Evening star., 1951-08-19
Wiley Asks Special
Senatorial Probe Of
Crime in District
CONTINUED From First Page)

Continued From First Page)
tions and IT do not feel that this
probe should be dropped at this
point "
"I realize" he wrote, that the
Senate and House District Com
mitteeS have jurisdiction in this
field, but I do think that in view
of the fact that the District of
Columbia does not have national
representation nor even local gov
ernment, the Congress has an
especially heavy responsibility to
it."
Could Avoid Duplication.
Senator Wiley recalled that he
had opposed having the crime
committee look into District crime
because he knew the committee
within it's time limits could not
possibly have analyzed interstate
crime all over the country and
handle the District assignment.
too. He also said he did not feel
that Congress should scatter it's
shots in a wide number of crime
probes.
He proposed that if the Inter-
state Commerce Committee de-
veloped a trained investigative
corps. it could avoid duplication
with the Senate District Com
mittee which now has request
for an independent investigation
of District crime pending before
the Senate Rules Committee. If
hhe Commerce Committee took on
the job, he said, the District Com
mittee's request could be "shelved. L."
Meanwhile, the material col
lected from Nelson occupied stage
center for District officials. One
group of documents attracting
particular interest from Vice
Squad Chief Roy Blick and Mr..
Fay was the collection of receipts
showing that Nelson paid fines,
lawyers fees and bondsmen's fees,
for more than 20 persons caught
in Maryland, Virginia and the Dis
trict during 1910. Associate Com
mittee Counsel Downey Rice told
the committee Nelson attempted
to charge of these expenses as
operating costs on his tax returns
but the deduction was not allowed.
BIick Studying Fine Payments.
Inspector Blick said he wanted
to find out if those whose finesI
and legal costs were paid by Nell
son were still in business and Mr..
Fay also indicated he could use
the information if 1t we're brought
more up to date. He said 1t was
conceivable" that some Of those
named in the various papers and
ledgers would be called before
the grand jury.
The committee, as one Of its,
final acts on the last day Of public
hearings, decided to certify the
transcript of the Nelson hearings
to the Justice Department and
thence to Mr.. Fay to search for
evidence that Nelson perjuredI
himself before the committee. Mr.
Fay said if the transcript shows
a clear-cut case on the face Of
1t. he will present it at once to
the August grand jury which is
hnNaI1iYNu ..nI1fiFNa
Explained that the July grand
Jury is making what looks like
a long investigation of possible
gambling violations growing out
of the Nelson case and the Au-
gust grand jury would be avail
able to act promptly.
The grand jury working ex-'
clusively on the Nelson case, Mr..
Fay said, is looking primarily
for evidence to prove violations
of gaming statutes in the District
or violations of any other criminal
statutes" He listed bribery as
another possible violation.
New Challenge to Republicans.
The Senate disclosures have
thrust a new burden on the
Republican administration in
Prince Georges County to make
good on campaign promises
year ago to clean up crimes and
political corruption.
In addition to the probe
promised in the county, a State
legislative committee will start
next Friday to delve into crime
conditions throughout Southern
Maryland, of which Price Georges
Is a part.
There have been county grand
jury investigations before. Last
April the grand jurors reported
that while there had been wide
spread gambling in Prince
Georges, enforcement officials
were making strong efforts to
abolish it. A year before that.
a grand jury reported that not
withstanding unfavorbale public
ity, law enforcement and general
conditions in the county were
very good"
State Senator John Raymond
Fletcher, who was elected in the
Republican sweep over the old
Democratic organization last year