Evening star., 1950-02-09
KeIeher Parriies
Questions on
HisBusiness
LoughIin Presses
Inquiry in Wife's
Suit for Divorce

ReClreO gambler JOnn b.
"Blackjack" Keleher continued
parrying questions in District
Court today about his past busi-
ness.
Testifying in the second di-
vorce suit brought by Mrs. Doro-
thy Keleher, the dapper, silver
haired witness stood on his con-
stitutional rights and refused to
answer many questions asked by
his wife's attorney, James ].
Laughlin.
These included queries about
Mr.. Keleher's past testimony that
he resigned from business" in
1948. Mr.. Laughlin wanted to
know to whom the business was
sold, what it was worth and
whether the witness "sold out his
good will at the same time"
In each case, Mr.. Kelleher's
reply was a suave: 81 do not care
to answer that" And each time
Mr.. Laughlin carefully brought
out the grounds-that the wit
ness thought the answer might
incriminate him.
Denies Gambling Business.
AS in the past Mr.. Keleher said
his business was located in the
5000 block of Rhode Island ave-
nue., Mount Rainier, Md.
Turning ! to the issues of the
divorce case, Mr.. Kelleher denied
he had threatened to "get the
bad boys from Chicago" after his
wife, following the dismissal of
the first divorce case last year.
She described such telephone
conversation when the case opened
Tuesday.
The witness maintained his
aplomb as the attorney led him
back and forth over the subject of
his relationship with Mrs. Dorothy
Blake, named as correspondent in
the first trial.
Never, he insisted, had he
authorized the attractive divorce
to make phone calls from various
New England race tracks to his
Rhode Island avenue office
Furthermore, he said, it was
coincidence that brought him and
Mrs. Blake together in Atlantic
City and Miami on various occa-
SionS.
"Of course, when I heard she
was there I might call her up
and ask her out to dinner" he
explained. Just like if you went
down to Florida, Mr.. Laughlin,
and ] was there, I might call you
up and invite you."
When Mr.. Laughlin asked him
if he had on one occasion in
1948 "indulged in setting-up
exercises at the window of Mrs.
Blake's Dorchester House apart.
ment while she stood by in a
night gown" Mr.. Keleher bridled.
mfr. Laughlin," he said with
dignity, I'm too old to lean out
of the window for my exercises" :"
For more than an hour yester-
day, Mr.. Keleher insisted the
many telephone calls he made
last year to Passaic, N. j., were
in connection with his income tax
difficulties.
Mr.. Laughlin pointed out that
PaSsaic is the location of the
headquarters of Frank Erickson,
who is believed to operate Amer
ica's biggest -the-track book.
Denies Contributions.
Mr.. Laughlin pointed out that
many of the calls were made be-
tween / and 2 pm, which is just
before post time on Eastern tracks.
Mr.. Laughlin also pointed out that
sometimes there were two or three
calls in a day. But Mr.. Keleher
insisted the calls concerned his
income tax.
He said he knows Sam Beard
and that he knew the late Jimmy
La Fontaine, but he denied he
was ever in business with them.
In answer to further questions by
Mr.. Laughlin, he denied he had
ever contributed to a campaign
fund for A. Gwynn Bowie, the
Prince Georges County prose-
cutor.
The witness was close to tears
when the lawyer asked him about
his marital difficulties. He has
denied he has any understanding
of marriage with Mrs. Dorothy
Blake, the attractive divorcee
named as correspondent in the
first divorce case. The case
was dismissed because Mrs. Kele-
her failed to prove cruelty or