Evening star., 1950-02-24
Judge Will Give
Ke|eher Ru|inq
NextFriday
Divorce TriuI Ends
With Bitter Argument
By Opposing Counsel


case under advisement and an
nounced he will give his decision
at 10 am. next Friday.
Noting that the trial has con-
sumed nearly three weeks and ac-
cumulated "voluminouS" 1.5C0-
page record, the judge said he
must spend next week separating
material evidence from inmate
rial points raised in the trial.
Judge Mclaughlin made this
announcement at the close of at
torneys' bitter arguments n which
John B. Keleher was called at
one point "the Stromboli Gf the
District of Columbia"
Attorney James J. Laughlin, re-
presenting Mr.. Keleher's estranged
wife Anna hurled the metaphor
at the gray-haired, 68-year-old
eX-gambler.
FHA officials Role Cited.
Mr.. Laughlin laid the grounds
for this figure of speech by dis
cuSSing the role of Clyde L.
Powell, Federal Housing Admin
istration official who testified as
a witness.
Mr.. Powell had testified that he
was a friend of Mrs. Dorothy
Blake, close acquaintance of
Mr.. keleher's. Mr.. Powell had
been permitted to say that he
had been out with Mrs. Blake
socially. But the court refused
to let Mr.. Laughlin question him
as to any romantic aspects of the
relationship.
Powell was apparently not
averse to sharing his women with
others, at least if it might save
MN from prosecution for perjury, 3"
the lawyer argued today.
1t was obvious" Mr.. Laughlin
continued, that Mr.. Powell was
In touch with Mr.. Keleher and to
shield himself from alleged impli-
cation in gambling activities, tried
to create the impression" that
he was in love with Mrs. Blake.
Two-fold Cruelty Charged.
This, according to Mr. Laughlin
created situation that while Mrs.
Blake was seeing Mr.. Keleher she
was seeing another man.
'Keleher is the Stromboli of the
District of Columbia" the lawyer
shouted. Ordinary men don't like
to share their women with other
men"
The lawyer charged that Mr..
Keleher's alleged cruelty, which
his wife claims in her divorce
suit, is tWo-fold. He said that
Mr.. Keleher was guilty not only
of desertion but of a course of
conduct involving episodes of
carrying on with a shameless
woman all over the country.
The $4,000 which MI Keleher
claims his wife stole from his
safety deposit box in 1916 was
originally acquired as "ill- gotten
gain from fleeing other people"
according to MI Laughlin.
He stole it. now he accused
his wife of stealing it from him.
Who is he to point his fnger?"
MI. Laughlin said.
Newmyer Attacks Argument.
Attorney Alvin Newmyer. who
represents Mr.. Keleher, attacked
Mr.. Laughlin's argument as
character assassination and
headline hunting" and said he
would refrain from engaging in
"perf1dious slander under the
cloak of courtroom immunity"
He recounted trial evidence
which he said clearly indicated
that Mrs. Keleher was guilty of
desertlon in that she barred Mr..
Keleher from their apartment
many months ago by changing
the lock on the door.
"She told him to stay out then
and she rejected the reconcilia-
tion which he offered" Mr.. New
myer declared. He emphasized
that the couple have never lived
together since their separation in
March, 1916.
Mr.. Keleher is suing Mrs. Kele-
her for a divorce on grounds of
desertion. Mrs. Keleher charged
cruelty in her suit.