Evening star., 1938-01-18
No. rs OF Series.
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES,

No. rs OF q Series.
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
It's easy for the police to pick up
"vriters"-the men who record bets
on the numbers-for they haunt ONCE
buildings. street corners, Government
departments, cigar counters, taverns
and even solicit homes.
But even when they are fined or
sent to jail, the racket admittedly goes
on. almost If not quite. uninterrupted.
For the big shot "numberteers," en-
trenched behind millions. hidden by a
hierarchy of 60 -betweens. pay the fines
and quickly replace writer's temporarily
out of circulation.
And thus far the magnates OF the
digits have proved the untouchables in
the various drives on criminal enter
prises in the National Capital.
At the moment their arrogance in
Haunting an illegal industry in the
face OF Congress-since Congress con-
trolls the Federal city-is stirring some
caustic comments in the Senate. But
it's to be doubted whether this sena-
torial indignation gets more than a
gooi laugh out Of the numbers baons.
They feel that they're immune.
Boards Business Reported Thriving.
few OF them. it's true have been
convicted and sent up. but none OF
the big shots. except Sam Beard-and
they had to get him for bookmaking.
not the numbers-and while he is
rounding out q 2-to-6-year sentence.
his numbers business. the authorities
happen to know, Is thriving in other
hands.
A striking example Of the attitude
OF numbers racketeers toward the
police court stuff'-harassing writer's
and pickup men-was seen the other
day when James X. Eagle. admittedly
a partner in big numbers business in
Richmond. Va, appeared before the
Board OF Tax Appeals to protest an
income tax assessment
He said his men were arrested now
and then and fined. He paid their
fines and he furnished them with
counsel, he explained.
Eagle estimated the fines he paid
as 81 900 in 1892, $1,000 each in the
years 1893 and 1894. and perhaps
$500 in 1885. These were the years
embraced in the income tax claim.
Part Of Operating Expenses.
Fines and attorneys fees merely
were part Of the operating expenses,
he told the board.
And his attorneys contended that
these fines were deductable from the
net income which was taxable. The
board did not pass on this question,
because the hearing was adjourned to
allow the attorneys to discuss q COM
promise.
But some enlightening details of the
numbers business were revealed while
Eagle was on the stand.
Explaining why there were no books
the Government could look over, he
said:
II was in an illegal business-I was
afraid to keep books, afraid I would
be prosecuted
He insisted, however, that he and
his partner, William H. Sampson. had
co-operated with the Internal Revenue
Bureau by turning over Cancelled
checks and all other financial data
available.
In fact Eagle-a benign looking man
approaching 60-represented himself
~ something Of . model citizen.
Checks 10 Community Fund.
At the instance Of his counsel, he
identified number Of checks which
represented his gifts to the Richmond
Community Fund.
He had lived in Richmond 20 years,
he explained. and he had contented
himself with making book on the races
and with running An occasional dice
game until Sampson persuaded him to
take up numbers.
i II don't gamble on the outside" said
Richmond's reputed numbers king.
"Oh, I might bet IS on q football
game or $40 on the World Series. But
I'm home every night by 9. If 60
out at night my wife is with me and
We 60 to a movie
He denied that he had paid any
police protection or made political
contributions"
But this benevolent old gentleman,
who was simply running a square
numbers game in which everybody got
An even break, admitted he'd had his
troubles with competitors.
Own Distinctive Books.
He and Sampson had their own dis
tinctive numbers books. provided by q
Baltimore firm for their exclusive use,
he said, but their tickets were always
straying into rival camps.
The Eagle-Sampson firm had ster-
ling reputation among the devotees Of
chance, he explained-it always paid
on on the hour-and when . new i'm
presario of digits would start in busi-
ness, his men couldn't sell tickets un-
less their books bore the "T. & T." i'm
print which supposedly meant Rich
mond,s pioneer outfit backed them.
I'VE caught boys selling our tickets
to other operators" Eagle said. And
sometimes when they'd finished their
sales for the day they'd throw away
the rest Of their books to avoid the