Evening star., 1936-11-30
GANGSTERS DEFY
| POLICE, Jury SAYS
Conditions in Charles Called
Shocking-0utside
Aid Asked.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
LA PLATA, Nd, November 30
Charging that shocking conditions
centering about four licensed liquor
places at Mason Springs indicates
clearly that q crowd OF gangsters has
developed" in that part of the coun-
ty. the Charles County grand jury
today was on record with . demand
that outside Investigators be called
to clean up the situation.
The jury also recommended that
the State law be changed to allow
State police TO be deputized to act
with full power in Charles County.
Conditions similar to those existing
at Mason Springs are to be found at
Marshall Hall and points along the
Washington road near Waldorf, the
jury declared. The Investigators as
serted that conditions were so bad
that local residents feared to testify
against offenders.
Report Quoted.
The report follows:
Our investigation has Just dis
closed shocking conditions centering
about the four licensed liquor places
ut Mason Springs which indicates
clearly that a crowd Of gangsters has
developed in that part of Charles
County which threatens to bring the
same discredit to the county that it
suffered at the hands OF the Black
shirt gang several years ago.
Testimony before us disclosed that
disorderly crowds which center about
Mason Springs resorts, especially on
Saturday and Sunday nights. defy
peace officers, threaten them with vio-
lence and scout the law.
Decent residents of the county
avoid Mason Springs on account of
the drunken. disorderly crowds which
gather about its liquor dance halls.
Drunken men and women stagger
about in the roads which center there
and drunken drivers make trafic dan
gerous.
Fear 70 Protest.
"Loudspeakers in the dance halls,
mingled with the shouts and cries of
wild revelries, make Saturday and
Sunday nights hideous for residents
Of that district, many of whom fear
to protest because OF the desperate
character Of the gang leaders.
"A similar condition exists at Mar
shall Hall and ut points along the
Washington road near Waldorf. Many
Of these disorderly resorts are on the
roads used by school busses. Some
of them are Intersections where chill
dren must wait for buses.
Mason Springs already has one
murder to its discredit this year.
That crime grew out Of . drunken
quarrel at > O'Clock one Sunday morn
ing In June. A colored man, who was
stabbed near Waldorf. lies at deaths
door In . Washington hospital.
Urge Outside Help.
"The situation apparently demands
the help of outside investigators to get
the evidence necessary to prosecute
the keepers of these disorderly places
and either close them or force them
to live within the law.
Conditions are such that local
residents fear to testify against the
offenders. That was evident when
the grand jury questioned witnesses.
Many Of the disorderly places with
licenses to sell only beer are selling
bootleg liquor or harboring agents who
sell it to the crowds collected for
dancing"
Both the State and the Federal
governments are losing revenues
through these disorderly places which
provide . market for outlaw liquor
and liquor dealers who operate legally
are Disseminated against.
Hold-ups Reported.
But the financial consideration Is
relatively small in importance as COM
pared with the menace to peace and
security. Gangdom Is in the saddle
in these centers and challenges the
right Of decent men and women to
live in quiet and safety.
There are grave suspicious that the
gang of thieves which has been sys-
tematically robbing stores in Charles
and adjoining counties centers at
Mason Springs and that liquor places
in that vicinity harbor prostitutes.
1.-TWO attempted hold-upe were re-
Gently reported from Mason Springs
district.
Markers Stolen.
last Summer the handsome alum.
mum markers erected by patriotic so
cieties to guide tourists to three Of the
historic places in the vicinity Of Mason
Springs were broken of and carried
away by vandals, who were never ap-
pretended.
Charles County citizens clearly are
in need of more police protection than
can be afforded by . sheriff and two
deputies.
Under the existing laws the State
police have no power to make arrests
| in this county except for trafic VIOLA
tions. This county and two others
failed to get full police authority for
the State police. They were exempted
at the request Of Senators from
Charles, Montgomery and Garrett
Counties"