Evening star., 1950-04-30
McF FarIand Defends
Calling Of Big Shots
In Gambling Quiz
By Miriom Ottenbero


Of Arizona, said last night if big.
shot gamblers had not been called
to testify at the current anti
gambling hearings, I'VE would
have been accused of trying tc
shield them"
He said he had gotten about
as much information as he ex-
poets out of such reputed gambling
overlords as Frank Erickson and
Frank Costello.
Testifying before the Senate
Commerce subcommittee which
Senator Mcfarland heads, Erick-
son stood on his Constitutional
rights when it came to details
Of his business. Costello said the
only gambling he is associated
with is at his night club in
Louisiana where roulette wheels
and dice are available.
Kefauver Resolution Waits.
In some quarters, the view has
been expressed that calling Cos
tello and Erickson had the effect
of taking the edge off the long
pending proposal for full-scale
Senate investigation, of gambling
and crime syndicates. Senator
Kefauver. Democrat, Of Tennessee,
is still trying to get his resolution
for this investigation before the
Senate.
Senator Mcfarland said he
couldn't see why last weeks ap-
pearance of Costello and Erickson
would take the edge off the pro-
posed Ketauver investigation.
He doesn't have to repeat the
work we do" the subcommittee
chairman said.
Senator Capehart. Republican,
of Indiana, said the subcommittee.
of which he is a member, had
made good start" in laying the
groundwork for the Kefauver lp-
quiry.
Capehart Wanted Witnesses.
Senator Mcfarland said Sena-
tor Capehart was the subcommit-
tee member who wanted the gam
blerS called. The chairman has
said repeatedly he isn't making a
crime investigation but is simply
trying to find out what action tc
take on pending bill to bar the
interstate transmission of gam
bling information.
Witnesses from the gambling
world have told the subcommittee
the bill would not hurt their busi-
ness and if it did, the gamblers
would find some way to get around
1t.
That. said Senator Mcfarland,
is what one would expect them to
say.
But he insisted he had gotten
some information from Costello,
Erickson and James J. Carroll of
St. Louis, self-styled price
maker" who is widely known for
setting the. choice odds on sports
events and political races.
Out of State Bets.
Both Erickson and Carroll, said
Senator Mcfarland acknowledged
that many of the bets they take
come from other States by way
of long-distance calls or tele-
grams.
A law banning interstate pas
sage of these bets would curtail
their activities as far as out-of-
state betting is concerned, he
added.
From Costello, he said, the sub
committee learned that he took
slot machines into Louisiana be-
cause he was invited there. That
testimony, the Senator said,
showed that gamblers are inter-
ested in operating where they
have chance to operate.
Recalling Erickson's testimony
that he clears 100000 a. year on
his bookmaking activities, Sena-
tor Mcfarland said that informa-
ton should be coupled with teSti-
mony from law enforcement Off
GERS that judges are inclined to
let gamblers off with light fines.
THE money these people make
is so great and the fines are so
small that they can keep on oper-
ating because they don't run much
risk" he pointed out.
Senator Capehart said he be-
lieved the testimony of last weeks
witnesses showed that Americas
big time gamblers are bound to-
gether in a loose and unofficial
working arrangement.
Next on the program are wit
nesses frcm telephone and tele-
graph companies. race wire serv-
ices and scratch sheets.
These officials have been invited
to testify tomorrow:
S. Whitney Landon. attorney
for the long lines division, Ameri-
can Telephone & Telegraph Co.;
John Waters, attorney, and Wal
ter Semingsen. vice president in
charge of commercial tariffs,
Western Union Telegraph Co., and
Clyde Bailey, president of the
United States Independent Tele-
phone Association.
Jersey Telegraph Offices
Rejects Race Bet Wires
n,nrNrnnA1 NJ L Anil On lHN