Evening star., 1953-02-14
Pat Wards Attempt
Al Suicide Blamed on
Love for Crooner
sy the Assoelossd Press

LUve IW VIUUuGI
BY the Assoeioisd Press
NEW YORK, Feb. 14.-A sui
eide attempt by call girl Pat
Ward was reported by the de-
fense in the Jelke vice trial to be
the result Of an infatuation for
Crooner Alan Dale, who says he
spurned all her offers for q date.
Miss Ward. 10. testifying at the
trial Of margarine heir Minot F..
Mickey Jelke III, has told Of
many men paying to date her.
But yesterdays court session
partly concerned Mr.. Dale. said
to be a man she wanted to date
and never could.
A suicide note written by Miss
Ward when she took an overdose
Of sleeping pills last May was
entered in evidence Of the trial
yesterday. The suicide attempt
occurred in the New York apart
ment Of Comedienne Martha
Raye, who invited Miss Ward to
stay overnight after a chance
encounter at night club.
Only Name in Note.
Defense Attorney Sam Segal
said outside the General Sessions
Courtroom, which has been
closed to the public and press,
that Mr.. Dale'S name was the
only. one mentioned in the note.
Her suicide attempt once had
been attributed in published re-
port to her vain love for Jelke.
Mr.. Segal said the note "indi-
Gated something" like a broken
romance with Mr.. Dale.
Jekle is charged with inducing
Miss Ward and two other young
women to become prostitutes and
with living OF the earnings Of
Miss Ward. New York news
papers have said that Miss Ward
broke the case after being Tilted
by Jelke. 23-year-old scion Of q
socially registered family.
Miss Wards Attorney, j. sRo-
land Sala. told newsmen that
Mr.. Dale and some other celeb
rities-Movie Actor George Raft
and Sports Announcer Bill Stern
were innocent" acquaintance
Of Miss Ward.
However, in disclosing their
names. Mr.. Sala said they were
brought into the trial record BY
the defense for sinister reasons.
But defense attorneys assert
ed that not all these names were
put on the record, although they
refused to say which ones were
and which were not.
Never Met Her, Says Raft.
Mr. Raft said in Hollywood
last night that he never met
the girl in my life" Mr.. Stern
said in New York that he could
not explain the reference to
himself. that he doesn't remem-
ber meeting her.
Mr.. Dale. reached in Las
Vegas. New. said he met her
last March in Miami Beach, Fla.
when they frequented the same
hotel swimming pool. He added:
II guess she had a crush on
me. But there was no romance
at ALL"
He continued that he never
took her out and that he never
was alone with her.
| Miss Ward, a material witness
in the case, completed her testi-
mony yesterday after a week on
the stand. Mr.. Sala said these
were other highlights of her
final day in court:
She testified that she inten-
tionally got drunk during dates,
which she alleges Jelke' forced
her to make, to steel herself
against the lustful playboys who
bought her love at prices rang
ing up to $50 and 500 a night.
Tells of Engagement Ring.
Jelke gave her an engagement
ring, she said, while she was
working as a prostitute, and
pressed it back upon her several
times when she sought to return
it to him. Jelke's mother. now
Mrs. Ralph Teal. knew of the
engagement and told Jelke he
was foolish enough to lose her.
after they had fight, Miss Ward
testified.
This was the first mention of
an engagement between Miss
Ward and Jelke during the case.
Defense attorneys, in answer to
newsmen's questions, said it was
not established beyond a doubt
that they were engaged.
Judge Francis L. Valente has
ordered the prosecutions preSen-
tation of it's case closed to the
public and press. He said he was
acting to protect the public
from filth" However, Judge
Valente has raised no objection
to newsmen getting trial infor-
nation from attorneys outside
the courtroom, provided the re-
ports are accurate.
State Supreme Court Justice
BENJAMIN F. Schneider yesterday
reserved decision on a petition to
lift the ban on open sessions.
The action was brought by i've
New York newspapers, a feature
/ syndicate and two news services.
They argued that Judge ValenLe's s
act was an unwarranted and un-
constitutional assumption OF
power In a criminal case.
The trial was adjourned until
/ M0ndav