Evening star., 1938-01-20
Capital Numbers '0n the Build.
Reign of Terror Is Forecast
Links to Underworld viii Become
Stronger as Racket Continues to
GrOlC, Observers Are Convinced.
Wide World Photo.

Dutch Schultz is shining example" p"
The racket has come long way
since one Catalan, Harlem colored
man, developed 1t in its present form
out Of the old policy game. Policy
was.very similar to the Latin game of
Bolita little balD, wherein balls num-
bered from l to 100 are shaken up
in q bag and the lucky one drawn
out. Catalan figured that il the num-
Der were drawn from some outside
source beyond the control of the oper-
ator there would be no suspicion at
tached to him and the game would
have more popular appeal. He was
right.
Today, ironically, Catalan is q w.
P. A. janitor. But others have made
uncounted millions out of his idea.
In the early days they used to pay
OF on the New York clearing house
figures. Financial reporters would
phone their papers as soon as the
figure was posted and the policy
bankers would pay of on the printed
number. Then one day q uniformed
figure walked up to the clearing house
blackboard. As usual, and posted a
figure. The reporters phoned it in, and
It appeared duly in the next editions.
But after the reporters had ieft, an
other uniformed attendant walked
into the empty room, picked up the
chalk and peered At the posted figure
with q mystified expression.
The policy bankers paid off ON the
printed f1gure-a phony, chalked up
by a planted "guard"-and every bank
in Harlem went broke. A CLIQUE Of
gamblers had triumphed
After that the United States Treas
ury daily balances were used, but there
were too many advance "guesses" on
these. Stock and bond market totals
also were unsatisfactory, and in time
the present system of paying of on
the pari-mutuel totals from racetracks
was evolved
In washington. say authoritative OBJ
servers. the numbers game is still "on
the build" though a few big bankers
virtually control it. As it grows. it
becomes enmeshed deeper In under
world tangles. Nearly all the opera
tors have police records.
The racket here, these observers are
convinced, is headed toward the reign
Of extortion and terror of a Dutch
Schultz. They hope 1t win be checked
before it becomes a more dangerous
menace to the community. Already,
they point out, crime In general
murder, assault, holdups, safe-crack-
Ing and housebreaking-has Increased
alarmingly in the Nations Capital.
Records on Numbers "Take."
Those inclined to doubt its extent
here and to scon at the $4,000, 900
year which Federal officials say it is
taking in might consider q few ex-
amples, all based on court records or
other authentic information.
One numbers man here started
without = dime or q clean shirt and
within three years had q net fortune
Of 100000 in real estate, securities
and cash.
In Richmond, Va. where the game
Is still IN pastoral" stage, . former
automobile mechanic is resisting be-
fore the Board of Tax Appeals an
enort q the commissioner Of internal
revenue to collect $4,000 in income
tax.
In Wheeling, w. Va, three men in
vested . total Of less than $1,000 in q
numbers business and in one year
crossed 100000 out of a territory
a fraction as populous as the metro
politan area Of Washington. That
was proved in court.
In New York's Harlem q numbers
man banked $4,000 the first year he
went into business. The third year
he deposited $6l7,000. He was only
one Of numerous men engaged In the
business there.
Dutch Schult1's mob Is reported, by
those who probed its affairs to the
bottom and procured the indictment
Of every member, to have made . net
profit Of $40, ,000, 900 the last year Of its
violent sovereignty over Greater New
York.