Evening star., 1948-01-20
Operation Dates
in
LaughIin Case
Accused Attorney Out
Of Town at Time, First
Defense Witness Says

attorney, testified today in District
Court that on the day the Govern
ment charges an illegal operation
was first performed on Mrs. Esther
Pickard Hobbs she came to Mr.
Laughlin's Office and left a note for
him saying she was sgoing to her
home in Pittsboro, N. C.
The witness, Charles Flasphaler
was the first called for the defense
after the Government rested its
case in the trial of Mr.. Laughlin and
DR.. Henry L. Peckham, jr.
Before the Government rested, the
z3-year-old Mrs. Hobbs, once en-
ployed at the Agriculture Depart
ment, was recalled for brief cross
examination by Mr. Laughlin.
The attorney is helping conduct
his own defense against charges
that he was an accessory in ar
illegal operation performed on Mrs
Hobbs. DR.. Peckham Is charged
with having performed the opera
ton. Both have denied the charges
Mr.. Flasphaler, an associate Of
Mr.. Laughlin, testified that on last
March 20, Mrs. Hobbs came to Mr.
Laughlin's Office in the Nationa
Press Building.
Mr.. Laughlin was absent, the wit
ness said. and Mrs. Hobbs, then Miss
Esther Pickard, wrote him a note
on a typewriter and signed it. She
left without seeing Mr.. Laughlin
he said.
Note Identified.
The two defendants are charged
with illegal operations on Mrs.
Hobbs on March 20 and %. The
Government charges that the first
operation was unsuccessful in DR..
Peckham's Office at 428 Eighth
street Sc, and that the second was
successful in the hGme of Mrs. Irma
Petrain, a nurse, at 2215 H street
NV.
Mr.. Flasphaler identified the note
which Mr., Laughlin produced in
court, and which later was submit
ted to the jurors.
Mrs. Hobbs, when she was on the
stand last week, had identified the
signature as hers, but denied she
rad written the note The note, as
read by Mr. Laughlin, was ad-
dressed to MY Dearest Jim" 1t
said that the writer was sorry to
have missed him and told of an
offer of ride home. 1t was signed,
Love, Esther"
There has been Government
testimony that on that date Mr.
Laughlin took Mrs. Hobbs to the
home of Mrs. Petrain and that Mrs
Petrain accompanied Mrs. Hobbs to
Or. Peckham's Office.
Mr.. Flasphaler testified that after
Mrs. Hobbs left two daughters of
Mr.. Laughlin came in. He said Mr..
Laughlin, who is divorced, returned
later and left with his daughters.
Mr.. Flasphaler also testified that
on March %, the date the Govern
ment charges the successful opera
ton was performed, he and Mr..
I.aughlin had gone to Romney,
w. Va, in connection with a law
case. They did not return to Wash
ington until late the next night, he
said.
Denies Earlier Operation.
Mrs. Hobbs, who testified last week
that she had undergone illegal op-
erations last March, denied today
when questioned by Mr.. Laughlin,
that she had another illegal opera
ton before that time.
She testified about a visit to the
Blackstone Hotel with Mr.. Lind
on Easter Sunday, 1947. Mr.. Laugh
lin asked whether she did not stay
until midnight. She said that she
had left at 1890 or II o'clock.
She denied she had told Mr.
Laughlin that on one occasion she
had become pregnant by Mr.. Lind
She also denied that she had told
a Mrs. Steele, at whose home she
once lived, that she had been with
o great number of men and hao
placed the number at about 100.
Her denial was an emphatic mo
no."
Mrs, Petrain testified throughout
yesterday from stretcher and un-
derwent a gruelling ross-examina-
ton by the attorneys for the de-
PENDANTS.
At no time did she identify DR..
Peckham definitely as the physician
who came to her house on two oc-
easions.
Date Put as March FL.
Mrs. Petrain put the second date
as Friday, March 81, and testified
that, on that occasion, the illegal
operation was successful. She tes-
titled that on the following Sunday
she called DR.. Peckham to come to
the house to treat the patient, who
was running temperature
She did not see him, she said, but
she did see two prescriptions on
which medicine had been obtained
The cross-examination on behalf
of DR.. Peckham had been conducted
by H. Mason Welch, the physicians
attorney.
Mr.. Welch also questioned Mrs.
Petrain in an effort to show that
she needlessly testified from the
stretcher. She said she had injured
her back in an accident in a doctors
office and was confined to the
stretcher on the advice of her
physician.
T. Emmett Mckenzie, who is
aiding Mr.. Mclaughlin in his de-
tense, conducted the cross s-examina-
ton for his client.
Mrs. Petrain's answers to ques-
tions frequently were, II don't re-
call" But when Mr.. Mckenzie de-
manded if she had not herself COM
nlitteed the illegal operation on Mrs.
Hobbs, her answer was, definitely
not"
Rent Increase Approved
AT TiIden Hall Apartments