Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-07
SPECIAL DIVISION
Of COURT WILL TRY
GAMBLING CASES
Solicitor Says Atlanta Man
Is Head of So-CaIIed Syn
dictate - Judge Thomas
May Preside

The calling of an emergency di
vision of the superior criminal cour
FOR the week of December 13 to TAX
care of large number of cases a:
a result of the crusade against gam
bling, overlapping and lettering
about the city, and an announcement
by Solicitor General John A. BoyKlr
to the effect that a local man is
the head of the so-calIed gambling
syndicate, are the outstanding fea-
lures of the investigation being con-
Quoted by the solicitor general.
Judge John D. HUMPHREYS said Sat
urday afternoon that he would re-
quest Judge w. E. Thomas, of Val
dosta, Ga, to come to Atlanta for
the week of December Is and assist
him in the trial of number of
cases. There are over thirty vagrancy
cases set for trial as a result of
the crusade and more are yet to
come These cases will not be placed
upon any one calendar, but will be
divided, with other cases, in both
divisions of the court, Judge Hum
phries says.
Solicitor General Boykin said that
he would have a session of the grand
jury for every day this week. begin
ming Tuesday. and that he intended
to place matters before the inquisi-
torial body that will lead to the in
hA,- Of A f
lantians.
at is my purpose to stamp out
gambling, swindling, lettering and
other forms of lawlessness in the
city before I am through" Mr.. Boy
kin said, land because my whole
time is needed in this matter Judge
Humphries has kindly agreed to ad-
journ court for the week.
"Brains" of Syndicate
Mr.. Boykin would not say whether
he intended to attend the meeting
of the special committee of the board
of police commissioners Tuesday
night which has been called to in
yestlgate the controversy between
the chief of detectiy IS and the So
licitor general, but he did say ne
was very busy in his work and would
not allow anything TO deter MIN
in his Investigations. 1t is the pur-
pose of the police commlsslon ~
between the two departments, put
no definite plan of procedure mas
been outlining for the meeting.
Mr.. Boykin said the report that
the "bra ms of the so-caiied gam III
hosh The real brains of the syndi--
cate, he says, is a local man ana
a nationwide search is now belngg
conducted for the man. When ashe.,
to name the man, Mr.. Boykln satu
he was not ready as yet 10 90 81.
but he said he would do. everything
in his power to bring him back 70
Atlanta for trial and he said he was
confident he would find him soon.
There are going to be. some start
ling developments in THIS cruSaue
kin said, 'and the newspaper men men
will not have to come to me am am
ask for something new. They are
going to find enough to Keep thenl
busy for a time at least wher li;e
grand jury gets into action ,od - go'
ing on in Atlanta in all forms h ,os
such a length of time that II mas
cot TO point where some orastic
sction is necessary and L am gotns
to take that action to clean o
citv( of the scum that has correct
ed here" ,,1a.ad
- IN h i he brains of the syndicate,
Mr.. Roykin said he is already lnoIcI-
ed for vagrancy. but, reallZlns t ne
danger. he skipped town When olIe
eSisfence of the ring was laid pare
nv the fleecing of two men from
Aiken, S. c., and another from IN
diana This man alone. in the opln,,
ION of the solicitor general, formed
the syndicate and it was ne ina.
employed out..of-town pro1e eaS eraas
T ~ the operations of the syn
dictate, the solicitor general says, ap-
nroximately 100000 has been secir-
ed from victims. many Of whom nave
suffered their loss in silence
How Game worked
1.-THE 'big-time game was work.
ed" Mr.. Boykin says, lat the west
Peachtree place. while some of the
smaller fry were fieeced In the
Gambling dens at 40 IL Central ave-
nue. and So IL South Broad street.
In the West Peachtree establlsh-
ment the victims were worked by the
was fitted up with telegraph 1nstru-
ments, operated by dry batteries con
cealed in desk drawers. and with
blackboards, printed race cards ana
all the necessary hellioA'
'The victim was led to believe that
information was being received d.
rect from the race tracks several
hours before the regular bookmakers
were informed of the results and'
therefore. by placing bet on morse
that had won. the bettor was leo 70
believe that he was able to collect
from the bookmaker on a sure thing
In the other establishments it was
said the victims were f1eeced
through the aid of marked cards ann
crooked dice.
during the past week of larceny
after trust. it being alleged he fileced
Wade Lamar. a farmer from. Aiken,
s. c., out of $1,000 and who was
sentenced to five years on the chain
gang, is believed by the solicitor
al employees of the local head of the
Powers, through his attorneys,
John s. and Ralph McClelland and
Samuel D. Hewlett. filed motion
for a new TRIAL Saturday and Judge
John D. Humphries assigned the
case for a hearing on December 10.
Mrs Powers. wife of the convicted
Tnan. who Wa7 arrested when she
appeared in court to attend the trial
confined in the Fulton county Tower
in default of $1,000 bond following
her indictment on a charge of va
grancy, will probably be tried dur
ing the week of December 10:
Solicitor General Boykin said Sat
urdav that if counsel for Mrs. Pow
ers would show positively that the
woman was legally married to Abe
Powers he would order her release
on her own bond The woman's at
torneys said they intended to show
the marriage was legal. but were
unable to do so at the present time
Mrs. Powers was indicted under the
name of Mrs. Abe B. Powers alias
Mrs. P. J. Monette. The latter name.
the woman claims. was her maiden
name and she says she registered I'M
der that name at local hotel after
she had been refused admittance at
another hotel under her married
name, owing to the publicity caused
by her husbands arrest.
1t is the plan of the solicitor gen.
eral to try Powers on another n