Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-02
Raids Seen Blow
Al Vast Gamma,
Counterfeit Rinq
D. c. Clearing House.
For National Outfit,
IT Arrests Indicate

Police and Federal agents believed
today series of raids here yester-
day had smashed one of the nerve
centers of major narcotics, coun-
terfeiting and gambling ring, whose
operations extended from New York
to Alabama.
Evidence gathered during under
cover investigation the past year in
dlcated the gang used Washington as
a clearing house" between New
York and Southern States for illicit
narcotics, counterfeit money and
crooked gambling equipment, au-
thorities said.
Inspector Bernard w. Thompson,
chief of detectives, said the gang
appeared to have handled through
Washington a weekly average of
about $500 worth OF dope alone
over a period of at least 10 months.
Local detectives, Secret Service
and Narcotics Bureau agents CO.
operated in four raids yesterday
that brought the arrest of six men
and five Women-seven of the total
on warrants charging conspiracy to
violate the narcotics laws. The
others were held for investigation.
Two Seized in New York.
Two other men were taken into
custody in New York, a warrant was
issued for another believed to be in
North Carolina and further arrests
were expected in other centers.
A large quantity of heroin and
morphlne-tentatively estimated to
be worth about $2,0O0-and several
hundred pairs of crooked dice and
decks of marked playing cards were
confiscated in the raids here.
Secret Service agents said no
counterfeit money was found, but
| that the long investigation had i'm
plicated some members of the gang
IN handling it through the WASH
lngton clearing house." although
apparently they had passed none
here.
The prisoners. locked in cells in
scattered police precinct stations.
were to be questioned intensively to-
day in an effort to gather more in
formation on ramifications of the
gangs particularly as
to the source of the counterfeit
money and narcotics.
Police named John A. johnson. IS.
who was sentenced to the Atlanta
Federal Penitentiary in 1884 for
counterfeiting and served "a
months, as leader of the gang here.
Secret Service agents said his 1884
arrest came after he passed fake
money from Washington throughout
the Southeast.
Held Under $4,000 Bond.
johnson and two other prisoners
were held under $4,000 bonds each
on the narcotics charges. The others
were George A. Brawley, 20, and
Frederick Brannon, alias B. O,
Brown, So, of the HOO block of Thir.
tenth street NV.
Held under $4,000 bonds each
were Raymond E. Price, 80; Fannie
Maggie, "a, of the 1000 block of
Ninth street NV; Margaret Histon.
%. of the 700 block OF New JERSEY
avenue NV, and Blanche BraW-
ley, 80.
The prisoners were said to have
come here from various parts of
the country.
The raids, kept secret by officials
until last night, started at m
yesterday after United States Com
missioner Needham c. Turnage had
issued warrants for the arrests on
the basis of evidence uncovered dur
ing the months officers had watched
the mail and movements OF the
suspects.
Raids Widespread.
johnson was captured in an
apartment near Fourteenth and
Euclid streets NV, where most of
the drugs and gambling equipment
were conflscated. Other raids fol-
lowed on residences near New Jer.
sey avenue and Second street NV:
In the 200 block of Fifteenth street
Sc, and near Thirteenth and M
streets.
Inspector Thompson and 1t.
Joseph w. Shimon, head of the
pickup squad, led the local police
detail on the raids. Other detec-
tives participating included Will
liam Fawcett, Harry Britton, Irv-
Ing Lubore, Robert Maghan, Jack
Baker, George Thornton and H. H.
Carper.
The local detectives had CO.
operated with Secret Service and
Narcotics Bureau agents and postal
inspectors in gathering evidence
against the gang during the past III
months, Inspector Thompson said.
The case has been hot" since last
June, when definite clues were dis
covered with the arrest of Benjamin
(Little Benny Ertel on a New York
murder indictment for killing de-
tective there last year. More than
$500 worth Of counterfeit bills and
about $4,000 worth of heroin were
found in his room, 1t. Shimon said.
Police Lived Near Them.
Names of the gang became known
to police. Detectives occupied
apartments near where they lived,
disguised themselves as taxicab
drivers and laborers and used other
ruses to gather evidence. Postal
inspectors co-operated by watching
mail of the suspects.
Inspector Thompson said much of
the Illicit heroin and morphine
handled by the gang apparently was
mailed here, and about one out of
five packages coming through the
mails to gang members had been
intercepted.
The bulk heroin and morphine
was cut and prepared here for
distribution as far South as Biz
mingham, Ala, officers said. A
quantity of sugar and milk" used
In cutting" the dope, was confis-
Gated.
Inspector Thompson said smash
ing the ring apparently had cut of
the ma ior sl1pDlv IF Illicit ,,oroot;cs