Evening star., 1949-11-10

: of Mckinley O'Clock voice +
le High School past. Joseph
h an "aa." School forces 4
Recess in Lewis Trial, /
Allows Defense Study
OF Geraci Testimony
A recess until Monday in the
District Court trial Of William
(Snags) Lewis and 13 other men
on gambling charges gave defense
counsel a chance today to decide
when to crorsS-examine q witness
who helped seize evidence in 4
raid last March.
Attorneys plan to question
the Government witness, Deputy
United States Marshal Edward j.
Geraci. He was on the stand all
day yesterday identifying scores
Of items. such as IA electric add
ing machines, a ticker tape ma
chine with horse race quotations,
paper bags full of number slips,
and other alleged gambling equip
ment. "a.
The material, he said. came
from the Bladensburg ', md,
bungalow which the Government
says was the headquarters, OF /
$14.000,0o0 gambling syndicate
headed by Lewis. The Il defend
ants are charged with violating
the Districts laws against lot
trics@ particularly operation Of
iNmhers games.s
Merely Identjned Items. I
4 aarlseraci merely identinedthe
separate items and described the
raid. His testimony has not ~beeii
tied In specifically with the de-
PENDANTS. Before Monday the des
fense must decide B whether to
lcross-examine him Ia the com :
paratively limited field he already
has covered or assume he will Be
recalled by the Government for
more individual" testimony on
which he could be cross-examined
in full. !
The tedium Of yesterdays pres-
entation of the exhibits was en-
lvened when Judge Matthew r.
Mcclure ordered four spectators
to leave the courtroom. He de-
clared they apparently saw some
thing to grin about in the pro-
lceedings. :.
The Judge also took time out
to urge lawyers and witnesses to
avoid using nicknames, particu-
larly "Snags" when referring to
Lewis. He observed that, indis-
lcriminate uses Of personal nick
names, as we'll as professional
titles. has become too prevalent
in District Court cases.
CIosed-session Arguments.
Judge Mcclure heard closed
session arguments on the conten-
ton Of Assistant United States
Attorney William Hitz that Mr..
0eraci should be allowed to tell
the jury what he said he heard
when he answered telephones In
the bungalow during the raid.
Defense counsel strenuously OBJ
jected. The Judge ruled such evi-
dence unadniissible. After the
conference in chambers, he indi-
Gated he had taken the Govern
ment's arguments under advise
ment but, for the present at least,
would exclude the testimony.
The United States Attorneys
Office previously stated 1t expects
to prove that music of the busi-
ness at the Bladensburg house
came by telephone and otherwise
from the District,
Seeks Inventory Of Raid.
At adjournment yesterday
Charles E. Ford, counsel for some
Of the defendants, asked that the
notes and inventory list made by
Mr.. Geraci at the time Of the raid
be turned over to the court 10 that
the defense might examine them
over the weekend,
That's close to being an insult
to the Government" Mr.: Hitz
exclaimed. a-
Remarking that he was sure no
insult was intended, Judge Nc
Guire said defense attorneys
could look at the notes In the
United States Attorneys once.
Although the material identified
by Mr.. Geraci was admitted at
this time only as limited evi-
dence, 1t contained photographs
Of William Lewis and Others =
an automobile registration card
bearing the name Of Lewis. and
Two unloaded reyolvers found Id /
cabinet at the bungalow, the witt
uAss taefjHaH NJ