Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-07-13
Rocway Raider
Tells Of Finding
$4,000 in Bag
Tokomu Park Man
Admitted Ownership,
Gaming Trial Hears
Star Stoff Correspondent

A state trooper testified today in
the Rocway Towers gaming trial
that Walter Novak of the 1900
block of jackson avenue, Takoma
Park, was the owner of $4,000 in a
brown paper bag which State police
found behind radiator when they
raided the turreted casino June 5.
Novak and Theodore A. Meyers
are on trial in the Howard County
Circuit Court, charged with operat-
ing the establishment. Another OF
the q defendants on trial is Patrick
J. Clarke. identified as the owner OF
the Towers and charged with per-
hitting gambling there.
The witness who told of the
$4,000 was Corpl. Thomas S. Smith.
one of the 30 State troopers who
raided the roadhouse on United
States highway. No. /, about a mile
north of Laurel.
Gave Money to Superior.
Corpl. Smith said after he discov-
cred the paper bag full of money
he went over and talked to Novak.
HE stated there was $4,000 in
the bag I had picked up" Corpl.
Smith testified. Il asked him why
he would leave that amount OF
money in a paper bag. He said at
first he thought it was a hiJacklng.
He admitted ownership
Corpl. Smith said he saw couple
of $500 bills in the bag and de-
cided he had better get rid OF it
fast" so he gave it to his superior
officer.
The witness also told of noticing
Waterman" at the place who was
sort of shaking"
Was Trying to Dislodge Pistol.
II told him he had nothing to
worry about" the witness con-
tinued. II put handouts on him
because that was an easy way to
hold him. 1 found out later he was
shaking to let a concealed As slide
down and out his pants leg"
Daniel M Murray, States attorney
for Howard County, introduced two
sawed off shotguns in evidence. He
said these and two revolvers intro
duced in evidence yesterday were
kept at the Towers for defense
against possible hi-jacking attempts:
Another witness today, State
Trooper First Glass Preston Row.
land, the first man to enter the
Towers when it was raided, testified
40 or 40 men were standing around
the craps table
He was cross examined by William
H. Forsythe, one of four defense at
| torneyS.
That is a lot of people around a
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,
Two of the defendants were tardy
in reaching court today and As
sociate Judge James Craig, presid-
ing at the trial, threatened to for
felt their bail,
The two. Joe w. Heinrich of the
5000 block of Bladensburg road NE.
and Edward Kali of the 3400 block,
of Newton street NE, both of WASH
ington, walked into the court room
five minutes late. Before they APP
peared Judge Clark informed their
attorney that if they did not appear
he would order their bail forfeited.
When they did turn up the Judge
asked no explanation nor did he
reprimand them.
When Trooper Rowland was on
the stand he was asked to identity
photographs he made at RocWay
Towers. One of the pictures was
Of metal-sheathed door.
Metal Door Brought in.
William Curran of Baltimore,
chief defense attorney and former
Maryland Attorney General, asked.
why offer this photograph in evil
dence when they've brought the
door in"
The door is included in mass
of gambling equipment and other
articles brought into court, but 1t
has not yet been offered in evil
dence.
Witnesses at yesterdays session..
most of them Maryland State po-
.. licemen-and the 81 defendants
more than half-filled the courtroom
Also in the courtroom was Sheriff
Frederick Kramer of Howard
County, whose department was left
out of the Rocway Towers raid and
; who protested later that "as high
sheriff, I should have been notified. u
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 Mr.. Murray pro-
duced the working tool used by a
croupier-"a stick" in some locali-
!. ties: a rake" in others.
What Is it?" the judge asked.
II 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 mi-
crometer used in measuring dice
: also elected the judges curiosity.
|
Firemen Plan Carnival
The Capitol Heights CMd) Volun-
teer Fire Department will hold its
annual carnival from Friday to July