Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-05
PROTEST OVER RAID
NOT BEING PUSHED.
Husband Realizes Police
Were -"Bookie"
Phones Still Sought.

A protest against alleged discour-
teous treatment Of Mrs. NJ. p. Nc
Inerny by police led by Lieut.. James
d. McQuade in an unsuccessful raid
in search OF bookmakers at 1886
Massachusetts avenue, Friday after
noon. was presented yesterday to
Maj f. B. Hesse by Mr.. McInerny,
investigator for the Veterans Bureau,
and tenant Of the third-floor fiat at
that address. Mr.. McInerny, after
hearing the explanation of the rea-
sons which police maintain they had
for the search of the premises, de-
clared that he did not wish to prefer
formal charges against any Of the
policemen.
McInerny, according to Maj. Hesse,
did not protest definitely against any
property damage, and no protest was
received by the police yesterday from
any other tenant or owner of the
building.
Awaits Detailed Charges.
Mai Hesse is awaiting detailed
charges from such tenants or owner
as to property damage in other parts
Of the building where the raiding
party broke down door and tore
down wall partition in a fruitless
search for evidence.
The allegatio now before the super
intendent Of police is that the raiders
rushed into the McInerny fiat, con-
Quoting themselves discourteousy to
Mrs McInerny and using discourteous
language. Mr.. McInernys protest
along this line was emphatic, but he
is said to have stated that he realized
police made honest mistakes at times
in attempting to enforce the law, and
appreciated the excitement attendant
upon raids.
Detective Varney. who accompanied
Lieut.. McQuade on the raid, specifically
denied to Maj. Hesse that there was
any discourtesy by any member of the
raiding party.
Police We're emphatic last night in
the statement that the raid on the
premises, which is a dwelling con
verted into fats, was made with the
aim of breaking up telephone book
making ring, which they later learned
was still doing business while the raid
was progressing.
Detectives and police last night had
centralized their efforts on the job of
ferreting out the location of eight
telephones Of the syndicate which the
raid had been directed at silencing.
Only q few hours after the raid po-
lice learned that the telephones were
still in use for bookmaking purposes.
Yesterday the rather embarra ssing
knowledge that these telephones were
humming merrily away with book
making business while police searched
for their location in vain spurred the
police officials to new channels of ac-
tivity.
Police are determined to hammer
away at the telephone syndicate, Maj.
Hesse announced.
System Is Clever.
A careful investigation, according
to police officials. reveals the ''tele-
phone syndicate" as one Of the
smoothest devices for frustrating de.
lection instituted in Washington
gambling circles. The system is this
The clientele, which police declare
is the largest of any bookmakins
establishment in the city, places all
bets over the telephone. Eight lines
are used for this purpose. They
! have in their hands a circular giving
the telephone numbers, it is claimed
When a client loses he visits another
oflce in, a downtown building, and
with cash settles his account behind
closed doors. When he wins and at
tempts to collect in the same manner
| that he has settled he is informed
| that his check is in the mail and that
| it will be good at any bank.
The result of this contrivance. po
| lice point out. has been virtually to
keep undetected the headquarters
where the business Of making and
| laying bets is transacted. The place
! Of settlement Is a separate place. The
| clientele Is known to the syndicate
: managers and telephone operators
| closing out chances of risky bets from
police agents. And the only way in
/ which the thing can be broken up, SC
| far as police can see, is to locate the
| secret site Of the telephone operators
| rip out the telephones and stop the
| communication facilities.