The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-14
Hoey Reveals He Refused Use
OF PatrOlmen For Slots Raid

nor Hoey disclosed today that he
had refused several months ago
to assign so highway patrolmen
to assist the State Bureau of In
vestigation in raiding and Selling
Slot machines in Fayetteville.
At a conference last summer
with SBI Director Fred Handy and
Attorney General Harry McMul-
Ian, he said, he was informed that
so patrolmen would be needed for
the raids.
Hoey added that it had been
his policy to use highway patrol
men solely to quell disturbances
and to patrol the highways, and
that consequently he had declined
to assign the patrolmen to the task
of conducting the proposed raids
i. Fayetteville.
The Governors statement, is
sued at the request of newsmen,
referred by name to Joe Calcutt
of Fayetteville, who was convicted
in Wake Superior Court this week
of violating anti-gambling laws,
and sentenced to a year in prison
by Judge r. Hunt Parker.
During the curse of Calcutt's
trial, Judge Parker asked SBI
agents why slot machine violators
in Fayetteville had not been pro-
secuted, as ordered earlier this
year by Judge Henry L. Stevens.
The agents replied that they took
their orders from Handy and Nc
Mullan, and that no orders had
been received to seize machines
in Fayetteville.
The Governors statement fol-
lows in full:
my only knowledge or informa-
ton in regard to this matter was
a conference with Attorney Cen
eral Mcmillan and Director
Handy, of the S. B. l., following
the investigation made at the re-
quest of Judge Henry L. Stevens.
l was advised that in order to
carry out the raid and seize the
slot machines being operated in
various places of business in Fay
etteville that it would be necessary
to have so highway patrolmen.
Il told them that it was not the
policy of the state to take highway
patrolmen off of the roads for the
purpose of doing purely police duty
and that I would not dir It the
highway patrol to perform services
of this character.
II advised that every ~1sistance
be given the courts and officers
of the law short of furnishing pa
trolmen and told Director Handy
that he could use the men in his
department to make the raid. He
stated that his force was wholly
insufficient for a raid of this
character. l a also informed
that no evidence had been secured
against Calcutt. Everybody knew
that these machines were being
operated in Fayetteville and many
places throughout the state.
I'm this connection I wish to
say that soon after becoming gov
ernor I adopted a definite policy
with reference to the activities of
the highway patrol. 1 have had at
least two dozen requests for the
use of patroln1en to assist or to
conduct raids in as many different
counties in the state in connection
with all sort of law violations, such
as illicit liquor establishments,
gambling places, house of ill-fame
and other similar places of vice.
These are all the proper objects
of attention on the part of the
local officers of the law, but the
highway patrol is not a state police
force, and cannot be used to do
merely police duty.
II have insisted that the high
way patrol should restrict it's &C.
Invites to the roads with the sole
exception of assisting, to preserve
order in an emergency when there
was threatened violence and the
local officers were unable to fur
nish adequate protection. To pre-
vent riots and to. maintain order
and avoid bloodshed I have re-
sponded to the call of sheriffs and
law-enforcement officers and
ordered the patrolmen to assist in
emergencies.
This is my sole knowledge or
connection with the whole mat
ter" 2
HILLMAN PROTESTS