Evening star., 1939-06-15
Gamblers Try
To Muscle In
On Charity Games
Charge Is Made by
Prince Georges
County Firemen

Several efforts already have been
made by Washington and Maryland
gamblers and slot machine operators
to muscle in" on the blanket permit
given Prince Georges County fire.
men and charitable organizations to
operate gambling games for charity
1t was charged at a meeting of the
Prince Georges County Firemen's
Association at Hyattsville, Md, last
night.
Jonn Rheinbold of Cottage City
told his fellow firemen that his de-
partment had been offered 500 a
month for the use of the depart
ment's name in running a bingo
game. c. Earl Wyvill of the Upper
Marlboro company said he had been
approached by two slot machine
operators.
I'VE are waiting for an opinion
from the Attorney General to see
if slot machines are legal under
the law passed by the Legislature.
II they are legal, we don't need the
operators machines. we have five of
our own" Mr. Wyvill declared.
Following discussion of the
gambling situation, committee of
five was appointed to confer with
the Prince Georges County Board of
Commissioners Tuesday to ask that
the permits, instead of permitting
gambling every day in any part of
the county, be confined to certain
dave to m cortinnc
Other Offers Revealed.
At the meeting of tine board last
Tuesday, the organizations, through
their spokesman, John S. White,
majority leader in the House OF
Delegates, asked for permits to be
good for a year. When this was
refused, the request was amended
to one month and was granted.
Members of the committee are
Karl Young of Mount Rainier
president of the Maryland State
Firemen's Association, chairman;
David Randall, Forestville; Louis
Manaran, Hillside; James Sampson
Brentwood, and Mr.. Rheinbold.
Mr.. Young told delegates that his
company had received a proposition
similar to the one made to the Cot
tage City department, but had re-
fused it.
Herbert Sacks, proprietor of Del
Rio Restaurant and delegate from
the Bladensburg Fire Department
declared he had been offered three
propositions under the new gam
bling order in the name of charity
but that he had refused all of them
He said he wanted to cooperate
with the firemen.
"Firemen are fools if they don't
take advantage of this opportunity .
Mr.. Sachs declared.
Firemen Hear Pleas.
w. R. Beattie, chief of the
Bladensburg Fire Department, de-
clared that his company has no in
tention of running any gambling
device that is not legal" but added
that his department would take ad-
vantage of the opportunity given by
the law and by the Board of Com
mlSSlOnerS.
One of the chief matters of busi-
ness passed at the meeting was 8
requirement that each company be
confined to its own territory in the
solicitation of business. 1t also was
voted to require companies to give
the time and place of games.
Several members took the flool
to plead that the "firemen not sell
out to the gamblers" since they have
been given chance to make money
Several attorneys in the county
have declared that the order passed
by the commissioners has given thu
flremen a monopoly on gambling.
The July IL meeting of the asso.
citation was postponed until July Is
by vote of the delegates.