Evening star., 1938-08-03
$50, 900, 900 Numbers Racket
Driuen to Couer By Nev La,o
-Four Months Under Stringent Act Ends
Open Gaming, Curtails Business,
Brings Few Arrests.

codes have been devised to record bets
The old numbered sales books which
were used by all the numbers men
have virtually diss ppeared, investiga-
tors say.
Capt. George NJ Little. head Of the
police vice squad, the man charged
with enforcing the gambling laws, de-
clares the racket is not what it was
Some numbers men have gone out of
business and the rest are operating
more covertly, he says
Racket Still Lives.
But the veteran officer hastens to
add that he is not claiming the racket
has folded up. not by any means. He
does think the new law has put a de-
cided crimp in it.
Why, he was asked. haven't any OF
the big shots been caught-the fellows
who once banked a game so prosper
GUS Federal officials estimated it was
crossing $50 0,000, 900 year? Had they
all gone out of business?
Capt. Little said no. they hadn't
quit. Most of them still backed the
numbers. But every one of them, he
insisted. has established headquarters
in Maryland or Virginia and is care
ful not to carry out any transactions
in the District. It's virtually impos-
sible to trap them, he explained.
While his men have followed the
cars of known pickup men into Mary
land and Virginia. Capt. Little added.
these fellows have been wary enough
not to be seen passing numbers tickets
to the big boss. And the District
policemen couldn't follow them into
houses without search warrants, which
couldn't be obtained outside WASH
lngton, even were Maryland or Vir-
ginia police inclined to cooperate,
especially when a District law was
involved.
we are doing the best we can with
the men available for enforcement
and under the difficulties which the
undercover operations Of the numbers
men involve" the captain said.
Capt. Little has IA plainclothes men.
or these. eight are assigned to the
Alcohol Beverage Control Board and
put in full time enforcing the LIQUOR
regulations. A ninth does clerical
work in the Office. This leaves five
to Investigate violations of the gam
bling laws and all other forms of vice.
Rookie policemen. who are not kncEn
to the gamblers. usually are used for
undercover investigations.
Harder to Get Evidence,
But Capt. Little and Sergt. George
Deyoe. who leads most of the gam
ping raids. say it's much more diff
cult than it was under the old law
to get plays" to uncover evidence on
which to obtain search warrant. And
they must show probable cause" be-
lore the Commissioner or a police
judge will issue warrant.
In several instances where raids
were staged for other reasons, num-
bers slips were found on the premises,
but the raiding squad could not prove
they belonged to the owner or lessee.
every one disclaimed knowledge of how
they got there. and the courts held
there was not enough evidence to
justify holding anybody for possessing
the tickets.
Cars loaded with numbers slips no
longer parade out of town to each
hackers rendezvous at 2 o'clock every
afternoon. members Of the gambling
squad say, and writer's no longer stand
on street corners and canvas Office
buildings and Government depart-
ments. They've found other, less open
ways of collecting wagers, according
to these policemen.
A few misdemeanor cases have been
brought in Police Court, but most
of the handful of cases thus far prose-
cuted under the new law have been
taken before the grand jury and de-
cided in District Court.
No Convictions in Felony Group.
Thus far there have been no con-
victions under the felony section of
the revised section 863-A of the code.
though persons found with numbers
slips usually are indicted for both
misdemeanor and felony. The felony
section make possession Of slips prima
facie evidence of conducting a lottery
which Is q felony-but courts and
juries have been inclined to view such
q case as q misdemeanor in the alb
sence of proof that the defendant
actually was backing a game and was
not merely an employe.
The first man to fight his case, a
colored employe of Walter Reed Hos
pital, was indicted on two counts,
one felony, the other misdemeanor.
He was convicted under the misde-
meanor and given six months. A
felony conviction carries a penitentiary
sentence.
Observation indicates that the num-
bers men have to know you these
days before they'll accept your bet.
They won't accept just anybody's
money. as they used to. At least most
Of them WON'T