Evening star., 1948-05-13
Phony investigator
For Senate Mystifies
Gambling Probers

Gambling Probers
By Chris Mothisen
A mystery element hovered ir
the background today as flna
preparations we're being made
for the start Monday of a specia,
grand jury investigation o1
Washington area gambling.
The unknown factor was the ac.
tivitv of IAN unauthorized person,
who was revealed yesterday as hav-
ing approached a Federal depart.
ment in the guise Of an investigator
for the Senate District Committee
and Chairman Buck.
A committee announcement or
the matter did not state the de-
partment said to have been .oueried
It was apparent from the state
ment, however, that the purported
investigator had sought informa-
ton concerning the Metropolitan
Police Department.
Senator Buck said he mad au-
thoriZed issuance of the Stater.ent
asking that the commirJee be in
formed of any other such ap-
proaches after George Stewart
chief clerk, had told him of a re-
port from a Federal official.
Questions Raise Suspicious.
The committee chairman explained
the official had become suspicious
of the self-styled investigators ques-
tions and had called the committee
Office to check on his identification.
The committee, in fact, has no in
vestigators at this time, Senator
Buck said.
He added he understood the per-
son posing as such was a man once
given an assignment by him to
investigate a rent-control matter in
Tennessee when he was chairman
of subcommittee studying rent
control legislation. Senator Buck
said he had not seen this man for
some time and had had no associa-
ton with him since he completed
that one job.
This was the committee announce
ment on the matter, which was made
public without elaboration:
There has come to the attention
of the Senate District Committee
that an unauthorized person has
contacted a Federal Government
department representing himself as
an investigator for Senator Buck,
chairman, and the Senate District
Committee in connection with the
alleged gambling situation in the
District.
George Stewart, chief clerk of the
committee, says:
Neither Senator Buck nor the
committee has any one investigating
the Metropolitan Police Department
of the District and requests that, If
any citizen, group, departments, OF
both Federal and District Govern
ments, or any institutions are con-
tacted by any one in the name of
the chairman of the Senate District
Committee, they please notify the
Senate District Committee at once
and steps will be taken to apprehend
such persons.
United States Attorney George
Morris Fay said the incident was q
mystery to him. He said he had
inquired of his chief assistants in
the gambling inquiry preparations
John w. Fihelly and Charles B
Murray, and determined that nc
such investigator" had approached
any one in his office.
Police Not Approached.
Inspector Floyd A. Truscott, as
sistant superintendent of police
said no one had approached police
purporting to represent Senator
Buck or the committee, insofar as he
knew. He said, however, he had
been notified of the committee
statement.
It was not clear on whose behalf
a person posing as a congressional
investigator might be inquiring
about the Police Department in con-
lnection with the gambling inquiry
There has been speculation the
special grand jury might interest
itself in rumors of police protection
OF gambling here, in view of Mr..
Fays statement the industry crosses
more than 500, 100000 year, de-
spite police anti-gambling work. Mr..
Fay, however, has given no indica-
Ition of this, pointing out the grand
Jury would decide what phases of
the problem it wanted to explore.
Barrett Notes Rumors.
Noting the protection" rumors,
Police Supt. Robert j. Barrett posed
a question in an interview reported
in The Star yesterday as to why the
big gamblers maintain headquarters
in Maryland and Virginia, rather
than in the District, if they have
nothing to fear here.
Mai. Barrett said the investiga-
ton probably will help the depart
ment. He declared gambling here
is at the lowest ebb in his memory.
Mr.. Fay would not comment on
Mai. Barrett's observations.
Gambler List Prepared.
Meanwhile. Inspector Tfuscott
reported that a list of names and
addresses of gamblers requested by
the United States Attorney was
nearing completion and probably
would be ready late today or to-
morrow. The list, he said. would be
accompanied by police records.
In anogher development, Mr.. Fay
revealed he had obtained a new
and unlisted telephone number
because Of what he described IS