Evening star., 1950-02-08
.Doesn' n'tGamb|e
Except at Track,
Ke|eher Says
Tells Divorce Trial
He Quit Unidentified
Business in 1o48

tired from an unidentified busi-
ness in January, 1948, he testified
in District Court today.
L do not gamble in any way,
shape or form" he said, except
when go to the race track"
A tall, imposing man, his bald
ing brow tanned by Florida sun.
he was called to the stand today
by his wife's lawyer. She is suing
for limited divorce, charging
cruelty. Her previous suit, charg-
ing adultery, was dismissed.
The name of Frank Erickson, z,
described as a New York book :,
maker who deposited $60.000,000
in banks over period of years.
was brought into the examination.
Calls Erickson a Friend.
Keleher said, Erickson was a
friend. He was asked about tele-
phone calls he had made day after
day last year to Passaic, N. j..
reported to be the location of the
Erickson headquarters.
The calls, Keleher said, were in
connection with his income tax
difficulties.
He refused to name the business
he had engaged in because 1t
might tend to incrimate him and
the statute of limitations is three
years.
Keleher said he was 68. His wife,
Mrs. Dorothy Keleher, placed his
age at II when she testified. Kele-
her became disturbed only once
on the stand. That was when
James J. Laughlin, attorney for
his wife, asked him if he had ever
had his face lifted.
"Oh, Mr.. Laughlin," he said
with panied expression, "Of
course, that isn't true"
Amused by Questions.
He was amused by the lawyers
questions about his relations with
Mrs. Dorothy Blake, the woman
named as correspondent in Mrs.
Keleher's unsuccessful divorce
suit. After series of denials from
Keleher, Mr.. Laughlin asked him
if Mrs. Blake had ever tried to
steal kiss from him."
Keleher smiled.
mot to my knowledge, Mr..
Laughlin.' he said.
The witness said his present in
come is $4,000 a year and that 1t
all comes from investments. He
said he owns the building on
Thomas Circle in which the Peo-
pies drugstore is located, and that
it nets him $1,000 year. He has
5000 shares of United States Steel
(present market value about
$3.50, ,000), he said, and that brings
him about $4,000. g.,
AS to the fact that Mrs. Blake
was at Atlantic City the same
time he was last summer and in
Florida in January. 1949. and Ia
January of this year, it was a
coincidence in each case. he said
in answer to Mr.. Laughlin's ques-
tions. They had been alone to-
gether very infrequently, he said.
Testimony on Phone Calls.
Mr.. Laughlin told the court
yesterday he would link a long list
of telephone calls to Passaic
and Brownsville, Tex, to Keleher's
activities.
A telephone company employe
testified that many of them were
made from the apartment of Mrs.
Blake.
The attorney explained he was
bringing in evidence of gambling
activity to help the court deter
mine alimony, in case his client
won. Judge Charles F. Nc
Laughlin. who is hearing the case.
ruled that any allegation Of
cruelty, on which the suit Is
based, must be after January Is
last year, when Mrs. Keleher'S
first suit was dismissed.
Tells of Taunts.
Mrs. Keleher then took the
stand and said Keleher had
called her on the night .the suit
was dismissed and taunted her.
She said Mrs. Blake got on the
telephone and said. "You are not
going to get my sugar daddy"
The next day, Mrs. Keleher said.
her husband again telephoned her
and threatened to have "the bad
boys from Chicago" take care Of
her