Evening star., 1938-08-03
By CARTER BROOKE JONES.

BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
What has happened to Washington's s
big numbers racket during the four
months which have elapsed since the
stringent new lottery law went into
effect?
The officials concerned with en-
forcement of the law say the racket
has been dealt heavy blow
They don't contend it has gone out
of business entirely-they never ex-
pected that-but they do insist that it
does not operate as extensively as it
did before the more severe law was
adopted
The game, they say, has been driven
under cover. Once run with brazen
openness, is now collects its pennies
dimes and dollars furtively. lurking
beneath the surface of the city's life,
if these officials are accurate.
Law Acts as Brake.
The law. they point out. has been
more effective as deterrent than
as a means of prosecuting offenders
The records bear out this view to
an extent. At least. they show very
few prosecutions under the new law
and large number during the closing
months of the old law Whether
this situation is due to the virtual COL
lapse of rich racket or to laxity in
enforcing the new statute may be 4
matter for argument.
But information from independent,
impartial sources and personal OBJ
servation seems to establish beyond
question that the law passed by the
last Congress has had decided effect.
that the numbers men at least have
scurried out of sight and no longer
carry on their sucker trade with any,
thing like the opennesS and assur-
ance that marked the racket for
years.
81 Cases Pending January I.
When the present United States
attorney, David A. Pine. took Office
on January /, he found 81 numbers
cases pending under the old Section
1863 of the District Code. which for
bade lotteries, but did not make mere
possession of numbers slips mis-
demeanor and operation Of the game
a felony.
Between January l and April 5,
when the President signed the new
law, rs cases we're started-under the
old law
During the six months, 1856 OF these
1877 cases brought under the old law
were disposed of, most OF them with
pleas of guilty to misdemeanors and
payment of fines Some were jury
convictions and some Jail sentences
were dealt out.
Only IL indictments had been
brought under the new law. at tab
ulation a few days ago.
Seven Pleaded Guilty.
Seven of these defendants pleaded
guilty to possession Of numbers slips
a misdemeanor under the new law
and were fined or received short Jail
terms Several we're given probation
One man fought his case. was found
guilty by District Court jury and
given six months. Three cases, in
which indictments have just been re-
turned, are pending. The 18th,
brought June 8, has not reached trial
because of defense motions
Mr. Pine is convinced the new law
has had decidedly deterrent effect.
THE information that reaches me
indicates he said, that the numbers
racket is not nearly so extensive as it
was. In asking Congress for this new
law We never expected it would stamp
out the numbers or other forms of
gambling entirely But we could ex-
pect that this racket would be driven
from the streets and public buildings,
that it would be forced to stop running
in such an openly. scandalous manner.
I think this has happened.
Law Held Deterrent.
If, as believe, the law has acted
as deterrent, it has been just as ef-
fective as if the courts were clogged
with cases brought against racketeers." I"
The District prosecutor is inclined
to think the police brought only IL
cases for him to prosecute during the
four months Of the new law, because
these were all the violations they could
find. The other numbers men, in his
opinion, either retired from business
or operated so carefully they did not
leave themselves vulnerable to arrest.
Reports which have reached Mr..
Pine indicate that numbers writer's
no longer give their customers receipts
for their bets. Some of these writer's
do not even write down the number
selected, at least not in the presence
of the client, but remember it long
enough to give it to a pickup man or
phone it to the backer.
Phone Used to Place Bets.
Some of the hackers are reported
taking bets directly over the phone
from customers they know.
Various subterfuges in the way Of