Evening star., 1949-06-14
Affidavifs Seek 10 Link
Takoma Park Phone
With Racing Service

WIFI NueiIiy SCIVIIC
The Government and the Chesa-
peake g. Potomac Telephone Co.
today had on file In District Court
IL afidavits from nine persons
backing a Federal move to dis
continue phone service from o Ia
koma Park CMd) real estate"
firm because Of alleged gambling
activities.
The afhdavits. presented yes
terday with a memorandum, were
the first seeking to tie In a phone
holder with a racetrack ticker
service. according to Assistant
United States Attorney Samuel K.
Abrams.
Those swearing to the affidavits
included telephone and telegraph
company officials and technicians,
James r. Sharp. a special con-
sultant to the United States At
torney's Office, and Mrs. Anna T.
Keleher, estranged wife Of John
CBlackjack) Keleher. widely known
sporting figure here.
"Real Estate Agency" Challenged.
Yesterdays action was in oppo-
sition to a motion in which the
Randle and Crane Co. through its
head. Larry Day. seeks a prelim-
mary Injunction to prevent re-
moval of four phones from their
Offices in the 6700 block Of New
Hampshire avenue. Takoma Park.
Description Of the place as q
real estate agency was challenged
by the Government which charged
In its memorandum that it was
operated from October, 194S, to
last April 10 "for the one con-
ceivable purpose" of receiving
horse race information.
The aff1davits. carefully dove
tailed in an effort to support the
Governments request for phone
removal, set forth these conten-
tions:
A heavy volume of calls were
made from the Takoma Park ad-
dress to five numbers at two ad-
dresses in the Hillside and Chest
nut exchanges, from last October
to the time of the March Is
gambling raids staged in the
Metropolitan Area by United
States Attorney George Morris
Fay.
Office Is Described.
OF these phone numbers three
is the Hillside exchange were at
an address in the 4400 block OF
Silver Hill road, Suitland. Md.
which received race news ticker
service.
The two numbers in the Chest
NUT exchange were listed to
man described in one affidavit as
a known gambler" living in the
400 block of Virginia avenue.
Franklin Park, Va.
The ticker service at the Silver
Hill address received the Same race
news information from the How
ard Sports Daily, a Baltimore
sporting news firm. as that re-
ceiyed by the State Wide Sports
News Distributors. State Wide. at
3701 Bladensburg road, Colmar
Manor, Md, was one of several
places raided on March rs.
The physical spects of the Ran
die and Crane office. on at least
one visit by phone company tech
nicians, showed the four phones
arrayed on a long table in q
scantily furnished room.
4S Hours Given for Answer.
Clearly the telephones were an
integral part of the arrangement
for transmission Of information
necessary to the conduct Of gam
bling activities" the Government
said, asking that Randle and
Cranes move for an Injunction
be denied. i
MIR, Fay has asked removal OF
more than 300 telephones IN the
washington area, contending he
has competent evidence" they are
being used illegally to further
gambling. Scores Of petitions for
preliminary injunctions have since
been filed in District Court by the
phone holders.
Randle and Crane have 48 hours
from the 4 pm. filing OF yester-
days affidavits in which to answer
the Governments latest move, un-
der agreed procedure set by DIS
trict Judge Alexander HoltzoH.