Evening star., 1938-04-29
NUMBERS Staying
CASE NEARS Jury
Hook and Shinman Testify,
Claiming Killing in
SeIf-Defense.
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES,
Staff Correspondent Of The Star.


completed before Marlboro jury
their version of the killing Of Sam
Jeffrees, colored proprietor of night
club near Camp Springs. Nd who
they are charged with Staying on the
night of September 30
Closing arguments started shortly
before noon and the case was due to
go to the jury late this afternoon.
Hook told the jury he fired the shot
which killed Jeffrees after he and
Shinman had gone to Jeffrees' Garden
Club to collect nearly $400 and the
colored man reached as if to pull a
pistol.
Shinman corroborated Hooks YER
sion Of the shooting in every detail.
The third defendant in the murder
trial. Frank Guy colored, whom the
State sought to reveal as the finger
man" who put Jeffrees ION the spot"
for Hook and Shinman. denied any
connection with the numbers business
Guy also denied knowledge of the
circumstances surrounding Jeffrees'
death, although admitted he talked to
the roadhouse owner moment be-
fore he was shot from the darkness
in front of his establishment The
two white defendants bore Guy out,
declaring they never saw him before
their arrests.
In vivid recital at a court session
last night, Hook described one more
example of violence in the troubled
history OF Washingtons gambling
racketS.
Tells of Meeting.
The dapper, well-built Hook told
how he and Shinman had gone in the
numbers business in Washington and
had met Jeffrees through "a fellow
named Jones" They were taken to
see Sam at his house on Florida ave-
nue. NV, the defendant said The
colored night club owner wanted them
to take his numbers books, explaining
that he didn't have time to run his
tavern and numbers business too.
They agreed to pay the usual 600
to l on hits" Hook explained, ad-
ding
He told us to be sure to pay off-if
We didn't, we knew what would
happen to us. We told him not to
worry, that we were as level and
above board as that dining room
table"
The arrangement was, Hook said
that a runner was to bring them
Jeffrees' slips each day and they were
to call on him, at his home or his
club, paying or receiving money as
the tabulation might call for.
The first day, the witness said, they
got the tickets later than the deadline
agreed to and refused to accept them
The second day they got the tickets on
time and Jeffrees' customers were SO
lucky that the adding machine showed
they owed him $3.50. Hook said he
and Shinman went to Jeffrees' Wash
ington home early that night and paid
him, and the tavern keeper said:
I'm glad to see you fellows pay.
You'll get my play from now on"
The next day, however, the ribbon"
told a different story-that Jeffrees
owed them 1910, Hook testified. and
they went to his house to collect, but
could not find him and were told he
probably was at the Garden Club.
After making the rounds of their
numbers business, they started for
the Maryland resort about IL pm.
When they drove in, Hook said,
they saw Sam talking to some one
in the yard and called to him. The
defendant added that when he asked
for payment Jeffrees said he would
have to "see the other fellows"
Tells Of Fatal Gesture.
Hook said he insisted on being paid
at once and declared they would park
there until the money was turned over
Jef1rees, he said. then cursed them
and shouted: I've had enough OF
you. Get OUT reaching in his back
pocket as if for a gun
Il grabbed in the pocket of my car
with my left hand, pulled out a gun
and shot at his arm" Hook said.
The defendant said he told his
companion, Shinman, who was driv-
ing to get out as fast as you can"
Hook said there were a number of
figures in the yard and he was afraid
Sans whole gang would be after
them"
They drove hard back to Washing
ton, Hook said, and he and Shinman
went to their respective homes. The
next day, when they read that Jeffrees
had been shot in a numbers war" and
a described car was sought, Hook said
he took his car and fled to Baltimore
Later, he went on, when he read of
Jeffree's death in Gallinger Hospital,
he telephoned a Washington detective
whom he knew and promised to give
himself up as soon as he could COM
municate with his attorney. This he
did.
Asked by his counsel why they had
carried the gun in the car, Hook said:
For protection. Numbers men were
being stuck up frequently"
States Attorney Alan Bowie sought
by his witnesses to weave a web of
circumstances around Hook, Shinman
and Guy.
Woman Is Witness.
There was one witness, Margaret
johnson, colored, who testified she
heard the three men plotting to bump
Jeffrees Off" This, she said, was at
a house on Florida avenue the night
Of September 20 last, the night before
the tavern keeper was slain. She
brought in a fourth alleged conspira-
tor, Harry Wells, known as Weak
Knees" now serving term in District
Jail. The men had determined to get
rid Of Jeffrees, she said, because he
had cost them money on the num-
bers."
The next night, she said, she and
Weak Knees" accompanied Guy to
the Garden Club, and Guy lured JEFF
frees out to be shot by Hook and
Shinman when they drove up.
The State called other witnesses
who were at the club that night in an
effort to prove Guy was the finger
man" in the murder plot.
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