Evening star., 1947-01-21
.Laugh|in, On Stand,
Denies Any Animus
Toward Turnage

Attorney James y. IauRIlllH COudy
took the stand in the trial of United
States Commissioner Needham C.
Turnage as a friend of the court"
to deny that he feels any personal
animus" toward the Commissioner
He identified himself as attorney
for Mr.. and Mrs. Alva j. Reed, 1901
Renfrew road, Silver Spring, princi-
pal witnesses in the trial which
opened yesterday before Judge Ar
mond w. Scott in Municipal Court
jury branch. Mr. Turnage is facing
a driving -while-drunk charge.
Referring to a letter he addressed
to the Commissioner on October 80
giving notice that a damage suit
would be filed against Mr.. Turnage
in connection with a collision be-
tween the Reed and Turnage cars
on October %, Mr.. Laughlin said
his action was not motivated by
bias or animus because I had once
appeared as defendant before Mr.
Turnage."
Had Appeared as Defendant.
, Mr.. Laughlin testified he appeared
before the Commissioner in June,
1914, but only for the purpose of
having a bond set. The attorney
explained that at the time he was
under extradition to appear in Balti-
more on a charge of obstructing
justice. He later was acquitted.
The Laughlin letter was admitted
as a defense exhibit yesterday over
the objection of the prosecution. The
court ruled 1t was admissible as
part Of defense efforts to establish
ulterior motive on the part of the
complaining witnesses in pressing
the driving while drunk charge
against Mr.. Turnage.
Mr.. Laughlin testified he did not
initiate steps to bring civil suit
against Mr.. Turnage on behalf of
Mr.. and Mrs. Reed. He said the
Reeds had approached him the day
after the crash at Arkansas avenue
and Thirteenth street NV, and
added that until then the Reeds
were perfect strangers to me-"
Smelled Liquor on Breath.
Mr.. Reed, the driver, testified
at yesterdays session that shortly
after the accident he approached
the car in which the commits
sioner was sitting and detect
ed "a strong odor of liquor on
his breath" He added Mr.. Turn
ages speech was "incoherent" at
the time
Later, under cross-examination by
Defense Counsel James R. Kirk
land, the witness said he spoke to
the commissioner on three occa-
sions at the scene that night Mr.
Reed admitted under questioning
that on each occasion Mr. Turnage
responded to questions asked by
him and that the commissioners
condition seemed progressively bet
ter" two hours after the crash.
At one point in THE trial the jury
was dismissed for half an hour while
Mr.. Kirkland and Assistant Cor
poration Counsel Robert D. Wise
argued the legal aspects Of the ad-
instability of hearsay as evidence.
Defense Counsel objected to Mr..
Reeds testimony in which he quot
ed remarks of unidentified byStand-
ers indicating Mr.. Turnage was in
toxicated at the time. Judge Scott
admitted the testimony, however, on
the grounds the remarks were over
heard Immediately after the crash.
Mr.. Reeds wife, Sherry, who was
treated for q sprained ankle and
lacerations sustained in the crash,
testified Mr.. Turnage's car was trav-
cling so miles an hour when it
reached the intersection. st
She said she saw the Turnage car
pass a stop sign on Arkansas avenue
at Thirteenth street at accelerated
speed,