Evening star., 1950-01-14
Miss Franklin
Breaks Down at.
Gambling Trial
Star Witness Sobs
As Defense Hammers
Home Its Questions


ment's star witness in a campaign
to smash what the District Attor-
ney's office has described as a
$100,000.000 gambling racket in
Washington, covered her face with
a handkerchief and sobbed for
five minutes in District Court yes
terday.
The small, red-haired waitress,
divorced mother of six, broke down
for the first time in many court
appearances, after Defense Attor-
ney Charles E. Ford, in ham
mering cross-examination, de-
manded that she tell when she
began ito live legitimately."
Miss Franklin had testified she
lived in adultery with Attilio Aca-
lotti, one of the three defendants
on trial for violating the District
gambling laws. She had told As
sistant United States Attorney
William Hitz that she separated
from Acalotti and informed on his
gambling associates because she
wanted ito live legitimately."
"Just Exactly When?"
"Tell the jury" said Mr.. Ford,
exactly when you wanted to live
legitimately. Was it when you
were living in adultery? Was it
when you abandoned your six
children? Or just exactly when
was it that you decided to live
legitimately?"
Ihe attractive waitress glared
at Mr.. Ford for almost two min
utes before she answered:
Il have always tried to live
legitimately, Mr.. Ford. Whether
I've succeeded is something else."
Earlier, Miss Franklin testified
she was the informer who swore
to the affldavits on which District
Attorney George Morris Fay
launched his series of spectacular
raids last March, when So men
were arrested on gaming charges.
Among those arrested were VIII
liam (Snags) Lewis and Frank
Billeci, who are being tried with
Acalotti before Judge Alexander
Holtzoff.
Acalotti was convicted of threat
ening Miss Franklin and SEN
fenced to prison eight months to
two years last December.
Admits Receiving Furs.
Mr.. Ford asked her if she had
received furs among the gifts
Acalotti bestowed upon her. She
said she had, but that on one occa-
sion she had purchased for $50
two silver fox neckpieces from
Herman Cohen. Ninth street sales
supervisor of The WASHINGTON
Times-Herald. She said Acalotti
and Billeci met every night, ex-
cept Saturday and Sunday, in the
office of Mr.. Cohen to settle their
accounts and determine how much
had been laid OF" to the Snags
Lewis organization in Bladensburg,
Md, in numbers game bets.
"One time" Miss Franklin said.
It'll took some of my furs which
had paid for and, without my
consent, sold them to Hap Robin
son at The TimeS-Herald."
rs that the same Hap Robin
son, Mr.. Hitz asked, who is cir
culation director of The Times
Herald and who inherited a share
of the paper?" The witness re-
Piled affirmatively.
After Judge Holtzof excused
the jury of seven men and five
women for the weekend, Miss
Franklin, who up to that time had
shown no emotion, bowed her
head and covered her face with
her handkerchief.
Miss Franklin will be back on
the witness stand when the trial
IS resumed Monday. Mr.. Ford
said he did not know whether he
planned to question her further.
Myron Ehrlich. attorney for Bill
leci, and William H. Collins. at
torney for Lewis, also said they
did not know whether they would
,ross-examine Miss Franklin fur
ther.