Evening star., 1944-08-07
6Indicted Here
In Gas Coupon
Black Market
Two Arlington Youth!
Charged With Theft
From Mails

VI VIC UldCk uldTkct III gasoline
ration coupons was taken today
when six persons were indicted
on charges of conspiracy to acquire
coupons illegally.
Joseph r. Burko, former Police
Court clerk and now operator ol
the Lamplighter Club, Fourteenth
and @ streets NV, was one OF
three persons named in one of the
conspiracy indictments. He also
was named in separate indict-
ment charging him with receiving
property stolen from the United
States while knowing it to be stolen
and with receiving gasoline coupons
stolen from the mail.
famed in the conspiracy indict-
ment with Burko were two Airing
ton (Va) youths, Clifton K. Goss-
man, 81, and Raymond L. Cruger,
10, who had been arrested for al
legedly having taken coupons from
the mail at Falls Church.
Three Others Indicted.
The indictments did not name
the number of coupons involved, but
John L. Laskey, local Office of Price
Administration enforcement attor-
ney, said he plans to prove it was
SUFFICIENT for several thousand GAL
Ions of gasoline.
Three others were charged with
conspiracy in another indictment.
They were listed as Joseph E.
O'Brien, 81. of the 1000 block of
Massachusetts, avenue NE; Arnold
L. Harmon, IS. Hyattsville, Md.
and Thomas E. Hooff, 33, of the 1906
block of Fort Davis drive Sc.
Mr.. Laskey said Investigations are
continuing and that additional in
formation is to be presented to the
grand jury which may result in the
indictment of others.
On the conspiracy charge there
is a maximum possible penalty OF
eight months to two years and a
$l0,000 fine, he said. The maximum
penalty ON the charge of receiving
property stolen from the United
States is 20 months to years and
a $50 900 fine and for receiving prop
erty stolen from the mails the maxi
mum penalty is 20 months to years
and a $4,000 fine, Mr. Laskey said
"a Indictments Returned.
The indie ctments were among "a
returned today by the grand jury
in District Court before Chief JUS
tice Edward C. Eicher.
Harry H. Turner, 80, ,olored, of
the TOO block of Girard street NV.
and James w. Turner. Al, colored
of Arlington, Va, were indicted on
a charge of f1rst-degree murder in
the fatal stabbing and shooting last
month of Edward A. Smith, 1900
block OF S street NV.
Four mail handlers were indicted
on charges of stealing from the
mails and two temporary letter car
riers were named on charges of de-
laying the mail. All are colored.
Those charged with stealing from
the mails included Norman Davis,
80, of the 1900 block of Pomeroy
road Sc; William Thomas, As, Red
mon Pittman, 81, of the 1900 block
of Tenth street NV. and Raymond
Hook, 48. Those charged with delay
ing the mails are Gerald I. Barnes,
20, of the 200 block of Division ave-
nue. NE. and Henry A. Jones. 20,
of the 600 block of Seventh street
S.W.
Others named in indictments in
cluded:
James J. jackson, 40, colored, of
the 100 block of Allen Court S.W.;
Alfred D. Vomero, 40, of Brooklyn,
N. Y, and Herman Billet, so, of
Maryland, charged with illegal pos
session and facilitating transporta-
ton of narcotics; Albert E. Cherry,
SIS, colored, of the 500 block of Sec
ond street NV, charged with per-
forming illegal operations on two
colored women, one of whom died :;
Joe Neal, 26, charged with several
violations of the Selective Training
and Service Act, including a charge
he failed to report for induction,
and Robert Catlin, II. of the 1900
block of H street NE, named on
two charges of robbery.
Catlin, said to be former marine
was accused of robbing a taxicab
driver and a bus driver in company
with a sailor and marine, both of
whom have been turned over to the
military authorities.