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Surprise Witness Gives Testimony in Cilio Case CaseL L A Hawkins Tells of Employing And Discharging Groom Staunton StauntonAlthough Although testimony in the Angela Cilio drugging case was thought to have been completed with last Thursdays session a surprise witness was brought before the Illinois Racing Board at its regular semi ¬ monthly meeting here yesterday He was Lional A Hawkins a Jackson Miss oil producer who is also an owner trainer and breeder licensed in many states statesAccording According to Hawkins he offered to testify after reading in the DAILY RACING FORM of groom John Francis Stauntons charges that he Staunton held the horse Richwall while Cilio allegedly stimulated him on the day of June 1 Hawkins came from Cleveland Ohio to appear appearHawkins Hawkins said he had employed this same Staunton in 1946 at Randall Park near Cleveland as a groom and that he later discharged him at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans when he found a hypodermic I needle and a battery an electrical device used to send a horse as he stated in what he alleged to be the same box that Staunton used at Washington Park where another hypodermic needle was discovered after Richwall had been allegedly drugged druggedMajor Major Ednyfed H Williams chairman and his associates William E Fay and Frank E TVtandel listened to the testimony testimonyContinued Continued on Page Two Surprise Witness Testifies Before Board in Cilio Case CaseContinued Continued from Page One Oneintently intently and later an eloquent and rather dramatic plea was made by Attorney Michael J Romano on Cilios behalf The Board took the case under advisement It is expected that a ruling in the Cilio mat ¬ ter will be forthcoming today todayThe The Board also listened to additional testimony in the case of former owner Thomas Calumet who was banned last year for allegedly claiming a horse for a person not eligible to make such a claim His case too was taken under advise ¬ ment mentFormer Former jockey Robert Lee Vedder was another to appear at the Board offices but withdrew his plea for reinstatement
