Evening star., 1951-10-31
D. {. Grand Jury
Hears Layton
On Gambling
Police Captain Tells
Of Special Probe as
Inquiry Neors End

inquiry NeorS EMO
Police Capt. John B. Layton ap-
peared today before a District
grand jury to give it the benefit
Of information compiled in a spe-
cial investigation of organized
gambling here.
Capt. Layton and possibly one
other policeman were among sew
eral witnesses to be heard by the
grand jury, which already has
indicted 16 persons on charges of
gambling conspiracy and which
also named Charles E. Nelson the
defendant in a five-count perjury
indictment resulting from his
testimony to the Senate Crime
Investigating Committee.
Before the captain testified, the
Jurors called an unidentified
woman witness for questioning
that lasted Is minutes.
The grand jury neared the end
OF a three-month inquiry and the
emphasis on crime studies was
beginning to shift back to Capitol
Hill, where a Senate District sub
committee is prepared to go into
action.
The Senate probers yesterday
obtained authority from the Dis
trict Commissioners to require
Metropolitan policemen to file
sworn statements about their per-
Sonal finances. Chairman Neely
had urged the action as vital to
the Senate inquiry. Under the
arrangement, the committee will
submit questionnaires to certain
policemen and these must be
filled out, signed, sworn to and
returned by registered mail.
DeRdline Set.
The city heads ordered that the
queStionnaires be completed and
returned to the Crime Investigat-
ing Committee within three DAYS,
Or within any further time that
policeman and Arnold Bauman,
subcommittee counsel, may agree
on.
In a letter to Senator Nicely,
the Commissioners said they hoped
every effort would be made to
see that no member of the Police
Department was "needlessly en-
barrassed" by the revelation of
information in the questionnaires.
They also asked to be informed
If any member of the department
fails to answer questions and to
given any other information that
might warrant disciplinary ac-
ton.
A copy Of the order was sent
to Police Supt. Robert j. Barrett
with a memorandum reading in
part:
THE Commissioners request
that you express to all officers
and members of the Metropolitan
Police Department their desire
that they cooperate to the full
est extent with the Senate Crime
Investigation Committee.
The city heads said they had
read the QUESTIONABLE, but that
it was being kept confidential.
Heads Pawn Squad.
Capt. Layton, who is head Of
the police pawn squad, was as
signed by Chief Barrett to con-
duct the special gambling investi-
cation. He also has been standing
watch on developments outside
the grand jury room in District
Court.
While Maj. Barrett was testify
ing before the grand jury .yester-
day for the third time, reporters
heard Assistant United States At
torney Alfred Hartman tell Capt
Layton that the report was in
adequate for grand jury use be-
cause it lacked specific informa-
ton on gambling suspects, ad-
dresses, telephone numbers and
automobile tags. Mr.. Hartman
said the report was only about
one-tenth complete.
Capt. Layton explained that the
special investigation was con-
Quoted in addition to routine
duties and that the police deemed
it wise not to give out so much
detail as to alert suspects under
surveillance. The officer also
said he knows some of the specific
information desired and could
furnish it to the jurors.
Denies Rebuke Intended.
Later, Mr.. Hartman told report
ers he did not intend his remarks
to Capt. Layton as a rebuke. He
added that he considered the
captain a fine officer.
Maj. Barrett spent three hours
before the grand jury. The only
other witness positively identified
was Police Sergt. Robert j. Dyas
of the 14th Precinct. Until August
16, when he was promoted from
the rank Of corporal, he had been
on duty in the 9th Precinct. The
jury has shown unusual interest
in gambling within that juris-
diction.
Three other witnesses were men
and two were women.
The Is under indictment here
include Police Inspector Albert I.
Bullock, Police Detective Sergt.
Robert G. Kirby and former
Policeman James E. Lowry. Also
on the list are Nelson and his wife,
Virginia Madge, who maintain a
horsebreeding farm at Ritchie,
Md. The old Senate Crime In
vestigating Committee said Nelson
headed a Sc million numbers
racket covering parts of the Dis
trict. Maryland and Virginia.
Indicted in Prince Georges,
The Nelson's, Sergt. Kirby and
Lowry also have been indicted for
gambling conspiracy in Prince
Georges County, and Nelson was
named defendant tn charoes NJ