The Washington times., 1937-07-17
STATE 'N0LLES'
CASES OF 7 IN
'B0NDRACKET'

UPPER MARLBORO, Nd, July
17-Charges Of conspiracy to OBJ
struct justice against two Of the
policemen indicted last fall in the
Prince Georges County police in
vestigation were nolle pressed late
yesterday as the State rested its
case against the seven police, a
bondsman and a former justice OF
the peace.
The prosecution dropped How
ard Slater and Maurice Hampton
from the blanket conspiracy in
dictments after several witnesses
expected to testify in the proScu-
tion failed to appear in court.
After hearing only one defense
witness yesterday afternoon, court
adjourned until Tuesday morning.
Lawyer Refutes Charge
John S. White, Hyattsville at
torney and county delegate to the
State Legislature. was the first
witness to take the stand in the
defense of the indicted men. He
denied the prosecutions charge
that he had served as an inter
mediary in the fixing Of a traffic
case. He stated that he had re-
ceived $50 as his fee for represent
ing Woodrow Brice, Of Washing
ton, one of the States witnesses,
and having a traffic charge
against him lowered in order that
his permit would be saved.
Brice had previously testified
that he had posted $151.70 collat-
eral on a charge of driving at a
speed exceeding so miles an hour
on the Baltimore Boulevard. He
told the court that he had later
received a cash refund of only $25
from White, forfeited collateral OF
only $11.70 in court, and that the
balance had gone to fix the case.
On the stand Brice denied that
he had ever retained White as q
lawyer or that he had ever signed
a receipt for the $25 paid to White.
He stated that the paper he had
signed was blank sheet when he
wrote his name on it.
Lawyers Version
White told the court that he
had taken the case on the advice
Of a Washington attorney and had
succeeded in getting the speeding
charge reduced from so miles an
hour to As. He said that he had
received a cash refund of $40
from Herbert Moffat, the magiS-
trate; had given $25 back to Brice,
paid $25 to the other lawyer, paid
$11.70 as the forfeited collateral
on the speeding charge, and kept
$50 as his own fee. He denied
that Warren Peake, the arreSting
officer, who is under indictment,
had introduced him to Brice, and
stated that the receipt Brice had
signed was fully made out at the
time Of signature.
Defense attorneys, headed by
LanSdale G. SaSScer, of Upper
Marlboro, would not discuss what
tactics they expect to use in the
defense of the seven indicted men
at the reopening of court Tuesday,
but it is expected that they will
try to prove that the witnesses who
testified in the prosecution were
biased and that they had been
"blackjacked" into testifying be.
fore the grand jury and the court.
Character Witnesses
The defense opened its case
with an impressive array Of char
acter witnesses who testified as to
the reputation for truth and hon.
eSty of the indicted men.
The character witnesses In
cluded G. Hodges Carr, merchant
Of Hyattsville: william A. Shep-
herd, treasurer Of the town Of
Hyattsville: Ernest Gasch, funeral
director of Hyattsville; Bushrod
Nash, postmaster of Brentwood;
T. Hammond Welsh, secretary of
the Hyattsville Building and Loan
Association; Arthur H. Seidenspin-
ner, of Riverdale: william A.
DuYall. OF HyattSYille: c. Eugene