Evening star., 1951-04-25
Prosecutor Asks
Dugan Judge TO
Admit Papers
Griffith Statement
Traces Defendants
Relationships, He Says

tTUCGS OGTSUOuHt )
Relationships, He Soy.
By Alex Preston
Custer proceedings agains'
Daniel A. Dugan of the Arlington
County Board resumed today will
the prosecutor intent on produc-
ing statement said to have beer
made by a mutual friend of the
defendant and Sam Lano, pinbal
and slot-machine distributor.
The statement. according to
Special Prosecutor Oren r. Lewis
was made by Francis D. Griffith
to Commemorative Attorney Den
man T. Rucker in February.
Mr.. Rucker disqualified himself
from prosecuting Mr.. Dugan, who
was charged by grand jury with
misfeasance, malfeasance and
gross neglect of duty. Mr.. Griffith
has known Mr.. Dugan since boy
hood and was recommended by
the County Board member to
Lano for a job in the coin-ma-
chine business.
The acting prosecutor failed
yesterday to have the statement
accepted as evidence by Judge
John ]. Ingram, who is hearing
the case without a jury. Mr.. Lewis
said, however, he would seek to
introduce it in another manner
later
Admits Making Statements.
Mr.. Griffith admitted having
made a statement to Mr.. Rucker
in the 'latter's home. He also ad-
mitted that Mr.. Rucker took notes
in shorthand while he talked. Be-
yond that, however, Mr.. Griffith
said he never saw the typewriter
transcript again until it was shown
to him when he appeared before
the special grand jury that recon-
mended Mr.. Dugan's removal from
Office.
Examining the papers yesterday,
Mr.. Griffith testified that he had
marked certain deletions in the
statement while in the grand
jury room. The papers that were
given him yesterday also had
pencil markings on them.
Testimony earlier had shown
certain relationships between Mr..
Dugan, Lano, Joseph Leib, men,
ber of Police Investigating Com
mittee, and Malcolm B. Devers,
president of the private Congress
sional School.
When Judge Ingram ruled the
statement inadmissible at this
time, Mr.. Lewis said he would try
to have the evidence accepted
later. He said it would show the
extent of certain relationships.
The first witness today was
Herbert Il. Blevins, 1900 North
Ninth street, who said he was en-
ployed by Lano's Arlington Music
Corp. until the first Of this month.
Describes Equipment.
Forthrightly. Mr.. Blevins testi-
fled that during his employment
for about year, Lano maintained
"one-arm bandit" slot machines,
electrical consoles and other
equipment which paid off in cash,
in Arlington, Washington and
Prince Georges County.
He said that as far as he knew,
Lano is no longer in business here.
Mr.. Blevins said Lano main
tanned a number of free play"
pinball machines which. he said,
were used to pay off customers at
a number of establishments in
Arlington.
Mr.. Blevins also testified Lano
operated punchboards and football
policy slips in Arlington.
Earlier yesterday, Mr.. Dugan
testified he had made wire
recording of a telephone CONVEX
sation he held with Mr.. Griffith
on February %. one or two days
after Mr.. Griffith said he had
talked with Mr.. Rucker.
Unaware of Recording.
Mr.. Griffith testified he did not
know the board member had re-
corded the conversation.
Mr.. Dugan had testified: Il had
some reason to believe some one
wanted to get me out of Office.
Mr.. Griffith told me Mr.. Rucker
had attempted to bribe him if
he would make a statement"
A purported typewriter tran
script of the telephone CONVEX
sation was not introduced until
Mr.. Griffith took the stand. He
professed surprise at learning his
conversation had been recorded
and when the transcription was
read to him, he agreed it was
what probably had been said.
Defense Attorney Armistead
Boothe read the transcript which,
in part, went as follows:
Griffith was down to Danny
Fuckers Office Monday.
Dugan-Yeh.
Tells of Proposition.
Grifhth-And, huh, it seems
that I got into some sort of
trouble with a check, and more
or less of a favor to me not to be
prosecuted on the check-I've
been offered a proposition to sort