Evening star., 1949-01-13
Mrs. BIakeSays
Gambling Office
Was0pen in '48
Keleher Friend Tells
Of Coils to Pearson
During September

AL ollcseQ BdmD1ng eSCd0llSh-
ment in the 5000 block of Rhode
Island avenue, Mount Rainier
which Police Chief Ralph Brown OF
Prince Georges County says appears
to have been closed for long time
was open in September, 1948, Mrs
Dorothy Blake, A, the good friend
OF John B. blackjack Keleher, ST.
testified in District Court today.
AS she testified. Chief Brown and
Police Chief Eugene Plumer OF
Mount Rainier waited outside the
courtroom for their turn on the
witness stand in response to SUBJ
poenas issued by James j. Laughlin
attorney for Mrs. Anna T. Keleher
in her suit fir divorce from the vet
eran gambler.
Judge Edward Tamm refused Mr.
Laughlin permission to call the two
police chiefs as hostile" witnesses
"a procedure under which he
would not be bound by the testi-
mony. The hostility of the wit
nesses would have to be shown on
the witness stand, Judge Tamm
said, and cannot be predetermined
Mr.. Laughlin said he will decide
whether to call the police officials
after the luncheon recess.
Certain of Hostility.
There can be no question about
hostility Mr. Laughlin said. IF
I call them I want to ask them
about the moneys they received for
the protection of Mr.. Keleher or
the gambling establishment he
operated on Rhode Island avenue
In Mount Rainier, Md"
Mrs. Blake, an attractive divorce
who lives at the Dorchester House,
2400 block of Sixteenth street NV,
testified she called the Rhode Island
avenue establishment from the
home of her friend, Sheriff Ralph
Smith, of Salem County, N. H., near
the Rockingham race track at least
10 times last September.
II called George Pearson" she
said, land we exchanged informa-
tion about horses" Earlier, Mrs.
Kelliher identified George Pearson
as the key man" in her husbands
Rhode Island avenue gambling
headquarters.
Denies Race Track Inquiry.
Pointing out that on some days
she called the Rhode Island avenue
establishment at least twice, Mr..
Laughlin asked Mrs. Blake for an
explanation.
I'VE exchanged tips" she ex-
planned, land if l won I probably
called Mr.. Pearson back to- tell
him"
Mrs. Blake emphatically denied
that she had been called before Of
f1cials of the Laurel track in 1916
to explain the large sums of money
she bet and the frequent telephone
calls she made.
When Mr.. Keleher's attorney,
Alvin Newmyer, objected to that
line of questioning, Mr. 1anghlin
told Judge Tamm he was trying
to prove that Mrs. Blake was called
before Laurel track authorities and
she told them that she was at
tending tn eraces with Mr.. Keleher.
TT is our contention" Mr.. Laugh
lin said, that what she was doing
she was doing at the request of
Mr.. Keleher. He was still in the
gambling business and was using
Mrs Blake to further it,"
Mrs. Blake denied she attended
any Of the Laurel races in the
company of Mr.. Keleher.
Chief Brown told the Prince
Georges County commissioners yes
terday that he visited the Rhode
Island avenue establishment with
a squad of policemen Tuesday and
found it dusty and deserted. The
board gave him vote of confidence
Mrs Keleher's exposure CT her
husbands gambling activities have
overshadowed all other issues in the
divorce trial. She is seeking lin
tied divorce and maintenance on
grounds of cruelty.
Race Wire Removed.
Mr.. Keleher has countered with
a cross suit for divorce on grounds
that his wife was cruel to him
when she took funds from his two
safe deposit boxes while he was
vacationing in Florida in January,
1946. He says she took 100000, but
Mrs. Keleher has testified it wasn't
more than $4,000.
Mr.. Kelehers contention that he
retired from all connection with
gambling a. year ago received un-
expected support yesterday, when
the manager of sports wire which
furnishes race results testified that
Mr.. Keleher had the wire removed
from the Rhode Island avenue estab-
lishment in December, 1947.
The witness. Bilson Ing of Balti-
more, was called by Mr.. Laughlin.
He testified that, from January to
September IS, his firm collected $50
weekly from Mr.. Keleher for serv-
icing the Rhode Island avenue estab-
lishment. On the latter date, the
establishment stopped paying for
daily service, but continued to pay
$40 weekly Sor standby service until
the end of the year, he said.
Mr.. Laughlin introduced about
40 more telephone company records
yesterday to join the several hun
ored already in evidence. The rec
ords purport to show that the Rhode
Island avenue telephone was active
through December, 194S, and that
q number of long distance calls
were made to the Paterson IN. j.
headquarters of Frank Erickson,
said to be the wealthiest gambler
in the United States.