Evening star., 1951-07-19
Dispute Over Evidence
Slows Trial Today
In MandeII Robbery

I'LL Fldllucn KUUUGIy
Testimony was expected to begin
this afternoon in the District
Court trial of man and 18-year-
old youth accused jointly with a
suspended sixth precinct police
man in an $500 holdup and rob-
berry last May z Of a man and wife
in their home.
Testimony before the jury was
delayed pending a determination
of the admissibility> of statements
the defendants allegedly made to
police.
Meanwhile. the policeman,
George J. Dunn. n. pleaded guilty
yesterday before trial got under
way in the robbery Of the couple,
Mr.. and Mrs. Melvin H. Mandell
at their home at 3116 Davenport
street NV. At the same time.
Dunn also pleaded guilty to taking
part in a $128 robbery last April
Of the Bellevue Hotel. Is E street
NV.
Judge Richmond B. Keech, who
Is presiding at the trial, excused
the jury while testimony was heard
regarding the arrest and arraign-
.ment Of the two. Albert Givot. 25,
Of the 1900 block Of Leggate road
NV. and George M. Panagos, 18,
of the $500 block Of Thirteenth
street NV.
Length Of Custody at Issue.
Attorney Charles E. Ford, who
represents Givot, and Attorney
Saul G. Lichtenberg, who repre-
Sents Panagos, contend the two
men were held o --ly long for
questioning on June 8 before their
arraignment on the robbery
charges. Detective Sergt. Patrick
Deenihan testified the two men
on trial and Dunn were arrested
in the morning of June 8 and ar
raigned before United States Com.
missioner Cyril S. Lawrence at
AIS pm. that day.
Sergt. Deenihan testified Pan
agos had given police a written
statement allegedly confessing al
part in the Mandell robbery and
that Givot had made an oral
statement. Dunn and Panagos
had been picked by the Mandells
out of police lineup, he testified.
Assistant United States Attorney
William S. Mckinley. who is
prosecuting, made his opening
statement to the jury before it |
was excused. He said he expects
to prove that Givot stayed in an
automobile as a lookout" while
Dunn and Panagos went with
pistols to hold up and rob Mr..
and Mrs. Mandell.
He also told the jury he expects
to prove that Panagos ordered Mr.
and Mrs. Mandell to lie down on
the floor and that the men took
turns watching the couple while |
the other searched the premises.
Finally, the prosecutor told the
jury. Dunn and Panagos tied Mr..
and Mrs. Manden with some rope.
The indictment charges the
three got some $3.50 in cash be-
longing to Mr.. Mandell and $40 in
cash belonging to Mrs. Mandell.
The remainder Of the loot, accord
ing to the indictment, consisted
Of valuable money clip and other
jewelry.
At the time of Dunn's arrest,
police quoted him as explaining
his part of the robbery by saying.
II just needed the money"
In addition to the Bellevue
Hotel robbery Of April 13 to which
Dunn pleaded guilty, he also was
accused Of a second robbery of the
hotel on May l.. This charge
against him. however, is to be
dropped, it was announced.
Third Man Accused.
Panagos and another man were
accused jointly in an indictment,
with Dunn, in the hotel robberies.
The third man accused in taking
part in the hotel robberies is Rob-
ert L. Dinsmore, %, of the 1900
block Of Gallatin street NV. On
Tuesday the court ordered that
Dinsmore be given a mental ex-
animation.
Givot was accused only in the
Mandell robbery.
The office of Police Supt. Robert
J. Barrett said that Police Trial
Board proceedings against Pvt.
Dunn would probably be instituted
within a few days, after the de-
partment receives formal notifica-
ton Of the District Court action.