Way yesterday over
ruled motion for directed verdict
argued by Leahy.
Leahy has sought to show that while
Dawson might have known of the
accounts, they were in the names of
his wife and his daughter, and that
he exercised no control over the
money
One Had Joint Account.
Testimony by officers of the bank
Showed Dawson at one time had
an account there and that he
later transferred it to a Joint ac-
count with his wife. Mrs. Dawson,
according to the contentious of the
defense, withdrew the money without
the knowledge of Dawson and de-
posted it in her own name and that
Of her daughter
Leahy'S plea for a directed verdict
was made after Mrs. Sadie Robinette,
secretary to Dawson as general secre-
tary-treasurer of the International
Association Of Machinsts, had testified
that she had supervised the drawing
of salary check for S38761 at about
the time Dawson made his declara-
tlons. Dawson denied knowledge of
this check when he filled out the
schedule
During the argument Leahy called
attention to ledger sheet taken from
the files of the Machinists' Association
which showed, he claimed, that Davi-
son told the truth when he said no
salary was due him from that organ
ization since the ledger carried a no.
tation that the check represented an
overdraft for nearly the entire amount.
Judge Way held that to grant the
directed verdict plea would be to in
wade the province of the jury.
Leahy and Harry F. Kennedy, who
has represented Dawson since before
the petition in bankruptcy was filed,
indicated today they will present only
two or three witnesses before closing
their case