Evening star., 1949-11-18
May Try
To Throw Out
Gambling Case
Government to Coll
5 More Witnesses
Before Resting


and 13 co-defendants in District
Court may center next week on an
attempt to have the Governments
case thrown out, attorneys indi-
Gated today. ....
The trial before Judge Matthew
F. MCGUIRE and a jury is in recess
until Monday. The Government
expects to call about five more wit
nesses and rest its case that day.
The defense has not announced
how many it will put on the stand.
The trial started November 2.
Lewis is described by the prose-
cution as head of a $4,000. 900
gambling syndicate with head
quarters in a Bladensburg (Md0
bungalow. He and the other 13
are charged with violating District
laws against gambling, par
ticularly numbers games. They
were arrested at the bungalow on
March Is in an anti-gambling
drive directed by United States
Attorney George Morris Fay.
Banker Testifies.
In a further effort to prove the
business at the alleged head
quarters in Maryland had a direct
District connection, Assistant
United States Attorney William
Hitz late yesterday called a Wash
ington bank official and a District
license bureau inspector as wit
.neSSeS.
James Lemmen, assistant man
ager of the East Capitol Branch
of the City Bank, said John r.
Mitchell. one of the defendants.
opened an account there in the
name of William A. Mitchell. Nit
chell, he testified deposited small
coins totaling as much as $500
several times a week and with
draw sums in currency.
William r. Rupert, District
license bureau representative.
identified records showing that
the Car Credit Co. Inc, had a
license as a money lending busi-
ness here and that William Lewis
was director.
Long Bench Conference.
Defense objections at a bench
conference were SO lengthy that
Mr.. Rupert was excused until
Monday. Defense lawyers said
later they attacked the admissi-
bility Of evidence dealing with the
company. Mr.. Hitz explained
earlier in the trial that he pro-
posed to prove the Car Credit
Co. cashed some checks tied in
with alleged gambling operations
of Lewis and the Bladensburg
establishment.
The defense continued its nu-
lmerous objections to admission Of
Ievidence of that kind, as well as to
testimony of most of the Governr
lment's witnesses who took part in
the raid.
Defense attorneys indicated that
before they open their case next
week they will ask Judge MCGUIRE
to strike out most of that evidence
and testimony.
Fihelly Testifies.
Myron G. Ehrlich, one of the
attorneys. said after the session
yesterday that he believed his
clients case had been prejudiced
before the jury because the judge
|sternly reprimanded him for in
sisting on following a line of ques-
tioning that had been ruled out.
The high point of the trial thus
far came yesterday when First As
Fsistant United States Attorney
John w. Finely took the stand.
He disclosed seven of the IS de-
PENDANTS admitted to him they had
numbers game dealings with Lewis
and saw Lewis frequently at the
Maryland house.
Deputy Marshal Levin Maroney
testified an eighth defendant told
him and Assistant United States
attorney John Lane he was seek
ing a job as a pickup man" at
the "Snags Lewis place" when
found there at the time of the raid.
Mr.. Fihelly and Mr.. Maroney said
the statements by the eight de-
PENDANTS were made during ques-
tioning in the courthouse the night
of March Is. a few hours after
| the raid