Evening star., 1948-01-14
Woman 1estifies
Laugh|inAgreed
ToArrange:Aid
Esther Pickurd Hobbs
Tells of Trips With
Accused Attorney


testified in District Court today that
James ]. Laughlin, attorney, told
her he would make arrangements
for an abortion after she had in
sisted that something be done OF
that they be married.
Mrs. Hobbs, who was referred to
in the indictment by her maiden
name of Esther Pickard, was on the
witness stand briefly yesterday and
resumed her testimony today. She
is the chief Government witness in
the trial Of Mr.. Laughlin and DR.
Henry L. Peckham, jr.
The Government charges DR.
Peckham with overt acts on last
March 20 and % and charges Mr.
Laughlin as an accessory.
Mrs. Hobbs testified to receiving
treatment at DR.. Peckham's office
at 428 Eighth street Sc, and testi-
fled that it was successful two days
later at the home Of Mrs. Erma
Petrain, q nurse, at 2215 II street
NV.
Both DR.. Peckham and Mr.
Laughlin have pleaded not guilty.
The trial is being held before Chie1
Justice Bolitha j. Laws and q jury
Of 10 men and two women. The
court was crowded to capacity again
today and again all chairs reserved
for members of the bar were filled
Tells Of Out Of Town TripA
The indictment alleges that an
abortion took place when Mrs
Hobbs was an Agriculture De.
partment employe here and was
unmarried. She since has been
married to George w. Hobbs and
now lives in Raleigh, N. C.
Mrs. Hobbs, testifying with COM
posure, told of trips with Mr.
Laughlin to Chicago and New
Orleans. She wore simple dress
of teal blue with long sleeves and
a small round black cap on her
dark hair.
Mr.. Laughlin, who took a chair
where he could see her easily, fol-
lowed her testimony closely, but
showed no particular concern.
Attended Football Games.
Under questioning by Charles B
Murray, assistant United States at
torney, Mrs. Hobbs said she and
Mr.. Laughlin went to Chicago TO-
gether in November, 1916, to at
tend the Southern California
Notre Dame football game. They
stayed at the Stevens Hotel, she
said.
Late in December, 1916, they went
to New Orleans together to see the
Sugar Bowl football game on New
Years Day, she said. She testified
they stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel
there.
Last January, she testified, II told
him I believed I was pregnant"
"'Oh, you can't be-" she said he
told her.
"Well, I am" she said, according
to her testimony.
Doctor Confirmed Case.
Mrs. Hobbs testified that in about
the third week of last February he
took her to DR.. Richard M. Rosen-
berg and DR.. Rosenberg confirmed
that she was pregnant. Later, she
testified, she told Mr.. Laughlin that
he was responsible.
HE said emphatically, No." she
testified.
Still later, she testified that over
a period of about two months they
discussed relieving the pregnacy
She said Mr.. Laughlin talked
against it "all along, but I knew
something had to be done, either
have an abortion or get married"
She also declared that she and
Mr.. Laughlin. who is divorced, be.
came engaged in about March, 1946
a year before the alleged abortion
and that Mr.. Laughlin gave her two
rings. She was married to Mr.
Hobbs last May 2.
Promised to Contact "SOme One"
After the testimony concerning
her suggestion that she and Mr.
Laughlin get married, she said:
II was awfully worried. I told
him I felt like killing myself"
She testified Mr.. Laughlin said he
would make arrangements for an
abortion or "try to see somebody"
HE was contracting some one all
along" she said.
During her testimony there were
numerous objections by H. Mason
WEIGH, attorney for DR.. Peckham
and Justice Laws cautioned the jury
that the matters relating to Mr.
Laughlin in the testimony should
not be considered in relation to DR.
Peckham. Mr.. WEIGH has moved for
a severance. contending his client is
caught between the lightning and
the thunder" but the motion has
been denied.
Letters Identified.
Mrs. Hobbs testified yesterday she
had received cards and letters from
Mr.. Laughlin. Mr.. Murray then pro-
duced some cards and letters which
she identified. The final one, she
said, had been given her personally
by Mr.. Laughlin.
The exhibits were not immediate
" introduced into evidence. One
of the cards was a folder which
. appeared to be Valentine. Some
of the letters were typewriter.
Mrs. Hobbs told the. jury of 10
men and two women she came to
Washington from North Carolina on
January II, 1945, and was employed
at the Agriculture Department
where she remained until February
Is, 1916.
Tells Of Meeting Laughlin.
She met MIR. Laughlin in Sep
tember, 1945, she testified, but she
did not begin to see him often until
February, 1916. She said she lived
at 2o70 Belmont road NV, but only
q month after she met Mr.. Laughlir
she moved to 1714 Nineteenth street
NV.
The dates set forth in the in.
dictment were the subject Of con.
siderable confusion yesterday, a.
defense attorneys cross-examined
Miss Gertrude Lillian Ford, q nurse
but not q graduate nurse, who also