Evening star., 1951-07-20
Judge 10 Rule Today
In Use Of Phone Data
In Bowie Gaming Trial

In Bowie Gaming Trial
The question of whether copies
Of telephone company records are
admissible as evidence is to be
ruled on today in Upper Marl-
boro, where three former Bowie
race track officials and trio of
alleged comeback money agents
are on trial. for conspiring to
violate Maryland gambling laws.
The trial went into its fourth
day, after Circuit Judge j. Dudley
Digges recessed yesterdays ses-
sion to confer with State and
defense counsel.
Before the recess, prosecution
witnesses told jury of II men
and a woman that large sums of
money sent to the track by East
Coast and Midwest bookmakers
were kept in the money room but
were not entered on the books
A total of $50,105, informally de-
posted but later placed in track
bank account. they testified, was
withdrawn by pookie agents last
October and December.
Lengthy Record Submitted.
States Attorney Carlyle j. Lam
caster was successful yesterday
in his attempt to submit as evil
dence lengthy record of a meet
ing last January 8 between State
Racing Commission members and
stockholders of the Southern
Maryland Agricultural Associa-
tion.
Attorneys and witnesses hinted
that the document, not yet read
to the jury. lists accounts of acrid
quarrels between shareholders of
the association, which controlled
the track until it was thrown into
receivership as a result of the
feud.
Prince Georges County Detec-
tive Sergt. Vincent S. Free, COM
mander Of the Hyattsville sta
tion. who developed the States
evidence during a three-month
investigation, was on the witness
stand when the recess was called.
He was testifying against for
mer General Manager L. Edmund
OHara. his brother, Thomas J..
O'Hara. in cha;g- of pari-
mutuels: Cashier Raymond C.I
Kohlhepp, and the three come
back money agents, Richard
Remer, Norman Helwig and Paul
(Coney Island) Eckert.
Indicted by Grand Jury.
The six were indicted by the
April grand jury for conspiracy
and bookmaking at the tracks
two meetings last fall. The book
making charges have not been set
for trial.
Conspiracy. the State claims,
resulted from cooperation given
the betting agents by the track
management. which allegedly fur
niShed telephones, employees
badges and other assistance.
The agents. stationed at tracks
by bookmakers at various points,
bet at pari-mutuel windows on
orders from principals who have
accepted larger sums on certain
horses than they care to handle. |
The wagers, usually placed a few |
minutes before post time, lower
the odds, thus protecting book
makers. but reducing gains for
hettors at the track. Il
Defense attorneys raised the
question OF admissibility of copies
OF telephone records when they
learned that Sergt. Free had taken
data from purported originals in
the Washington Office of the
Chesapeake & Potomac Tele- |
phone Co.
The records. Graham L. Hill, the
telephone company'S commercial
manager testified, were sent to his
off1ce from Cincinnati, after they
had been subpoenaed by the Ke-
fauver Crime Investigating Com
mittee. The defense contended |
the records had not been properly
identified as facsimiles.
Could Not Produce List.
Another attempt to introduce
telephone records failed when
William A. Reinhart, the COM |
pany's work supervisor for South
ern Maryland, said he could not
produce lists of collect calls made
from Bowie to outside points be-
cause the bills belonged to COM
panleS in other States.
Relating details of help given
betting agents by track officials
John w. Farrell, president and
former general counsel of the
Southern Maryland Agricultural
Association, said that, on one oc-
easion last fall, he found HeIwig
getting betting information behind
the locked door of the presidents
office.
He said Helwig called his en-
ployer five minutes before the
horses went to the post for each
race, took down the names of
horses and the amount to be
w,o ouarod m el;y, of xoo~au -,