Evening star., 1922-11-29
CONVICT KELEHER
ON BOOK|E CHARGE
Washington Man Given Six
Months Sentence in Rock
vi|Ie-AppeaI Noted.

ROCKVILLE. Md, November 90
(SpeciaD.-John b. Keleher, we'll
known in Washington sporting cir
Peter and Worthington in the circuit
court at Rockville of making books
on horse races and was sentenced to
the Maryland house of correction for
six months.
That the defendant was sentenced
to prison instead of being simply
fined occasioned little surprise here.
as judge Peter, in an address to the
grand jury in discharging it a few
days ago, declared that the only way
to break up gambling and liquor
selling establishments in the county
was to put the guilty behind the bars.
and he strongly intimated that all
such offenders whom he was called
upon to sentence might expect such
punishment. He asserted at that
time that fines of $500 or even 81 900
made little difference to such vio-
latorS. they amounted to nothing
more than license fees.
Arrest Follows Raid.
kclcher's arrest followed a raid in
July, 1921. of Il house at Chevy Chase.
House of Mystery" y squad OF
Montgomery county officers. led by
the then sheriff. George r. Nicholson,
and states Attorney Thomas L. Haw-
sen, visited the house in the after
noon at an hour when races Were in
progress in Various parts of III" coun
try and in Canada. They found there
room equipped with half u dozen
or more telephones and all other para
rhcrnaii4 necessary in the conduct of
book ma king business The house was
rented by a Mrs. Catherine Eeeley.
Milton S. Coley of Washington was
arrested with Keleher. and his trial
is scheduled to take place within the
next day or two. Some weeks later Il
warrant was sworn out against Mrs.
Neeley and she was arrested in Wash
ington. where she had removed in the
meantime. She refused to come TO
Maryland. and Gov. Ritchie asked for
her eXtradition. She resisted extra
diti"n. and her case is now pending
in the District of Columbia Court of
Appeals.
The delay in trying keleher and
Cooley was due to a desire on the
part of States Attorney Dawson to
place Mrs. Eeeley on trial at the same
term of court, but the uncertainty of
the final disposition of her case in
Washington. caused him to decide to
bring the other cases to trial at this
terms
Appeal Ii Sought.
Ia passing sentence. Judge Peter
stated that the most important part of
kelehcr's equipment at Chevy Chase
was the telephone He stated that the
telephone company was permitted to
come into Maryland and do business
and yet without its aid and cO-opera-
tion. keleher would have been una
BILE to prosecute his business in this
county. The judge reiterated what he
told the grand jury that the only way
to break up these establishments was
to send the guilty to prison and let
it be understood that that would be
the future policy of the court in all
such cases
Immediately after sentence was
passed John A. Garrett, who defend
ed Keleher, asked the court for the
privilege of noting an appeal to the
Maryland court of appeals. The court
stated that it was not certain that the
defendant was entitled to an appear
but that 1t would allow Mr.. Garrett
ample time to consult the authorities
and present arguments to the court.