Evening star., 1950-01-12
Gambling Trial
Jurors Hear
Miss Franklin
Waitress Tells How
Numbers Bets Were
Passed to Lewis


Bernice Franklin. the attractive
red-haired waitress whose reve-
lations touched off the campaign
to smash gambling in Washington,
testified in District Court today as
the Governments star witness
against William (Snags) Lewis
and two alleged gambling asso-
ciates.
Miss Franklin, divorced mother
of six. told the jury Of five women
and seven men that she lived with
one of the defendants. Attilio
Acalotti. from February to No
vember, 1948, and helped him
manage a lucrative gambling busi-
ness.
She said Acalotti placed some of
his numbers bets with Frank
Billeci, the third defendant. He,
in turn, forwarded them to the
headquarters of the Lewis organ
ization in Bladensburg, Md, she
said.
Acalotti, who is serving prison
sentence of from eight months to
two years on charges of threaten
ing Miss Franklin, stared impas-
sively at her while she testified.
He and his co-defendants are
charged with violation of District
lottery laws.
Judge Quashes Subpoenas.
Before Miss Franklin took the
stand, the prosecution was thwart-
ed in its plans to, call 13 defend
ants who stood trial with Lewis
on gambling charges last Novem-
ber. That trial resulted in a mis-
trial when a jury was unable to
agree on a verdict. Judge Alex
ander Holtzof quashed subpoenas
which had been issued for the 13
men.
Judge Holtzoff said he agreed
with Defense Attorney Bernard
Margolius that it would be "a
waste of time" to call the men
to the stand because it could
be expected that they would exer-
else their constitutional rights and
refuse to testify.
Judge Holtzoff overruled de-
fense motion to declare a mistrial
on ground that publication of a
story in a morning newspaper has
"hopelessly prejudiced" the cur
rent case. Mr.. Margolius said
that identification of Lewis as a
gambler in another courtroom late
yesterday probably came to the at
tention Of some OF the jurors try
ing Lewis because they had not
been cautioned against reading
newspaper articles about other
trials.
Supreme Court Rulings Cited.
Judge Holtzof said that Su-
preme Court decisions have held
that Federal courts do not have
authority to forbid newspapers to
publish articles which might be
preducial to defendants during
the course of the trial.
Assistant United States Attor-
ney William Hitz told the jury
yesterday that Lewis maintained
headquarters of his gambling syn
dicate in cottage at Bladens-
burg, a short distance from the
District line.
The Government will prove
Mr.. Hitz told the jury, that Acalot-
ii, a news vendor who became
known as the Mayor of Thomas
Circle" accepted numbers game
bets. When abnormally large bets
were placed on one particular
number, Mr.. Hitz said, Acalotti
would "lay off a portion of the
wagers to minimize his risks"
Among SO Seized In Raids.
Billeci, a newspaper circulation
agent, would accept the clay Off
bets from Acalotti, Mr.. Hitz told
the jury. He said Billeci acted as
an agent for the Lewis organiza-
ton and would telephone the 1ay
off" bets to the Bladensburg head
quarters.
The three defendants were
among 36 men arrested last March
in a series of raids which United
States Attorney George Morris
Fay announced were designed to
smash $100. .000. .000-a-year gam
bling racket in Washington.
The jurors who are trying the
three defendants are Theodore
August. 1919 Twenty-f1fth street
Sc; Richard w. De Witt, 1884
New Hampshire avenue NV;
Mrs. Eva c. Francis, colored, 4435
E street Sc; Mrs. Luraner D.
1vey. colored. 49 Forty-seventh
street Sc; Edelbert M. Jenkins,
colored, 81 Fifty-second street
Sc; Mrs. Essie L. Kendrick,
1905 Fifth street NE; Bernard E.
Mcmahon, ST., 551 Randolph street
NV; Mrs. Josephine G. Moss,
colored, 2611 Eleventh street NV;
James E. Pierson, 2214 Rand place
NE: Arthur L. Sidney, 5000 Mas
sachusetts avenue Sc, and Mrs
Sallie j. Walker, colored, 1925
Montello avenue NE. Two alter
nate jurors were selected. They
are Adelhart Williams. colored
451e Foote street NE, and Fran
els w. Winchester Of 226 Twen-
tieth street NE.
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