Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-25
GRAND JURY To SEE
PROBE ON GAMING
! THROUGH To FINISH
further Raids on Safety
Deposit Vaults and Bring
ing to Light of More SWIM
! die Victims Feature

SlO0eFS TO appropriate euouS IL
hey to carry on the investigation
un by the November term of the
hid jury into alleged gambling,
Ike horse racing. wire tapping and
swindling. but if they do not. the
present grand jury will, according
TO statement made by A. Med. Will
son, foreman Of the jury, Thursday
morning. q
Mr.. A. Med. Wilson said he had
no doubt that the commissioners
would see that the work would be
carried out to a finish regardless of
the cost, and he said the present
grand jury will recommend that the
probe be continued by the succeed
ing investigating body.
Solicitor General John A. Boykin,"
Mr.. Med. Wilson said, ais doing the
work of the chief of police and his
men. He has unearthed a condition
In Atlanta that is astounding and the
work should be completed and not
allowed to come to standstill. 1t
is far more important to the coun-
fy," Mr.. Med. Wilson said, than the
! building of highways and the county
commissioners will be requested to
appropriate money to complete the
Investigation"
Another raid on a safe deposit
vault, the disclosure of a number
OF additional alleged gambling dens,
and the bringing to light Of several
more alleged victims of the gam
bling and swindling syndicate, were
among the developments of the probe
I Thursday morning.
It became known Thursday that
evidence has been secured by the
grand jury to show that a banker,
named Dukes, former president of the
Bank of Milan, at, Milan, Ga, who
mysteriouSly disappeared from a To-
cal hotel in November. 1918, was
victim of the gamblers and swim
dlers. At the time the banker dis
appeared it is said his coat and
watch were found in the hotel. Later
It was charged that he was short
in his accounts at the bank, to- the
extent of approximately $4,000. but
this money, it is said, was made good
by his friends: Although the police
and private detectives were employed
to search for the missing man he
was never found.
According to information received
by the solicitor general, the banker
had fallen into the tolls of the gam
bling and swindling syndicate, and
was fleeced out of his money in a
downtown office building, where it
is said, the gambling operations were
being conducted at that time.
Victim Found
Another victim found is w. B. Hill,
seventy-six years old, of Gainesville,
Ga. Mr.. Hill, it is said, claims he
was fleeced out of $4,000 by the
"gang." He is coming to Atlanta
to testify before the grand jury.
Several others. who claim to have
lost from $4,000 to $4,000, Mr.. Boy
kin says, have communicated with
the solicitor general and have an
nounced their intention of appearing
before the grand jury.
The investigation has revealed, 1t
is said, that besides the places al
ready mentioned, the gamblers oper-
= ated in the old Normandy hotel. re-
¢ly torn down, at Peachtree and
West Peachtree streets, in a build
ag, on Ivy street, in the rear of the
rand theater. in building on Pied
lont avenue. between Merritts ave-
Tue and Pine street, in the section
where Floyd Woodward, alleged
'brains' of the syndicate, lived, and
Din a building on Auburn avenue, near
the junction of Ivy street. -
1t also became known Thurs
day that a new witness to the kill
ing of Ed Mills, the alleged gambler,
by Floyd Woodward in local no
tel two years ago, when it is said
Mills was shot and killed in an argu-
ment over the division of spoils, has
been found. This witness. accord
ing to the solicitor general, states
that he overheard the alleged plot to
kill Mills and heard one member Of
the gang" say that Daylight will
morning" Mills was shot and killed
few hours later, it is alleged.
A demand was filed by Attorney
Samuel D. Hewlett, counsel for Mrs.
Elizabeth Smith. wife of W. Clyde
the syndicate, for an early hearing
on the appointment of a receiver for
Aproperty confiscated by Solicitor
&Boykin and which was found in a
safe deposit vault used by Mrs.
Smith. Date of hearing had been
harry 8, but Attorney Hewlett has
asked that a hearing be granted as
soon after Christmas as the court
will assign it.
Information that more property is
confined in a safe deposit vault in
another bank of the city caused So
licitor Boykin to secure a court or
der and make a quick trip to this
bank. Just what it has disclosed
has not yet been learned. 1t was
said by Mr.. Boykin that four other
Rraids were made on deposit boxes
Wednesday afternoon, but that the
olders of the same had "beat him
it" and all that was found was
me empty envelopes.
New and startling evidence is be-
found each day, Mr.. Boykin says.
d it will be necessary to continue
probe through the entire session
the January term of grand jury.
Every effort is being made by So
tor General John A Boykin to To-
property in Atlanta owned by
nbers of the alleged gambling
swindling syndicate in an effort
id the victims Of the "gang" to
yer part of their losses.
bother raid was conducted We'd
ay which resulted in the seizure
900 deposited in local savings
in the name of L. V. O'Brien,
Jack Knife O'Brien, ma
billy known confidence man
ntiuued on Page 9. Column 81