Evening star., 1948-02-05
Laug|ll!!i!!nI!|;llaseS him; {
Expected TOGO
To Jury Today
Peckhum Counsel
Coils Doctor Victim
Of Wicked Witnesses

ham, jr., on abortion charges was
scheduled to 60 to the jury in Dis
trict Court today, after completion
Of final arguments which began yes
terday with extreme bitterness.
H. Mason WEIGH, attorney for DR.
Peckham, today pictured DR.. Peck
ham as typical neighborhood
physician, enmeshed by the wick
edness of the Government witnesses
After Mr.. Welch's final argument
Charles B. Murray, assistant United
States attorney, was to complete the
Governments arguments begun yes
terday by Arthur j. Mclaughlin, Mr.
Murray's associate.
Attorney Reads From Bible.
Referring to Mrs. Esther Hobbs
%, the former Miss Esther Pickard
on whom the Government charges
DR.. Peckham performed two illegal
operations arranged by Mr.. Laugh
lin, Mr.. Welch said:
'It makes little difference whether
she was seduced by Mr.. Laughlin
or whether she just tried, in COM
mon parlance, to take Mr.. Laugh
lin. I've heard of young women who
make 1t their business to seduce a
foolish older man"
Mr.. WEIGH read from the Bible the
account OF the plot tc kill the Apos-
tie Paul and said this was an ex-
ample that "unimaginable human
wickedness is nothing new"
He said that as soon as Mrs
Hobbs learned the Government was
making an investigation of the al
legged illegal operation she immedi-
ately talked with Mrs. Irma Petrain,
O. nurse, 2215 H street NV. This,
he said, started the conversations
which made Government testimony
coincide.
Attacks Confusion of Witnesses.
Concerning the confusion of wit
nesses whether the dates of the op-
erations with which the Govern
ment charges the defendants were
March 20 and % or March 10 and
81, MI. Welch said:
Esther Hobbs couldn't forget the
date on which she killed her child
Women don't forget the date on
which they are persuaded to COM
NIT their first abortion. Mrs
Petrain, who doesn't know why she
was persuaded to do her first abor-
ton, can't remember when she did
It,"
After Mr.. Mclaughlin address
to the jury of 2 women and 10
men yesterday there were motions
for nistrial made on behalf of
each defendant. The motions were
denied.
T. Emmett Mckenzie, associated
with Mr. Laughlin in his defense,
asked for mistrial on the basis of
o remark which had been made by
Chief Justice Bolitha J. Laws, before
whom the trial is being held.
"vicious' Speech Charged
Mr. WEIGH asked for a ,mistrial on
the ground that Prosecutor Nc
Laughlin's speech had been $50
vicious and infammatory" against
Mr.. Laughlin and his witnesses as
to make it utterly impossible for the
jury to give DR. Peckham fair trial,
in his capacity with Mr.. Laughlin
as a defendant.
The remark by Justice Laws cited
by Mr. Mckenzie was based on an
attack by Mclaughlin on the .testi-
mony of Mr.. Laughlins two daugh-
ters, Miss Betty Laughlin, %, and
Miss Mary Laughlin, 81.
They testified they we're with their
father on the night of March 20
and that he was home after II a m.
on March 81 and on the morning
of March %, when he was preparing
to go to West Virginia. Govern
n1ent witnesses testified Mr. Laugh
lin was at the home of Mrs. Petrain
on the night of March 81. They
said the second and successful il
legal operation on Mrs. Hobbs was
performed in Mrs. Petrain's home
that night.
Hints at False Testimony.
Mr.. Mclaughlin said it would
be embarrassing enough for the
defendants daughters to see their
father charged with such an Of
fense and more embarrassing that
they should be called to testify. He
said it could be expected they would
testify falsely for their father.
MIR. Laughlin objected. Justice
Laws indicated he would not halt
the Government attorney.
You would not like that said
about your daughters" Mr.. Laugh
lin said, addressing the bench.
of course, wouldn't Chief JUS
tice, Laws replied. adding II don't
know that I'd bring them down
~ }"
The matter ended there until Mr..
McKenzies motion. But when Mr..
Laughlin addressed the jury in
his own behalf, following a speech
by Mr.. Mckenzie, he reverted to
the subject.
Cites Esther Letters"
Mr.. Laughlin referred to Mrs.
Hobbs, once his fiancee. as "the
young ldOy or as The WllIl6SS
Hobbs" He asserted she had never
derhed on the witness stand the
signatures on two Esther letters
werf hers. One, dated March 20,
said the writer was going home and
told Mr. Laughlin good-by. The
other, dated May is, said Mr..
Laughlin had nothing to do with
herfpregnancy or with an abortion.
He said she had denied writing
thel first and second pages of a
three-page hand-written letter >but
admitted writing the third page.
He said she denied card and a
letter. both of which handwriting
experts testified were hers.
He charged the District Attorneys
ofioe was out to get him. He
taunted Mr.. Murray, who has been
~ lyears an assistant in the
United States attorneys Office. as
"often a bridesmaid but never a
bride"
Hk said he had battled as an at,
torriey for the poor and the weak
andl that you must always pay a
h;rA u,nnv, 1,olY fflo for tho