Evening star., 1933-05-10
Making possession Of gambling para

Making possession Of gambling para
phernalia q miSdemeanor would take
care Of the situation wherein the police,
after gaining entrance to q gambling
place, md no one actually operating
the paraphernalia-usual because both
operators and patrons have escaped
through . rear door while the raiders
were forcing their way through the
barred front door,"
Under present laws, according to
Lieut.. Nelson o. Holmes, chief Of the
gambling squad, either the police or one
OF their informers must make at least
two plays in a numbers" establishment
before raid can be made.
Right now, Lieut. Holmes has q score
or mole Of warrants on which he has
been forced to defer action-in some
Instances for weeks-until second wagers
can be placed.
There is no point to making Q raid
unless we can be reasonably sure Of
getting conviction when We take the
case into court" said Lieut.. Holmes.
And 1t is impossible to get . convic-
ton unless We can prove We have made
at least two plays"
Only last week, the gambling squad
ralded numbers" place to which they
had made a dozen or more visits in the
nope OF being able to execute the war
rant with which they were armed.
The warrant was obtained several
weeks ago, after q member of the SQUAD
had induced the operator of the estab-
lishment to accept q bet. Then. with
the warrant In his pocket. Lieut. Holmes
led the squad to the place day after
day, until the detective who had made
the wager finally succeeded in persuad-
ing the racketeer to take another bet
tnls time with marked money.
Trio Placed Under Arrest.
As soon as the second play was &C.
cepted, Lieut.. Holmes and his men
forced their way into the establishment
and placed the operator, his wife and
another man, all of whom were colored.
under arrest
Getting into . numbers" head
quarters Is just about as dindcult as
gaming access to one Of the sacred
temples of India. The barred peeo.
holed doors are opened only for those
who are definitely known to be ali
1gnt.' Usually, . detective or an in
former has to spend weeks-sometimes
even months -worming his way into
the confidence of some habitue of the
place against which he Is trying to OBJ
tain evidence before he can get him
self inside. Then, until he convinces
the operator beyond a shadow Of doubt
that he Is ''on the level" he Is trailed
wherever he goes.
Even so seemingly simple q matter as
learning the location Of q numbers"
headquarters Is extremely difncult. The
frequency Of gangster and racketeer
murders has made habitues of gambling
establishments afraid of, being pumped
on" As they put 1t, II they do any,
thing which might. by any chance, re-
suit in . police raid.
135 Places Raided.
Despite tn, handicaps under which
Lieut.. Holme nd his men labor, how
ever, they hare raided l35 numbers"
places since the first of the year. The
fact this s 81 raids more than were
made during the corresponding period
Of last year serves to indicate the ra-
pidity with which the racket E
spreading.
The mushroom growth of the num-
bers" game has. as q matter of fact
virtually thrown other forms of gam
bling into the discard. Altogether, l53
gambling raids have been made thus
far this year. and all but IL Of them
were on numbers" establishments.
numbers racket" The fourth and last
Uill appear tomorrow