Evening star., 1944-07-26
SOCIETY AND GENERAL NEWS
WASHINGTON, D. G.
Five Under Arrest,
More Are Sought in
Gas Black Market
Two Men Are Charged
With Buying Coupons
From District Detective

More arrests are expected soon
In a District Office of Price Ad-
ministration breakdown on black
market operations in gasoline
here, which already has found
five Washington area men
charged with conspiracy to vio-
late OPA gasoline regulations in
the past five days.
Following the arrest last Friday
of three men in whose possession
coupons worth 1890 gallons of gaso-
line were found, enforcement off,
cial yesterday arrested and charged
Wynter A. Marshall, so, of the 1900
block of Oates street NE, operator
of Southeast Washington filling
station. and Ralph N. Pendelton,
26. of the 5000 block of Massachu-
sets avenue Sc. with conspiracy
to violate OPA regulations.
Bought From Detective.
OPA Enforcement Attorney John
L. Laskey said the men earlier yes
terday purchased 1885 gallons
worth OF gasoline coupons from a
Fifth precinct detective for $l,045.
After the alleged transaction, the
men were taken into custody and
appeared before United States Com
missioner Needham c. Turnage.
Their arraignment was put over
until IL a m. August 4.
Meanwhile, Warrenton (VaO OPA
officials disclosed the arrest of two
Arlington youths who have been
charged with conspiracy to steal
from the mails and with theft from
the mails at the Falls Church Post
Office According to Enforcement
Attorney Ray Larcombe, the pair
had B and c coupons worth 24,000
gallons of gasoline in their posses
sion when arrested as they left the
post Office Saturday.
Mr.. Larcombe said the two-Clif-
ton K Gossman, d. of the 1900
block of South Thomas street and
Raymond L. Cruger, l9, of the 5000
block of Twenty-seventh road-had
admitted selling $1,000 gallons of
fuel oil coupons, sugar coupons
worth 1900 pounds, ia tire certifi-
Gates, 4S5 gallons of E gasoline cou-
pons and an undiScloSed number of
shoe ration stamps.
The Warrenton official said his
investigation indicated the two had
been taking ration board mail from
the Falls Church Post Office for
nearly a month. He added that it
would be several weeks before his
Office had completed an inventory
of missing ration coupons.
Postal Inspector w. B. Nelson,
who. with Postal Inspector L. B.
Schoonover. worked with Virginia
OPA investigators in making the
nearby arrests. said both youths
formerly worked as clerks in the
Washington post office Later Goss-
man went with the Arlington post
Office and Cruger to the Falls
Church post office, he said At the
time of their arrests they were not
employed by the postal service.
Mr.. Nelson explained that the
pair would enter the Falls Church
office and while one of them engaged
the two clerks in conversation the
other would rife the mail racks,
picking out only OPA mail
The youths arrested were ar
raigned before Commissioner STAN
ley King in Alexandria Saturday
night, then released on $4,000 bond
each.
At the same time Mr. Laskey dis
closed that yesterdays alleged cou-
pom sale here grew out of the arrest
of the Arlington youths. He said
investigators found on the pair
notebook containing the name of
the Washington filling station and
that contact then was made between
the operator and Detective James
M. Powell
Detective Powell, posing as an
agent of the Arlington youths. went
to Marshali's station and explained
that he had been told by his "ac-
complies to get as much as I
could according to the detectives
version of the alleged transaction.
After bargaining with the two
men, Mr.. Powell said they told me
that the usual price was 8l2 cents
gallon, but I let them have the
goods for a little less than that
Just to be good to them" The men
then turned over the $1,045 in cash,
the detective said.
Also out on bond and awaiting
arrignment on August are Arnold
L, Harmon, IS, of Hyattsville, Md:
T. E. Hooft, 33, of the 1900 block of
Fort Davis street Sc, and Joseph
Edward OBrien, 81. of the 1000
block of Massachusetts avenue NE.
OBrien has been identified by Mr..
Laskey as the man who was paroled
in March of 1910 after serving time
for perjury when he refused to
identify three underworld charac-
ters as his aSSailants in a shooting
here in 1896. Among those convicted
In the assault charge against
O'Brien was Charles R. Rags"
Warning, former numbers operator
here.