Evening star., 1944-09-15
FbI Used Pressure
10 Force testimony,
laughIin Jury Hears
BY NORMAN A. KAHL,
Star ltaff CORRESPONDENT.

WASnlngCOn aItOTney, cn&rBeu Will
impeding justice, to relate CONVEX
sations he said he had with q Gov
ernment witness who allegedly told
him the agents from the Federal
Bureau of Investigation had put
spressure on him" to testify against
Mr.. Laughlin.
. Earlier today, two defense wit
nesses told of conversations alleged
aly held with another Government
witness-Charles B. Wilcox, In which
Wilcox said he had been promised
q reduction in sentence for testi-
tying.
Noble Also Testifles.
: Also appearing in behalf OF the
Washington attorney was Robert J.
Noble, q defendant in the sedition
trial until his case was severed a
few months ago. Noble also told Of
meeting the Government witness,
Gordon Blalock, serving Il years for
his part in the Hyattsville bank rob-
berry of 194l. He told of an apparent
change of heart on the part of
Blalock who, according to MIR. Noble,
at first refused to testify against
Mr.. Laughlin. Earlier in the
Laughlin trial, Blalock told Of turn
ing over money to Mr.. Laughlin
which, he said, was to be used to
provide an alibi for Hilliard San
ders, one of the bank robbers, whom
Mr.. Laughlin was defending at the
time.
: Both Jones and Noble told Of
meeting Blalock in the Federal PEN
itentiary at Lewisburg, Pa. Two witt
nesses said that Blalock, who ad-
mitted he was the finger man" in
the bank robbery, boasted OF his
friendship with James v. Bennett,
director of the, Justice Department
Bureau of Prisons. According to
Noble, Mr.. Bennett visited Lewis
burg while he was there. Noble said
Blalock later told him that Mr..
Bennett had promised to transfer
: him to an honor camp in Virginia,
where he could 60 fishing"
Can Care for Self"
Noble said that when he first saw
Blalock, the man told him the FBI
wanted him to sign a statement
against Mr. Laughlin, but that he
had refused. After Mr.. BENEFITS
visit, Noble said he offered to take
a message to Mr.. Laughlin in WASH
ington from Blalock concerning the
FBI statement, but that Blalock had
told him:
"Oh, no, Jim CMr. Laughlin) can
take care of himself"
william P. CrosWhite, first to
testify for Mr.. Laughlin, said he was
in the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary
when he met Wilcox, implicated in
the Hyattsville bank robbery. Ac-
cording to Croswhite, Wilcox told
him he had been promised by Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation agents
a reduction in his prison term If he
testified against the Washington
attorney.
He said they had a secret in
dictment against a Washington at
torney and wanted him to testify
against the man." Croswhite said.
He said Wilcox told him that he
knew nothing about Mr.. Laughlin
but had been told that William Lee
Keefe, serving 20 years for his part
in the robbery, had played smart
why don't you play smart?"
Warned of Perjury Charge.
Croswhite said he warned Wilcox
that he would be exposing himself
to perjury charges if he testified
falsely. The witness then said that
Wilcox told him:
I'm not worried. I've got a big
shot in Washington to back me up
Samuel Rosenman. He's right next
to the President
CroSWhite said Wilcox told him
he had been assured by the FBI
that If Mr.. Laughlin was convicted,
you'll walk out free man" He
said Wilcox asked the FBI to give
him this promise in writing, but
the request was refused.
The witness also told of conver-
sations he had had with Keefe in
the Atlanta prison. He said Keefe
told him he had been promised
sentence cut by the FBI if he would
testify against Mr.. Laughlin.
Il asked him what he was sup
posed to testify TO-" Croswhite said.
He told me they wanted to impli-
cate Laughlin in the bank robbery.
l asked him was he going to and
he said he didn't know anything
about it."
After the second visit of FBI
agents, Croswhite said Keefe told
him, things were all SET" The
witness quoted Croswhite as saying:
L don't know anything about
Laughlin, but the proposition sounds
too good. Twenty years is a long
time, and If I can get my time cut
Ill testify against anybody"
Another Tells of Talk.
Another defense witness, Frank
Kane, former Atlanta Penitentiary
inmate, also told of conversation he
had with Wilcox. Kane testified
that Wilcox told him prison officials
and FBI agents wanted him to come
to Baltimore and "do a Charlie Nc
Carthy" for the Government in the
case against Mr.. Laughlin.
The witness said Wilcox had told
him his sentence would be suspend
ed or reduced If he complied with
their request. Kane quoted Wilcox
as saying:
They told me if they couldn't get
me they could get somebody else"
Kane also testified that Wilcox
told him he did not know Mr.
Laughhn.
Kane said he warned Wilcox that
he might recount the conversation
to Sanders, who is now serving 20
years. That night, Kane said. three
guards came to his cell and placed
him in solitary confinement for IA
days.
United States District ATTORNEY
Bernard j. Flynn concluded the
Governments case yesterday after
noon after presenting II witnesses
during the four days of the trial