Evening star., 1949-04-10
GAMBLING
CaseIndictments
Rise4Oooi Year
Moher Report Mode
Public Without
OfflcioI Comment

The !ndl5 Iuaen; tale 80 ,ar--
lrs cAaes hsoaka' ~ Gar y
N partmeDI h&s neagN a.-s.s
sncr ;hr sTsccia. grand s-;, arsea
It's investigation q samtar-
months aeo aeeocd,ns &C. ..s-.r,
released last ulghi
The nsures made puH-.s u.-
out comment by Spcc.Aa A>,s,...
Corporation Counsel Dame. r.
Mahcg. showed that the rate 4t
which gamblers we're laclg,si
climbed from ~ pct cent heta.s
United States ATTORNEY 0eosas
Morris Fay launched his gamh.gag
pyobe TO 81 per cent ance then
The compilation was mace ry
Nj MAher al the reQueS. ~ CoG-
missioner John Russell Young
Police Supt, Robert : Barrett
IN aSklng Commissioner iounG 20
aSSlgn Mr. Mahey iot = gambling
study. had said he would show
the Police Department did mo.s
about gamhllng in month than
Mr FayS once had done IN me
last II months
The fieures released hy Nj.
Maher showed that III NoNemt~T.
ls4s the Police Department
brought 20 cases 10 tic graud
Jury and got S6 indictments lbs
was the top month for police n
the period from April. 1919
through February. 1919
Comparative Figures offered
The special grand jury inves'i-
eating Ramblins returned S6 IN
dictmenta last week in cases pre-
sented by Mr. Fay rather than ~
the Police Department
The Police Department nGuJes
apparently we're designed 10 show
that the United States Attorney
Office changed its way Of dong
business on gamhling cases after
Mr.. Fay called for a special grand
jury investigation 10 curb what
he estimated vas sl00. 900 0o0-
a-year gambling racket here
Mr.. Fay declined comment on
the Maher report other than 10
say, The figures speak for them
selves"
Mr. Maher presented these COM
parative figures:
From July. I047. when Mai.
Barrett took once. through
March. l94s, a total Of l2i
cases was presented TO the reg
ular grand jury with the result
that So were indicted and Ga
cases were ignored with 50 OF
the latter beinR referred 10 Po-
lice Court for disposition as
misdemeanors.
Prom April. is4s. when Mr
Fay asked for a special grand
Jury, through February. is4o.
237 cases went 10 the regular
grand jury with 1870 indicted.
38 ignored and not a single case
treated as a misdemeAnor.
Cases Same Type. Police Say.
Police sources insist that the
same type OF cases were presented
in the two periods with the same
kind OF evidence and that the only
difference was change in the
policy Of the United States Al
torney's Office
The statistics also allowed the
courts have been imposing heavier
fines and more frequent jail sen-
tences since Mr.. Fay announced
his anti gambling crusade.
From July. le47. through Feb-
ruary, ie4s. according 10 these
statistics. is per cent OF those
convicted got straight jail SEN
tences.
From July. ie4s. through Feb
ruary, lo4e. the same statistics
showed, % per cent OF those con-
yicted got straight time.
Police Have Protested Fines.
In the past. policemen fire.
Quently have protested privately
at the imposition Of fines instead
Of prison terms for convicted
gamblers. They have eontended
that hnes we're regarded by Tia
gambling fraternlties In the ma
ture Of license fees"
Reliable police sources used ia
suance Of the police statistics as
the Springboaro 70 mention that:
/. All but one OF the District
establishments raided by deputy
marshais March 25 on instructions
from Mr. Pay either had been
raided by police during the last
two years OF we're on the list of
suspected places furnished Mr..
Fay by police
2 Compared with Mr. Pays hss
Washington and three Maryland
raids. the police vice squad alone
mas Taided or arrested persons