Evening star., 1934-10-29
Police Ready to Defend Rec.
ord-Prisoner Quizzed
in Gang Staying.
BALTIMORE DETECTIVES
ARE SENT BY RITCHIE
Head of Business Mems Fedora.
tion Sees Legalized Gambling
as Blow to Rackets.

The Metropolitan Police Department
today was prepared to stand on its
open record of law enforcement as
civic and church leaders rallied to a
huge public meeting, called by the
District Bar Association at the May
flower Hotel tonight to map an inten-
sive drive against gambling and
crime.
A three-year picture of investiga-
tions and convictions obtained by the
department will be laid before the
meeting by Police Chief Ernest w.
Brown, Inspector Frank S. w. Burke,
chief of the Detective Bureau, and
Lieut.. George NJ. Little, head of the
vice squad.
The meeting grew out Of public in
dignation against the mistaken
identity" ambush of Allen B. Wilson,
newspaper route carrier, slain by
gangsters early Tuesday, who mistook
him for Mickey" Mcdonald as they
lay in wait at McDonald's Tal---'o
Park home.
Prisoner Quizzed.
Twenty picked men from the De-
tective Bureau have been working on
the case night and day since Tues
day, but Inspector Burke said today
no definite leads had been developed
Maj. Brown told reporters this
morning that one man arrested on
another charge was under question:
ing in the Wilson murder and he was
hopeful" the prisoner might throw
some light on the case The police
chief declined to name the man. but
admitted he might have been at the
scene" Of the shooting.
Police described Mcdonald as a
numbers" operator.
They declined to say II they have
information that Wilson was the VIC
tim of colored gunner, while ad-
mitting this is possibility"
Maj. Brown, Inspector Burke and
Lieut.. Little were summoned into con-
ference at the District Building this
morning by Commissioner Melvin c.
Hazen, who inquired as to how the in
vestigation was progressing and dis
cussed the Police Departments part
In tonight's meeting.
Firemen Also Quizzed.
Officials of the Fire Department also
were called to the conference. 1t was
said that an effort will be made to
charge the owner of building raided
early Sunday either with violation of
the fire regulations, through the OBJ
struction of a fire escape. or with vio-
latlon Of the building code through the
installation of barricaded doors by
alleged gambler tenants.
Maj. Browns statistics will show the
murders, homicides, shootings and
other crimes of violence here for the
past three years of Maj. Browns ten
ure of office, together with the arrests
and convictions and the percentages of
increase or decrease.
Committee to Meet.
The District bars Emergency Com
mittee of so was to meet late this
afternoon at the Mayf1ower to draw
up recommendations to be presented
at tonight's meeting, George Maurice
Morris. chairman of the committee
announced today.
Active support in the campaign has
! been pledged by James G. Yaden, pres
idsnt of the Federation of Citizens
associations, and Arthur Clarendon
Smith, head of the Federation Of Busi-
ness Mems Associations. Both ex-
pressed their intention Of attending
the meeting tonight. along with other
representatives of their organizations.
Yaden declared it was high time for
washington police to do something
about gambling rackets in the Cap
ital." He said he had instructed the
Law and Order Committee of the Citi-
zens' Federation to begin work on an
antl-gangster" program. The COM
mittee. headed by Attorney George
Sullivan, is to meet tomorrow night.
Will Present Plan.
Yaden said the committee was ex-
pected to report a plan of action to
the federation Saturday night.
The federation is going to do eyery-
thing in its power to prevent further
outbreaks of gang violence" Yaden
added
Smith said the Executive Commit
tee Of the Business Mems Federation
had pledged active support to the en-
forcement drive. The president and
three vice presidents will represent this
federation at the mass meeting.
Smith pointed out the business
mems federation is the only organiza-
ton In Washington to urge legaliza-
ton Of horse racing in the District.
He offered as his personal opinion
that the legalization of all gambling
under police supervision would put a
stop to gang warfare over the gamh-
ling take" in washington.
"The measure to legalize horse rae
ing all but carried at the last Con-
gress," Smith said. "At the next