Evening star., 1937-03-21
SQUADS. OF POLICE
ARREST 28 IN I
RAIDS At ONE TIME:
Gambling Drive Intensified
Clty-Seven Post ST, 900
Bond Each.
80 SUSPECTED PLACES
ENTERED IN TWO WEEKs
Authorities Think Bookies Ar,
Dividing Activities With
Smaller Offices.

Gambling raiders renewed their VI
on the race bet racket yesterday afte.-
noon, with seven simultaneous blows
al as many suspected places scattered
over the city.
IWenty-eight persons were arrested
and taken TO police headquarters
Tor grllling which lasted we'll mo
last night, but only seven of them wer.
formally charged. Police said only one
or two Of those charged had previously
been suspected of gambling activities.
Ihose booked at headquarters U1
charges of conspiracy to violate the
gambling laws were John H. Miller,
alias David Lee Ely Friedman, Al, Of
the 300 block of Emerson street:
Frank Joseph Meletti, 80. of the 900
block Of Shepherd street: George
Shettel, jr., 300 block of Seventh
street; Max Brody, 1900 block Of
Upshur street. and John " Laforte,
address not given. The seventh man.
Harry Willis Wood, 1000 block Ct
Fourteenth street, was charged with
setting up a gaming table. All the
defendants were released under $1,000
bonds
The raids were sprung simultane-
ously through the city at o'clock,
while returns were coming in from
Tropical Park, Miami They were led
by several inspectors, captains drawn
| from various precincts and headquar-
ters detectives. Each squad was ac-
companied by deputy marshal.
No Advance Tips" Given.
Police said there were no advance
tips" on the raids, as had been sus-
pected on several previous occasions,
although two places entered by ad-
dltlonal squads were vacant.
Raiders expressed the opinion that
repeated forays on the larger racing
establishments here had split the
/ places into number of lesser ones
Strategically scattered over the city
IN apartment houses, small business
concerns and private homes.
The current war on gambling opened
two weeks ago. and since then more
than 80 raids have been conducted
lncludlng one on headquarters of an
alleged race information telephone
service
Twelve persons were arrested yes
terday in a raid on a frame dwelling
in the 1900 block of Georgia avenue,
led by Lieut.. w. j. Cunningham Of the
Traffic Bureau. Detective Seret,
Howard Ogle swung sledge hammer
on the locked door, then crashed
through another door leading to the
basement.
The raiders said they arrived as
startled occupants were examining
racing slips into a furnace A few
Of the slips were seized police reported,
along with So found on a reputed
BLACK jack table. The place, it was
said, was equipped with blackboards
for posting racing returns. Shettel was
the only man charged after the others
had been questioned
Raiders led by Lieut.. George Little
said they found telephone booking
place in operation in the 300 block
of Emerson street Meletti and
Friedman were arrested there.
Police said that bets continued to
come in over the telephone after they
arrived At least one would-be
bettor, they added, saved $40 when he
called in a wager on Wild Pigeon to
win at Tropical Park in the fourth
race.
An officer answered the telephone,
took the mans name, and said 20. k.''
Wild Pigeon turned up fourth shortly
afterWard
Break Door With SIedges.
Lieut.. O. j. Letterman led a raid
on a place in the 100 block of MasSa-
chusetts avenue. The officers smashed
their way through the front door with
sledges. Letterman said four men
attempted to escape from second
story window down a rope in which
knots were tied every two feet.
Police reported they found large
felt-covered gaming table in the
basement, another table on the sec
ond floor, two telephones, radio and
quantity of racing slips. Four men
were taken to headquarters, including
Miller.
Twenty-six telephones were seized
| III a dIAl Oil a pioeC III OlfC ioOO hAoNh N
of Fifteenth street. A colored maid,
Belle Bowers, was taken to head
quarters, questioned, booked as a
Government witness and released
under $500 bond.
Other raids were conducted in the
TOO block of Eleventh street, where
Brody was arrested; l400 block CT
street, where Wood was arrested
and 900 block of Kennedy street, whei q
Laforte was arrested
Brody told police he had no con-
nection with racing and conducted
fur novelty shop at the Eleventh
street address. In addition to the con-
spiracy charge, Brody was accused Of
failing to have an occupancy permit
posted.