Evening star., 1948-01-15
Former Fiancee
Is Questioned
By Laugh|in
Courtroom Jummed
And Line Is Formed
Outside of Door

Outside of Door
James ]. Laughlin, attorney, in
District Court today cross-examined
the young woman to whom he had
been engaged and who is the Gov
ernment's chief witness in its effort
to convict Mr.. Laughlin and physi-
clan of abortion charges. ;
Mr.. Laughlin brought from his
former fiance, Mrs. Esther Pickard
Hobbs, %, admissions she had been
intimate with three men before she
met him. Charged with Mr.. Laugh
lin is DR.. Henry L. Peckham, jr.,
Southeast Washington physician.
The indictment, in two counts.
charges them with illegal operations
on March 20 and March %. 1947.
The Government has made it clear
it regards Mr.. Laughlin as an
accessory.
The attorney and the young wonn-
an faced each. other across Justice
Bolitha J. Laws courtroom. Spec
tators seats were jammed. Outside
the door those who could not get in
queued up for places.
Asks About Captain.
Mr.. Laughlin began his cross ex-
animation by asking her as to
whether she had once let a Capt.
Fowler in her first-fioor room when
she was living at TIA Nineteenth
street NV. She denied 1t em-
"At that time you and I were en-
gagged to be married?" Mr.. Laugh
lin asked.
"Yes," Mrs. Hobbs replied
Your sister Ellen and you came
to my Office and I told you we
should end our engagement" Mr..
said in the form of q
question. She denied this.
Mr.. Laughlin questioned her
closely as to whether she had known
q Robert Clinton Fry, which Mrs
Hobbs denied.
"As a matter of fact, you and
Robert Clinton Fry discussed mar
riage, didn't you?"
Marriage License Mentioned.
you're telling me?" Mrs. Hobbs
and made a denial.
isn't it a fact Robert Clinton Fry
applied for a marriage license to
marry you?" Mr.. Laughlin asked.
II don't know" was the reply.
Under questioning Mrs. Hobbs
said that when she was engaged to
Mr., Laughlin she knew he was
divorced and that he had children.
Mr.. Laughlin, Al, Is the father OF
five children.
His questioning was in a low,
voice and Mrs. Hobbs replies
were made so quietly
there was difficulty in hearingithem.
Mrs. Hobbs testified she was em-
ployed by Mr.. Laughlin at his Office
in 1916 at $50 a week. Il tried to
quit several times" she said. You
said you needed me so badly and
even cried"
Mr.. Laughlin's reaction to that
was an "Oh!" He questioned her
about the occasions on which she
said he cried and she said the first
time was when she gave back to him
two rings he had given her,
She said one of the occasions on
which she tried to return the rings
was when she learned he had more
than two children.
Later you found out I had other
children?" Mr.. Laughlin said. You
did resume the engagement"
"Yes. after I felt sorry for you"
Mr.. Laughlin sought to get her to
admit she had gone to a hotel with
another man in the middle of De-
cember, 1946, but she denied it.
Letters Identified.
Mr.. Laughlin, carrying a large COL
lection of letters. approached the
witness stand and laid the letters
down on the rail near the court
stenographer. He asked Mrs. Hobbs
to identify letters and cards. She
Identified many as in her mothers
handwriting, one she said she could
not say whether the signature was
that of her fathers, others she iden-
titled as from her sister Georgia
and from her little sister"
This procedure consumed some
time. 1t was followed by a court
recess.
Mrs. Hobbs, named in the indict-
ment as Esther Pickard, was married
last May 2. She was once an Agri-
culture Department employe.
She was subjected to long cross
examination yesterday afternoon by
H. Mason WEIGH, attorney for DR..
Peckham. She became confused
over the dates of last March on
which she said she went to the
doctors Office at 428 Eighth street
Sc, and the dates on which she
said he subsequently called on her.
The session also was marked by
the Identification Of her signature
on letters which the defense pre-
sented as having been written to
Mr.. Laughlin.
Earlier nine letters and greeting
cards, including Valentine. identi-
fed as having been sent her by Mr..
Laughlin, had been introduced into
evidence. They were in terms Of
the greatest devotion.
Retired Tailor, 81, Dies
In Fall From Sarnnd FInnr