The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-02
VIRGINIA REFUSES
TO GIVE Up BELTS
Governor Holds Alleged Gam
bier Is a Resident of
That State.
NOT LIABLE UNDER LAW
Three Mysterious Visitors to
Mineola Throw Scare Into
Nassau Officials.

The sovereign State of Virginia has
no intention of helping out the Nassau
county gambling investigation by letting
New York COPS take out of that State
Lou l.. Belts alleged director of one of
the Long island houses of chance. Des-
patches from Richmond last night re-
ported that Gov. Davis had refused TO
honor a requisition for Belts because
| Belts. whatever the Nassau cops, detec-
! tives ana sheriffs may allege, is a resi-
dent farmer of Virginia.
The Virginia Governors decision, ii
was stated. was reached after a hearing
at which two of the leading attorneys
| of Richmond established that Belts had
! been a resident Of Virginia for more
| than a year and therefore could not be
held for any such offence as he is al
legged to have committed in New York
| State Assistant District Attorney Cook
| Of Nassau, according to the despatch.
| tried to show that even though Belts
were living on his farm on the York
| River he might have directed the opera
lions of the gambling house in question.
Officials OF Nassau who either In
person or by dependable deputy, have
been keeping close run of who goes In
and out of the room where Supreme
Court Justice Scudder is conducting the
!
he hopes ultimately to rid the county of
gambling and graft, were thrown into
state Of sharp uneasiness yesterday by
the appearance at Minelo court house
Of three strangers from New York.
The men arrived in q large and ex-
pensive touring car in the late afternoon
and asked to see Justice Scudder. IheS
were informed that he was not at the
court house. and replied to this informa-
ton with a statement to the effect that
their business was important and urgent.
It~was suggested that they give their
message to District Attorney charles X
Weeks They withdrew for consuita-
| ton and while they were at 1t some one
else discovered and duly Informed them
| that Mr.. Weeks had closed his Office FOR
the day. Then the three without saying
another word returned to their car and
vanished before any one with any notion
Of following them could be quite certain
which way they had gone.
AS all sorts and conditions or persons
have come to the John Doe hearings
within the last half dozen weeks the
| advent of the. three in the opulent car
excited the porch watchers. In the last
month or so these faithful observers
| have learned much in the way or now
enc man differs from another, and they
|
| and John Shaughnessy, and they think
they know the metropolitan gambler
type when they see IT, And to their
minds the three men who called at the
court house yesterday had all the ear
marks, including the suavity and the
certain repression OF scenic investiture.
which marks the type.
Inquiry last night from all those close
enough to the county vice hunt to know
what is in the wind brought no identiff-
cation of the three men from the big
city. Justice Scudder was not expecting
them, it was said, and neither was Dis
trict Attorney Weeks. And although no
authority was put behind the statement,
inquirers were given to understand that
! IL the three were in any way interested
in the situation in Nassau they had
come to court Of their own accord.
Wiseacres in the county. however, in
sist on believing that in some way the
callers yesterday were connected with
the testimony of John Shaughnessy. who,
like Gideon and Busteed is awaiting
sentence on a gambling charge and who
testified on Thursday before Justice
Scudder and was followed to the stand
ny Spider" Jackson a negro, who swore
that ne was the lookout" at ShauEh-
nessys gambling house in Lynbrook
After Shaughnessy and Jackson had tes-
titled * was learned that the Gay for
Shaughnessy' sentence had been de-
ferred and that in testifyinE, without
Laming names. he had given information
which was considered by the court to be
"of value to the people"
Shaughnessy. Gideon and Busteed
have all been given to understand that
IL they will tell the names Of the county
officials to whom they paid protection
| money they may expect consideration on
sentence day. And so 1t is the belief
among the county watchers that the
three visitors of yesterday may have
been personages who by coming to the
front" for the three gamblers might ar
range that the information desired by
! the court might get to it without the
gamblers breaking the code Of their
| kind by coming through"
1t was learned yesterday that con-
derable progress has been made within
| he last two days In the way of getting
evidence to connect county officials with
| the bands Of motor car thieves who used
20 operate in the county. When Justice
Scudder charges the October Grand Jury
n Monday this phase of graft In the
| eounty will be one of the first matters
ie Will take up and 1t is intlmated that
The indictment OF all those who took
money and let the automobile thieves
work will follow in quick order.