Evening star., 1948-01-23
Marshal 10 Hold
2KeY Letters in
Laugh|in Case
Judge Calls Them
Very Powerful
Defense Exhibits

1StCtISS EAft1UitS
Two letters, considered so impor-
tant that Chief Justice Bolitha j.
Laws said he was instructing the
United States marshal to take
charge of them, were read today to
the jury in the District Court trial
OF James j. Laughlin, attorney, and
Dr.. Henry l.. Peckham, jr.
Justice Laws referred to the let
ters in the absence of the jury as
very powerful exhibits on behalf
Of the defense. He also noted there
has been some question as to their
authenticity
The letters were signed Esther"
The Government charges that two
illegal operations were performed on
Mrs. Esther Pickard Hobbs by DR..
Peckham and that Mr.. Laughlin
was an accessory.
The letters were written on Mr.
Laughlin's letterhead stationery.
One, dated last May 16, said Mr..
Laughlin was not responsible for
Mrs. Hobbs pregnancy and had
nothing to do with the abortion.
The letter also said she was sorry
she had not taken Mr.. Laughlin's
advice to let the baby be born and
that she would regret 1t always. It
began, Dear Jim: think you know
I always wanted to be fair with
YOU"
Two Months Later.
May 16 is almost two months after
the Government charges two illegal
operations were performed on Mrs.
Hobbs on March 20 and %.
The other letter, dated March 20,
had previously been read to the
jury but! was read again today. 1t
Is letter that Mr. Laughlin's Office
associate, Charles Flasphaler, testi-
fed was written in Mr.. Laughlin's
office on that date.
In this letter, the writer, identi-
fed as Mrs. Hobbs, said she was
sorry to have missed Mr.. Laughlin
but that she had just received an
offer of a ride to her home in
North Carolina and was leaving i'm
mediately.
Mrs aobbs testified that her
signature was on the letter, but
had denied that she had written it.
Associate Reads Letters.
T. Emmett Mckenzie, associated
with Mr.. Laughlin in his defense,
read these and other letters ad-
dressed to Mr.. Laughlin. Mrs.
Hobbs, when these exhibits were
shown her when she was on the
stand, identified a number of them
as having been written by her.
The letters included many
phrases of devotion. One, apparently
written from her North Carolina
home, said "even the COW misses
you, too
Testimony in the trial was inter
rupted today as opposing counsel
argued on the admissability of the
letters. After it was decided to ad-
init the letters in evidence, the
jurors returned to the courtroom
and the two letters were read to
them.
DR.. Ralph N. Greene, resident
physician at the Episcopal Eye, Ear
and Throat Hospital, also gave brief
testimony today.
Witnesses for Mr.. Laughlin have
testified he was treated at the hos
pital on he night of March 20. DR..
Greene testified he did not recall
having treated Mr.. Laughiin nor
could he find a record of the case.
He said, however, that records are
lost occasionally. He also said he
could have treated Mr.. Laughlin and
have forgotten it because of the
many emergency cases he treats in a
day. He said that when Mr.. Laugh
lin came to the hospital to inquire
about the records, his face was
familiar.
Mr.. Laughlin, who is appearing as
a defense attorney as well as de-
fendant, has said he would decide
soon when he would take the stand
to testify, but he has given no indi-
cation when this may be.
Daughters Testify.
Mr.. Laughlin's two attractive
daughters took the stand yesterday
to contradict earlier Government
testimony. They are Miss Elizabeth
Laughlin, %, and Miss Mary Laugh
lin, 81.
They gave testimony to show that
their father could not have been in
the company of Mrs. Hobbs last
March at the time the Government
charges the operations were being
arranged and performed.
Miss Cecilia Marie Desmond, who
identified herself as a longtime
friend of the sisters and classmate
of Miss Mary Laughlin at the
Sacred Heart Academy, was the
next witness. She testified she
dined at the Laughlin home the
night of March 81 with Mr.. Laughlin
and two of his sons, James, jr., Is,
and Charles, 13. She testified Mr..
IaT1pbIin retired soon after dinner