Evening star., 1936-07-29
D. c. LAW
|SS0UGHT TO HALT
NUMBERS RACKET
Two Caught in Police Raid
Are Released on Bonds
of ST 500.
TWO BOYS, 5 AND 10,
SENT TO PLACE BETS
City Officials Plan Another Meet
ing Monday to Map War
Plans.

While the police vice squad con-
tinued its drive against the numbers
racket with a raid on cigar store
in the 300 block of Elm street and
the arrest of two men, District Com
missioners moved to strengthen exist
ing anti-gambling laws to facilitate
prosecution.
The men arrested in the raid yes
terday, Benjamin Hoffman, 35, of the
300 block Elm street. and James P.
Trent, 26, of the 2200 block Sixth
street. were released on $500 bond
after pleading not guilty to gambling
charges before United States Com
missioner Needham c. Turnage.
Two boys, one aged S and the other
10, walked into the store during the
raid with lists of numbers their
mothers had asked them to play, but
were sent home with news of the raid
by police.
After a conference yesterday with
Lieut.. George M. Little. head of the
vice squad, during which renewed
efforts at stamping out the numbers
games here was discussed. United
States Attorney Leslie C. Garnett to-
day planned another meeting on the
problem with Commissioner HaZen.
Laws Here More Lax.
The parley, called by the Commits
sioner. was set for Monday at II m.
and will include Police Supt. Ernest
w. Brown and Acting Corporation
Counsel Vernon West
During the cnference with Little
yesterday, Garnett brought out that
laws relating to the numbers racket,
one of the chief sources of gangSter
revenue, are not as stringent in the
as an example the court ruling that
passing of a receipt between the play
er and number operator or agent is
necessary for conviction, but that
operators generally have abandoned
the receipts in their transactions
leaving the player to trust to the
operators honesty. A law making pos
session of a numbers book an offense
would assist enforcement, Garnett de-
clared.
Hazen stated he would be glad to
aid in Strengthening the Districts
laws on gambling, but suggested that
much might be accomplished toward
decreasing the activities of the num-
bers operators by officials of the vari-
GUS Government agencies themselves
without resorting to new laws or prose-
cutions. He said:
Il have not been informed there
has been any increase recently in
gambling activities, but I am still of
the opinion the situation can be i'm
proved by strengthening of our pres
ent laws.
Number Racket Hit.
Il am particularly interested in the
numbers racket. Perhaps playing of
the numbers game also can be dimin-
ished if Government department
executives will increase their activi-
ties seeking to break up the placing
of bets by Government workers.
This impression is based on ex-
peTlGIlCc dL LIE DlSLTlCC 6ullQlIlR.
Some time ago I heard reports that
some employees were placing bets with
runners who came into the building
ostensibly on legitimate business. l
directed that the superintendent of
the building place a trusted man on
watch to spot such practices.
Apparently, the word got around,
because later reports were that what
ever the practice had amounted to
had been broken up. There may be
a suggestion here that would be
worthy of adoption in other govern
mental units, if they are having any
difficulties with employees who are
doing business with numbers run
ners. That is question for the prop
er, responsible officials to determine. -
Efforts were made by the Commits
sioners at the last session of Congress
to strengthen the anti-gambling laws,
but proposed legislation failed of &C
ton. Hazen believes there will be q
greater opportunity for enactment of
the legislation at the next session.