Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-01-29
Second Expert
Fails 10 Verify
LaughIin Letters
Testifies Signatures
Of Mrs. Hobbs Are
Surprisingly Similar

mOueQ Dy the government III Cue
District Court abortion trial of At
torney James j. Laughlin and DR.
Henry L. Peckham, jr., testified TO-
day that the signatures on the "Es-
ther letters" were surprisingly SINH.
lar, but was unable to arrive al
any conclusion" that they were
genuine.
The witness was DR.. Wilmer
Souder.
The two letters, dated March q
and May 16 and signed Esther,
have figured prominently in the
trial of Mr.. Laughlin and DR.. Peck.
ham. The Government charges the
physician performed the operations
on Mrs. Esther Hobbs, then Miss
Esther Pickard, and that Mr.. Laugh.
lin was an accessory. Both have
denied the charges.
The letter of March 20 said the
writer was leaving at once for hel
parents home in Pittsboro, N. c
There has been testimony she
wrote this in Mr.. Laughlin's Office
but she denied the letter although
admitting the signature. March q
and % are the dates mentioned ir
the indictment.
"Suspicion Is Aroused"
The letter dated MAY is, which
was two weeks after Mrs. Hobbs
marriage, absolved Mr.. Laughlin
of any responsibility for Mrs. Hobbs
pregnancy and for an illegal opera
ton.
DR.. Souder, under cross examina-
ton by T. Emmett Mckenzie, who
is assisting Mr.. Laughlin in his
defense, said the signatures on the
two letters were so strikingly
similar that it arouses suspicion
He said later, II don't say that in.
dicates fraud or forgery"
He said he was not able to arrive
at definite opinion Of the authen.
ITCHY of the signature.
Mrs. Hobbs Recalled.
Mrs. Hobbs, who had testified al
length previously, was recalled tt
the stand in rebuttal. She deniee
writing the letter of March 20 ane
said she had not seen it until 1t wa!
shown her in court.
Under examination by Charles B
Murray, assistant United States at.
torney, she denied having borrowed
500 from Stanford Carrier, barten.
ter and former prize fighter. Shit
denied other parts of his testimony
She also denied the testimony Of
Mrs. Mabel Steele, 2070 Belmont
road NV, who had said Mrs. Hobbs
told her she had undergone an il
legal operation by a. nurse in Mary
land.
Hobbs Testifies on Letter.
Preceding Mrs. Hobbs to the
stand was her husband, William G.
Hobbs, rs, a college student of
Raleigh, N. C. He testified they
were married May q sat sa Methodist
church in Silver Spring, and. Mrs.
Hobbs formerly had been engaged
to MI. Laughlin.
Mr.. Hobbs testified he and his
wife were in Mr.. Laughlin's Office
from II pm. May Is until S am.
May 16. He was shown the letter
of May Is and he said it had not
been written while they were there.
Detective 1t. Edgar E. Scott, who
testified briefly yesterday, was re-
called to the stand by the Govern
ment. He said that when Mrs
Hobbs identified DR.. Peckham at
police headquarters September g.
the physician and five other men
in the lineup had been asked to
give their names before Mrs. Hobbs
made the Identification.
Detective Admits Mistake.
He admitted this was mistake
but said that one of DR.. Peckham's
attorneys, Dorsey K. Offutt, was
present He said he had it in his
mind that Mr.. Offutt would advise
DR.. Peckham not to give his right
name but that Mr.. Offutt did not
do so.
He testified briefly yesterday while
q handwriting expert summoned by
Mr.. Laughlin was out of the court
room. This expert, Ordway Hilton
Of New York, testified the sigma
lures on the two letters were the
genuine signatures of Mrs. Hobbs.
With 1t. Scott on the stand q
new letter was introduced by the
Government. 1t was three-page
typewriter letter from Mr.. Laugh
lin to Mrs. Hobbs. 1t was dated
May 30, or two weeks after the let
ter absolving Mr.. Laughlin.
This letter was read to the Jury
by Charles B. Murray, assistant
United States Attorney, with Mr..
Laughlin Offering no objections.
The letter dated May 80 said that
Ellen, sister Of Mrs. Hobbs, told us
that on the day you left Washington
you told her for the first time that
was responsible for your pregnancy.
You know that is not true, and I
ask you, therefore if you told her to
retract 1t.
Later on the letter said:
I'm any event I want the matter
Of the abortion Strengthened out. If
you have intimated to any one at
your home or anywhere else
that I was in any way responsible,
I want you to rectify it. If it Is
not done, I will have a hearing here
to definitely determine the parent
age"
There was no reference to the let
ter of May 16.
The March 20 and May Is letters
were typewriter. Mr.. Hilton testi-
fed 1t was his opinion they were
typed by the same person who had
typed letters which Mrs. Hobbs adj
mitted she had written. He con-
coded, however. he could not be
positive about this.
Senate Confirms Mason
F0r hnnther Rnard Tarm