Evening star., 1944-09-15
Witness for Laughlin
Says Convict Claimed
Rosenman' 5 Backing

Testimony Attacks
Man Who Appeared
For Government
BY NORMAN A. KAHL,
star Staff Correspondent.
BALIIMOHE, Sept. 15.-The first
witness for Attorney James J.
Laughlin. on trial In Federal Court
here on charges OF impeding justice.
today told Of = conversation he said
he had with q Government witness
In which the other man boasted Of
enjoying the protection Of Judge
Samuel Rosenman, White House
confidant.
William p. Croswhite said he was
In the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary
when he met Charles B. Wilcox, i'm
plicated In the Hyattsville bank
robbery In 1941 and who was
here to testify against Mr..
Laughlin. According to Croswhite.
Wilcox told him he had been prom
ised by Federal Bureau Of Investi-
cation agents . reduction in his
prison term II he testified against
the Washington attorney.
He said they had q secret In
dictment against q Washington at
torney and wanted him to testify
against the man." Croswhite said.
He said Wilcox told him that he
knew nothing about Mr.. Laughliri
but had been told that william Leo
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 q 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 II Mr.. Laughlin was convicted,
you'll walk out a 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 q
sentence cut by the FBI if he would
testify against Mr.. Laughlin.
Things Reported IAN Set"
II 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.
I 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:
II don't know anything about
Laughlin, but the proposition sounds
too good. Twenty years Is q long
time, and If can get my time cut
I'll testify against anybody"
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.
Mr.. Laughlin had indicated his
principal defense would be that the
charges are an alleged conspiracy"
on the part of the Government be-
cause Of his connection with the
sedition case in Washington. He was
ousted from the Washington trial
because he sought impeachment Of
the presiding jurist, Chief Justice
Edward c. Eicher Of District Court,
Quix1es Each Witness.
Each Of the prosecution witnesses
who are now in prison or on parole,
or who might possibly face charges
growing out Of their admissions dur
ing this trial. were questioned closely
by Mr.. Laughlin as to whether thee
had received any promises of Glenn
ency from agents of the Federal
Bureau Of Investigation or from Mr..
Flynn If they would testify against
the attorney. All the witnesses de-
MED that any threats. or promises
had been made.
One Of Mr.. Laughlin's principal wit.
nesses will be Hilliard Sanders. now
serving q 20-year term for his part
in the holdup and robbery of two
messengers of the Prince Georges
Bank d Trust Co., in Hyattsville.
on September Is, 194l. Mr. Laugh
lin represented Sanders at the trial
In Baltimore in January, 1912, and
1t was at this time, the Government
alleges, that the attorney introduced
testimony and afidavits which he
knew to be false. showing that SAM
ders was q visitor at the State Pri-
son Farm in Raiford, Fla, on tho
day Of the robbery.
Judge John Paul yesterday denied a
motion by Mr.. Laughlin for directed
verdict. Mr.. Laughlin had asked that
the al-male jury be instructed to
return . verdict Of acquittal on the
grounds that the Governments tes-
timony was insufficient to sustain q
conviction and that the allegations
In the Indictment did not charge an
o1ense within the language of the
statute. =
Paul B. Taggare,t Silver Spring
(Mdo attorney, told yesterday of
having received q $1,000 bill from
Gordon Blalock, who was later sen.
fenced to IA years as q confederate
OF Sanders and Keefe.
This money. Mr.. Taggert said, he
turned over to Mr.. Laughlin In q
downtown Washington bank. Mr..
Laughlin cashed the bill and gave
Mr.. Taggert $500 back, pursuant to
Blalocks> instructions, the witness
said.
Blalock previously had testified
that, when he gave the money to
Mr.. Taggert, he warned the Silver
Spring lawyer that 1t might be "hot
money" part Of the loot of the
Hyattsville robbery. Mr.. Taggert
denied being told the money came
from the robbery The tam u1,ich h>