Evening star., 1950-07-13

caliber guns.
gally constituted because of a
change in State law. He said it
was difficult for a local grand
jury to get evidence against
racketeers operating in several
States. He said the grand jury
could see little point in indicting
small time bookmakerS when they
couldn't reach the big fellows"
1--WE concluded" Mr.. Morris
finally said, that the grand jury
was incapable or incompetent tt
deal with crime on such a wide
spread basis. We thought the
Federal Government should look
into it,"
Senator Kefauver retorted that
getting the Federal Government
into local law enforcement is mot
a very healthy thing"
Then the Senator wanted to
know why such kingpin gamblers
as Frank Erickson and Frank Cos
tello, of New York, couldn't be
reached by a grand jury subpoena.
The witness said the two do
appear to come here from time to
time" but he did not explain why
they had not been subpoenaed.
Senator Kefauver was wrathful
about the missing witnesses. After
calling the roll of them, he said
any impression they have that by
staying away they can impede
the committee or avoid it is en-
tirely erroneous"
ut is inconceivable," he thun-
dered in the hearing room, that
they do not know they are de-
sired for appearances before this
committee. The only conclusion
that can be drawn is that they feel
that by their absence they may be
able to impede the work of this
l lcommittee or they may feel it
would be very bad because of what
they have done for them to
appear.
'They can not continue to en-
barrass the committee. They are
doing themselves no good"
Asked in a press conference be-
fore the hearing opened what the
committee was going to do about
the missing witnesses. Senator
Kefauver replied:
You can be sure we are going
to protect the integrity of our
committee. Nobody is going to
push us around. Well get their
testimony sooner or later, some
how or other"
Asked if he thought the men
had deliberately skipped out of
town, Senator Kefauver replied
with a grim smile:
THE inability to make contact
with them is very suspicious. to
put IL mildly.
Among the missing is William
H. .(Big Bid Johnston, president
of four Florida dog tracks and of
the jockey club that owns Sports
mans Park, Chicago race track.
The committee wanted testimony
from him on his reported $3.50
contribution to the 1948 campaign
for Gov. Fuller Warren of Florida.
Two other witnesses the COM
mite wants to query about the
same subject have been served
with subpoenas. One of them is
Louis E. Wolfson. Jacksonville
millionaire who heads the group
of businessmen which bought the
controlling interest in the Capital
Transit Co. of Washington last
fall.
Committee aides said Mr.. Wolf
son called the committee from
New York to say he was willing
to testify after deputy marshals
failed to locate him in Jackson
vile. He is due to testify to-
morrow.
The other witness on campaign
contributions is c. v. Griffin, who
allegedly broke with his political
friends in February and gave out
the news that Mr.. Johnston and
Mr.. Wolfson had contributed
heavily to Gov. Warren's cam
paign chest.
:, Judge Takes Stand.
Mr.. Miller was followed on the
stand by Circuit Court Judge
Stanley Milledge of Dade County
Others to testify today are Daniel
P. Sullivan, operating director OF
the Greater Miami Crime Commits
sion, and Attorney General Rich
ard Erwin of Florida.
Mr.. Sullivan was told to appear
with charts tracing the current
operations of the racketeers in
Miami and their connections with
other cities. MI. Erwin was to
cover the problem of keeping race
wire services out of Florida now
that they have been banned by
State law. .~
Committee investigators who
have been down here for weeks
| lining up witnesses conflded
privately that some of the wit
nesses has spilled considerable in
/ formation. Numbered among them
, according to these sources, were
local gamblers who resented out
of-town mobsters cutting in on
their territory.
Whether the same witnesses
would be equally communicative