Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-08-10

IN - i ssM
JUDGE JOSEPH SHERBOW.
Says Washington is source of
herOin supply.
-AP Photos.
more than a half hour before
finally admitting that he thought
the business into which he put
thousands of dollars and drew out
I$255, 900 was gambling"
But he steadfastly de.1ied that
he had any active connection with
what the committee termed Sc
million operation beyond putting
in some money and getting back
some profits.
Mr.. Nelson's name was first
injected into the hearing by an
earlier witness. Waldo Roberts,
1922 South Third street. Airing
ton. who said Blight Lee had told
him his hacker in the numbers
business was Mr.. Nelson. After
the hearing, Mr.. Roberts said he
knew Mr.. Lewis and his brother
and he described the Lee home
hold-up as Joke"
Mr.. Lewis, in recalling his track
ing activities. said after he got
the tip about Mrs. Nelson he
started watching the Nelson farm
Trail to Ranch House."
Every day at 2 pm, he said,
two girls would drive to the farm.
Then, he went on, Mrs. Nelson
would drive with the girls to
Uncle Bllly's.' the restaurant
and amusement arcade owned by
the North Beach Amusement Co.
There, he said, the bartender
would get in the car and they
would drive to the Ranch House, !"
which Mr.. Levi, described as a
cheap summer resort" off the
main road at North Beach.
Mr.. Lewis said he was salts
fed that the Ranch House" was
the place the days numbers
operations were settled up.
After following the car for
days, Mr.. Lewis went on, he took
his story to the State police,
where he was referred to Prince
Georges County police.
Mr.. Lewis quoted both Chief L.
Allen Richards and Detective
Ralph Bond of the county force
as saying Mr.. Nelson was lone of
the biggest numbers men in the
East"
He said Detective Bond accom-
panied him to North Beach,
watched the pattern he had al
ready described and reported back
that what said was true" The
county police, he said, then laid
plans to halt and search Mrs. Nell
son and the two girls on the road.
Search Warrant Issued.
In the planning. he said, were
Chief Richards, Detective Sergt.
Wilson j. Purdy, Detective Bond
and Detective Charles Perrygo.
A search warrant. Mr.. Lewis
testified, was issued last Tuesday
and Il stayed away because I
didn't want to foul things up"
But, he said, when he went to
county police headquarters in the
afternoon, Detective Perrygo re-
ported that the search had not
been made because nothing hap
pened"
On Wednesday, Ito make sure it
didn't miss" Mr.. Lewis said he
parked near the contemplated ar
rest scene three hours early. In
stead of driving down the road at
her scheduled 2::25 pm, he said,
Mrs. Nelson came by at $40 pm.
Her car was stopped by police, who
found nothing but chickens and
vegetables aboard. he concluded.
do you feel there was a tip
Off" Committee Counsel Downey
Rice asked the witness.
Il personally feel somebody
knew something" he replied.
known to Police.
Earlier, Mr.. Nelson, in response
to committee questions, said he
knew Sergt. Purdy and other
members of the county force.
Asked how he accounted for the
fact that he was not interfered
with by police, Mr. Nelson replied:
Il guess they never felt there
was any reason to bother me-"
Mr.. Nelson estimated his net
worth at probably a couple hum
dred thousand dollars"
His tax returns, the committee
said, showed that from 1945
through 1948, he wrote off losses
Iof $181 900 on his horse breeding
farm and reported net profits Of
$255. 900 as his share in Robert
INowland Associates-the operation
which he thought was gambling. !"
Mr.. Rice brought out that with
the farm losses. he actually had
to pay taxes on $4,000.
Lists His Holdings.
Mr.. Nelson, who said he "gradu-
Iated from the knowledge box"
after the fourth grade but pre-
pared his own tax returns, told the
committee under questioning that
in addition to the farm and the
North Beach Amusement Co., he
owned houses in Riverdale, Md;
IHyattsville, Md; District Heights,
Alexandria, Va. and near Fort
Myer.
HeAsaid he had accounts alone