Evening star., 1932-02-28
PITTS BOND SEARCH
TO BANK BOX
OF EX-jA|L CLERK
Revenue Bureau Agents Seize
Safe Deposit Container of
Official Who Resigned.
SECURITIES WORTH Sc, 600
WON IN GAME OF DICE
Smith Co. Suit to Recover Former
Heads Confscated Property Re-
veals Trail Of Missing Funds.

A safety deposit box in the CONNER
cial National Bank, rented TO James w.
Wheat, who served as chief clerk of
the District Jail while G. Bryan Pitts
was confined there last year, has been
attached by internal revenue agents
searching for property belonging to
Pitts, it was learned yesterday.
The agents also have seized thou
sands of dollars worth OF bonds on the
Riverside Apartments.
In one case they took $4,000 worth
Of these bonds from a man who said
he won them In Washington during a
crap game from another man who had
previously won them in a well-known
Maryland gambling house.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue
made this information regarding the
seizure of Pitts property available in
a bill of particulars, now on file in
District Supreme Court. The bill also
gives a detailed description of articles
seized in Pitts home in Florida, in
Guiding a large quantity Of liquor.
Seizures Are Protested.
The right of the bureau to take this
property in satisfaction of income tax
claims against Pitts is being contested
alleges that all of the bonds and other
articles seized were stolen from the
Smith company by Pitts, or purchased
by him with the proceeds of theftS
from the company while he was serving
as its executive head.
The bill filed by the bureau says the
safety deposit box rented by Wheat,
who lives at 1895 Pennsylvania avenue
southeast, was attached last December
Is because it was believed to contain
assets belonging to Pitts"
The box has not been opened and
probably will remain untouched until
the trial of the Smith company's suit
against the bureau.
Wheat told representative Of The
Star yesterday that there was nothing
in the box" He said he didn't know it
had been attached.
He said. however, that he had sold
several thousands dollars worth of
bonds secured on the Corcoran Courts
Apartment to a prominent real estate
operator here prior to December 1, 1881.
These bonds, he said, were among some
that he owned. He did not say from
whom he bought them. None of them,
he said, were owned by Pitts.
The Smith Co. has alleged In court
proceedings that these bonds were stolen
from the company by Pitts.
Jail Position Vacated.
Wheat was chief clerk at the Jail for
nearly two years, resigning December /, j,
1881. according to Col william L. Peak,
superintendent.
Pitts was confined in the District Jail
from December, 1880, until few days
ago. when he withdrew his appeal from
conviction on charges of conspiring
to embezzle funds from the Smith Co.
The bonds won in the crap game
were taken from r. D. Miller, 1900
block of M street. They consisted of IL
$500 first-mortgage bonds on the River
side, and are fully secured.
Some months ago, Miller, said, he was
playing poker in a house near Eight
zenith street and Columbia road.
Il won about $50 playing poker" he
said, "and quit. Later they started
crap game, and a friend of mine bor-
rowed $40 to get in. Later he borrowed
$50 more and after winning heavily in
sisted that I split with him. He gave
me the bonds, having won them in the
game from a man named Mack, who
said he had won them few nights be-
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