Evening star., 1948-05-02
PhoneCon1pany
Plans No Check
|nGamiingProb
Will Cooperate
With Grand Jury,
Initiote No Action
By Chris Mathisen

BY CHRIS MathiSen
The Chesapeake & Potomac
Telephone Co. is ready to CO.
operate, on request, with the
forthcoming special grand jury
investigation of the Washington
gambling industry but plans no
check of its subscriber lists for
suspicious installations. James
B. Morrison, vice president and
general manager, said yesterday.
Asked if the company would con-
slider such survey as an un-
solicited aid to United States At
torney George Morris Fay's attack
on large-scale gambling operations.
Mr.. Morrison said this would not
be in line with its policy.
He emphasized. however. the COM
pany would respond promptly to
any specific requests OF the grand
jury. He added it usually had
figured in such Investigations in
the past only through supplying It's
records in response to subpoenas.
Jury Will Set Pattern.
Mr.. Fay has made plain the
pattern Of the inquiry will be set
by the grand jury-tfat he will
not tell it how to investigate but
merely will offer information which
has come to his office.
Telephone service-often includ-
ing elaborate facilities-is essential
to the efficient operation of a big
gambling enterprise. Gamblers are
not provided this service with FORE
knowledge of its use, but the COM
pany Is not able to guarantee q
bookmaking establishment or num-
bers game headquarters will not
be able to get the telephones it
needs.
When someone comes in and ap-
plies for telephone service. the only
thing we can do is require refer
ences and investigate them" Mr..
Morrison explained. After satisfy
ing ourselves that the person is legi-
innate, 1t Is our responsibility as a
public utility to provide service"
In other words. if an applicant
states he is in the novelty busi-
ness" and his references state he
is in the novelty business, the COM
pany must assume he is.
Runners Phone In Reports.
Telephones are more important to
bookmakers than to numbers men,
but the big organizations often traf-
flc in both types OF betting.
Numbers bets usually are handled
by direct contact between writers"
and players. The turn-in points.
however, usually are equipped with
numerous telephones to receive re-
ports from runners as to how the
days take is shaping up. Over
these telephones, too, come reports
Of particularly heavy plays on GER
tain numbers which may prompt
orders to refuse further bets on
these combinations.
Some establishments will take
numbers plays by telephone, but
the horse bet bookies are more likely
to offer this convenience to their
regular customers.
They may apply for multiple
telephone installations in the guise
of magazine distributor" manu-
facturer's representative "jobber"
or any of many businesses obviously
having use for number of lines.
The big plants. where an approved
bettor may drop in to hear a call
of each race from points at or near
the track, subscribe to sports news
services. Some Of these are long
established agencies without gam
bling ties which cover developments
in all sports. Others, created by the
chiefs of gambling combines to serve
their own needs, concentrate on the
movements of thoroughbreds around
ovals throughout the Nation.
The latter, at their lowest level.
include bootleg" services which at
tempt to cut costs by tapping the
leased wires Of more reputable Or
ganizations.
The telephone companies cannot
deny service to sports news agency
as such, since transmitting sports
news, including horse race results,
is legal. The companies, therefore.
continue to profit, indirectly. from
the gambling industry because they
can't turn down a customer who
makes a prima facie showing Of
legitimacy in his need for tele-
phones or leased wiress
Evidence supplied by Chesapeake
and Potomac records may play
part In the investigation by the
special grand jury to be impaneled
May IT,.
Mr.. Fay, however, has given no
indication of what approaches he
and his principal assistants, John
w. Fihelly and Charles B. Murray.
may suggest to the jury.
In his announcement of the court
order authorizing the extra impan-
cling, Mr. Fay emphasized the scope
of the inquiry would be broad
enough to encompass all aspects OF
an industry he estimated crossed at
least sl00.000,000 annually here.
The extent to which gamblers
maintain expensive telephonic in
telligence" services could be among
them.
Bakers Strike Held Off