The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-11-23

Velasco to the county jail, wher,
Velasco and the sheriff would con
fer in a special inner sanctum calleC
1.-The rat hole" According to Perez
he used to help Jimmy count on
the weekly pay-off, and the amounts
would vary from week to week.
@. Why would 1t vary?
PEREZ: Well, as in every kind o
business, guess you had to balance
your budget.
The 53-year-OId sheriff told thu
Committee some interesting fact!
about his career and his activities
In 1892, he was. elected constable
He operated q private fishing bust
ness during the period he was con
stable, but filed no income tax re
turns on his earnings. In 1888, {
grand jury indicted ''seven Of the
most prominent gamblers Of the
city, and nine public officials with
out whose acquiescence or co-opera
ton these fragrant violations Of the
law could not have continued"
One Of them was Constable Cul
breath, and the grand jury publicly
requested the then governor Of
Florida to remove Culbreath. along
with others, from office. Nothing,
however, happened. In 1941. Cul'
breath became sheriff.
The sheriff insistently denied he
ever had any dealings with Red
Italiano, except 10 call on him oc-
casionally in search of information
that might help him to solve crimes.
At one point, Sheriff Culbreath
tried to convince the Committee he
really wasn't very bright. Il am moi
a smart boy and never was, -
he said, assuring US he couldn't
even remember the street address
of a friend he visits three times q
week. He also said he could qualify
as a prime example, Of Exhibit
A." Of how a fellow in public life
could be abused falsely by harp
ing critics, jealous and disgruntled
politicians, discontents, malcon-
tents, has-beens, would-bes" and
what-not. 4-...
For 3 mot smart boy. Exhibit
A" had done rather well for him.
self. The Committee figured from
the sheriffs income tax declaration
that his net income for the years
1871 through 1949, after deductions
and taxes, had been $36.O14.98. He
admitted to having cash, bonds and
property holdings valued at $685.
1913. SO. Counsel was able to establish
that at least $128, 600 had passed
through five of Culbreath's bank
accounts in the past nine years and
that, currently, the sheriff had
$45, 700 divided between his various
bank accounts, his safe deposit box
and the home safe, also, So, 500 in
government bonds.
Another bit Of low-yet tragic
comedy was the disclosure by
two witnesses, formerly connected
with the sheriff's office, that Ernest
(Rookie) Culbreath, the sheriff s
brother and his chief criminal dep
uty, ran a gambling book right at
the county jail. Rockies partner
was another deputy named Leslie
Cathcart, on the sheriff's payroll as
a radio dispatcher"
Associate Counsel Rice produced
a match book cover which read:
Briggs & Company-Rookie Gull
breath and Leslie Cathcart. We do
small things big. Everything in
sports"
What did the sheriff have to say
about that Everything in Sports?
well, sir" Sheriff Culbreath said,
ST think someone that put out
matches did this to play trick on
them"
Not SO funny is the story Of what
has happened to Sheriff Culbreath
since the Committees hearings in
Tampa. First, the Federal income
tax people began an investigation.
Culbreath has been required te go
back over the nine years and file
amended returns, and now is en-
gagged in paying up his back taxes,
penalties and interest.
In March, county grand jury re.
turned an indictment against the
sheriff charging him with taking
protection money from a gambler
and for neglect of duty on q number
Of counts. Culbreath was suspended.
But, in May. after a series of legal
maneuvers which resulted in dis
missal Of most of the counts against
him, local jury acquitted him.
Gov. Fuller Warren thereupon rein
stated him, and Culbreath again
was '"The Law In Hillsborough
county.
Next week: The Black Market
and Business InfiItFatiOn.
Condensed from the book, ''crime In
| America" by Estes Kefauver. Cpr. 1881.
Pub. BY Doubleday, Inc. Dist. General
Features corp.-WNU.
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