Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-07-13
State Trooper
Tells Of Raid on
Rocway:: flowers
80 to 40 Men Were
At Gambling Table;
He Testifies at Trial
~ Tharlae YnyhYouoh
By chorles J. Yorbroueh
Sior SsoH Correspondent

A State trooper who was the first
man to enter Rocway Towers when
it was raided June S, testified today
that go to 40 men were standing
around the craps table"
The witness, Trooper First Glass
Preston Rowland, had begun his
testimony yesterday in the Howard
County gaming trial of 81 men ar
rested in the raid. The turreted
casino, Rocway Towers, is on United
States Highway No. l, about a mile
north of Laurel.
Trooper Rowland was cross-ex-
amined by William H. Forsythe OF
Ellicott City, one of the four defense
attorneys. So -'-,
That is lot of people around
12-foot table, is it not?" Mr.. For
sythe asked. referring to the 80 or
40" Trooper Rowland had men
toned. -
Saw No Play at Table.
"They were pretty thick" Trooper
Rowland replied. He said he saw no
play and no money on the table.
One of the defendants in the trial
which began yesterday is Patrick j.
Clarke, identified as owner Of the
Towers and charged with permitting
gambling there.
Two others, charged with operat-
ing the establishment, are Theo-
dore A. Meyers of the 1900 block Of
Branch avenue. Silver Hill, Md, and
Walter Novak of the 1900 block
Jackson avenue. Takoma Park, Md.
Eighteen persons, many Of them
from Washington area, are identi-
fled as employees and charged with
keeping, dealing at, managing and
having an interest in gambling
table, keeping and managing q
gambling place and unlawfully bet
ting.
\ Protesting Sheriff on Hand.
Witnesses-most of them Mary
land State policemen-and the Il
defendants more than half-flled
the courtroom. Also in the court
room was Sheriff Frederick Kramer
Of Howard County, whose depart-
ment was left out of the Rocway
Towers raid and who protested later
that las high sheriff, I should have
been notified"
Introduction of gaming equip
ment and the small arsenal seized
in the raid took up most Of the
afternoons session and produced
some humorous sideplay on the
identification of some of the ar.
ticles
At one point States Attorney
Daniel Murray, jr., produced the
working tool used by a .croupier-
"a stick" in some localities; rake"
in others.
Judge Decides on "Rske.'
What is it9" the Judge asked.
"I,don't know" Mr.. Murray re-
piled.
Then to me It will be a rake"
the judge decided.
Two wooden boxes in which, po-
lice said, dice are kept, were pro-
duced and went into the record
without an official name. A nil
crometer used in measuring dice
also elected the judges curiosity.
Testimony given yesterday dealt
largely with the police identification
of the gambling equipment and the
guns, but Prosecutor Murray also
called telephone man to the stand
in an effort to show "heavy" tele-
phone traffic out of Rocway Towers
before the raid.
Telephone Official Testifies.
The witness was Sydney S. Stab
Ter, area manager at Laurel for the
Chesapeake g. Potomac Telephone
Co., who testified that three tele-
phones were installed in the place
under Patrick j. Clarke's name.
Trooper Rowland took the stand
to tell of being met at the Begin
ming of the raid by Theodore A.
Meyers. one of the defendants.
Meyers, he said, was carrying a
rifle. Later, the policeman said.
Meyers told him they kept the guns
there in fear Of hijacking or rob-
berry.
The raiders seized some $4,000
in cash.
Another witness, State Police
Sergt. G. Earl Newcomer, said
several of the defendants had given
him statements in which they said
they we're hired and paid by Novak,
some of them receiving 5000 a week.