Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-14

iS "a OpC VI 51lilDIlA6J WA g "a
ping, swindling and similar VIOLA
tions of the law, which was begun
by the grand jury over a week ago,
will be resumed Tuesday and when
completed it is expected by court
officials that a perpetual damper will
have been placed on all further OPP
erations of the kind in the city and
general cleanup will have been
made of present conditions.
The greater part of the work will
be completed by the present grand
jury before its retirement for the
term, but it is likely the probe will
have to be continued by the January
term of the grand jury, according to
Solicitor General John A. Boykin.
There is lot yet to be DONE" Mr..
Boykin says, land it will take time
to do it."
Already n large number of indict-
ments have been returned charging
vagrancy, and during the coming
week those indicted will be tried
in the two divisions of the superior
criminal court. Every effort is be-
ing made to break up gambling in all
forms and to bring the members OF
an alleged gambling syndicate to
justice.
The action of the solicitor general
and his aids in conducting raids OF
four places in the center OF the city
and the finding of fully-equlpped
gambling dens" in operation, has
caused a sensation throughout the
city and the south. 1t is believed
by the solicitor that the alleged syn
dictate has fleeced hundreds or VIC
tins out OF thousands of dollars, and
it is further believed by the court
officials that the leader of the syn
dictate was Floyd Woodward, who,
it is said, disappeared from the city
under indictment.
Many Developments have resulted
from the probe. A number of ar
rests have been made. Mr.. Boyk1n
states that he intends to sift the
matter to a finish and no one against
whom proof can be obtained will es-
cape in the wind-up. Owners OF
buildings where gambling has been
carried on will be called to account
he saws. and it is likely that indlct-
ments will be found in number OF
instances of this kind.
Begin Tuesday
Beginning Tuesday morning SEES
sions of the grand jury Will pc nelu
during the remainder of the week
and will be personally attended py
the solicitor general. Each day. Mr..
-,
discovered through the receipt OF
letters, some of which are signed by
the writer's and some anonymous.
Saturday morning "a letter was re-
ceived by the solicitor general from
a man. whose name and address mr..
present, in which the writer CLAIMS
he was victimized out of $500 by
gambling syndicate" in Atlanta.
This man has signified his intentions
of coming to Atlanta and giving IN"
formation before the grand jury.
In order to allow Mr.. Boykin time
to be with the grand jury the two
sessions of the superior crlmtnat
Solicitor E. A. Stephens and Attor-
ney Frank Carter. Judge John ID.
Humphries will preside in the regu-
lar division of the court and judge
W. E. Thomas, of Valdosta, Ga, will
DreSluS III the SIlCI 'AS-N--'
is planned to place all the vagrancy
cases in which indictments have al
ready been returned, on trial, dispos-
ing of them as rapidly as possible.
No trace of Floyd Woodward has
been found by the solicitor general
since an indictment was returned
against him, though a general de-
scription of the man has been sent
broadcast and it is believed that his
capture is only question of time.
Mr.. Boykin says he is confident ne
can convict the man as the "hra1ns"
of the gambling syndicate.
At the Friday session of the grand
jury testimony was given relative TO
the Staying of Ed Mills in local
hotel by Woodward, in which it was
said the killing was the result of a
disagreement over the division Of
money secured in one of the alleged
gambling swindles. 1t was said that
Pennsylvania man was induced to
participate in a game in the Flatiron
building, where he had been "steered"
by Woodward and Mills, and the vic
tim lost $4,000. Woodward and
Mills were said to have gone to a
local hotel with the money and
dispute arose over the distribution OF
the money, which resulted in Mills
being shot and killed by Woodward.
One of the men who participated in
the alleged swindle is reported to
have been a nationally known conf
dence man, who died a week ago fol-
lowing an operation in a Savannah
hospital. 1t is also believed that
this man was in Atlanta recently
when the expose of the gambling