Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-05-26

|
E. Bradford. 1908 Crittenden
street NV. won $40; Samuel
Gutter, 1901 Wyoming avenue
NV. $40. and Representative
Phillips, Republican. Of Call
fornia. $50.
Savings by .BeckIey
Questioned as Theft
Case Nears Jury
The question Of how a police
man could put $4,000 into his
safe in savings in a single year
was raised by defense counsel to-
day at the trial of three men in
dicted on charges of breaking into
the home of Richard H. Beckley
and making off with strong box
containing 100000. The case was
scheduled to reach a jury in Dis
trict Court this afternoon.
Attorney James J. Laughlin. in
his final argument. asked the jury
| If Mr.. Beckley could be believed
when he said he put away $45. 600
in cash in 1916 while he was a
private on the police force. Mr..
Beckley, SO. colored, resigned
from the force in 1920 as a de-
tective sergeant.
IF police private, while
working on the force. can save
$45, 900 in cash in single year
the defense attorney said. "he
must have had a profitable job,
and it would seem we all are in
the wrong business"
S1,800 in Jewelry Also.
Mr.. Beckley had testified he had
$50, 900 and about $1,000 in jew
elry in his safe when burglars
entered his home at 1900 New
Jersey avenue NV. on the night
of January % and made of with
the safe and its contents.
The, former detective ser2eA4t
said he encountefed three men III
an alley behind his home on the
night of the HOUSEKEEPING and
later identified two of them as
Stance w. James. ~. and 1 ouis
H. Singleton, 40. The third Nde-
PENDANT is Stance James brother,
Oliver w. James. "a. All are col
ored.
Mr.. Beckley pointed out Stance
James as the man who. he said,
pulled a gun on him and forced
him to back out OF the alley
while the three escaped in tie
automobile.
In his final argument Mr.
Laughlin referred to a small steel
box which had been introduced
in evidence by the prosecution after
it was identified by a policeman
who said it was taken from a
battered safe found near the
railway tracks on a wooded lot
in nearby Prince Georges County.
Judge Corrects Lawyers.
There's a lot of mystery about
this box" Mr.. Laughlin said as
he picked up the exhibit and
showed it to the jury. "but as far
as I recall there has been no test
imony to show that 1t came from
Mr.. Beckley's safe"
Trial Judge Henry A. Schwein-
haut corrected the counsel with
the statement that a policeman
had testified the box was removed
from a safe identified as having
belonged to Mr.. Beckley.
Assistant United States Attor-
ney Arthur Mclaughlin previously
had shown the jury key which
he said belonged to Mr.. Beckley.
He then inserted the key in the
lock of the steel box to demon
strate that 1t fitted. Some ,ques-
ton had been raised by the de-
tense as whether Mr.. Beckley
actually had been robbed of his
safe. Prosecution witnesses have
| testified however. that they saw
Mr.. Beckley's name on the bat
tered strong box when they re-
moved the steel box from it.
Mr.. Mclaughlin, in summing
UP the Governments case. pointed
out that Stance James bought q
new Cadillac with seven $500 bills.
He declared this money had come
from Mr.. Beckley's safe. along
with $4,000 allegedly found In
the home of Oliver James.
Numbers Hit Claimed.
Defense Counsel Henry Lincoln
johnson insisted, however. that
his client, Stance James. had hit
1.-THE numbers" for $40. 900 and. be-
ling q gambler, spent the winnings
freely.
He asked how it was that Mr.,
lBeckley failed to report the loss
of any $500 bills.
Defense counsel contended police
suspected Stance James when
they heard the latter was spend
ling q lot Of money. He said the
officers then took q photograph OF
/ the man to Mr.. Beckley. and he
first identified one Of the alleged
housebreakers in this manner. Mr..
Johnson insisted a proper identifi-
cation could have been made only
by picking the photograph from
a number of others.
Mr.. Beckley, who was said to
own pool rooms and real estate In
Washington, denied under cross
examination by defense counsel
that any Of his money came from
the narcotics trade.
The trial opened on May ii
before Judge Henry A. Schwein-