Evening star., 1951-09-30
Prince Georges
Gambling Probe
SET Tomorrow

War Against Crime
Widens as Inquiry
Parallels Action Here
7 Investigation of inter State
gambling and corruption in this
area will be broadened tomorrow
when the Prince Georges County
grand jury enters the picture.
AS in the District grand jury
Iprobe-now beginning it's eighth
week-the Prince Georges grand
jury may seek testimony from
Washington policemen.
A third pending investigation
the one planned by a Senate
District crime subcommittee-is
still stalled for lack of a counsel
to direct it. There were indica-
tions, however, that the subcom-
mittee may consider several can
didates this week.
| List Is Exhausted.
/ Chairman Neely of the Senate
District Committee and it's crime
subcommittee told newsmen yes
teNiay that the list of men sug-
lgested by FBI Director j. Edgar
Hoover has been exhausted with
out finding any candidates and
"as of now, no one is under con-
Isideration whom I feel could do
Ia top-flight job"
Committee Counsel Gerhard van
Arkel, however, said he hoped to
present the names of several ap-
jplicants to the subcommittee early
this week.
Past Cases Studied.
! In the District grand jury probe,
the investigating prosecutors are
now studying past Washington
gambling cases involving alleged
Ihenchmen of Charles E. Nelson
the key figure in both the District
and Prince Georges County in
vestigations.
!, Nelson, whose farm home is
near Ritchie in Prince Georges
County. has admitted backing
what the Senate Crime 1nvesti.
eating Committee described as 6
Sc million numbers racket. A.
a result of committee disclosures
the grand jury investigations were
ordered in both the. city and the
county.
I In Prince Georges County
Judge Charles C. Marbury Il
expected to touch upon the gam
!; bling situation in his opening
charge to the jurors at Upper
Marlboro tomorrow but the pane
will devote it's first efforts to clear.
ing up routine matters and tina
may take a week to 10 days.
j States Attorney Carlyle j. Ian.
caster said yesterday the granc
jury first will consider a run.
of-tte-mill'' docket which include.
almost 80 cases. He said it is ad-
visable to dispose of this work al
the outset so the business of the
court can go on uninterrupted.
Matter of Expediency.
BY reporting indictments ir
these routine cases. Mr.. Lancaster
Explained, trials can be scheduled
for hearing by the judges anc
petit juries. Then the grand jury
can turn to the gambling ques-
ton, which may require prolonged
study.
/ Mr. Lancaster disclosed that he
intends to summon some county
policemen as grand jury witnesses
and said he may" ask some
Washington policemen to testify
He pointed out that he lacks
authority to require the Metro
politan officers to come to the
county, since he cannot subpoena
them.
The States attorney also said
present and former officeholders
in the county may be summoned
One possible problem for the
county prosecutor was removed
Friday when District Judge F
Dickinson Let's ruled in Wash
ington that the Government could
keep possession of records belong
ing to Nelson, for use in the
Washington gambling investiga-
ton.
Account Books Produced.
During the Senate Crime In
vestigating Committee inquiry
Nelson voluntarily produced &C.
count books for the years from
1910 to 1850. The Senate probers
turned them over to United State;
Attorney George Morris Fay with
the understanding that they coulo
be examined by grand jurors II
the District and in Maryland.
Subsequently, Nelson filed a mo.
ton in District Court to recover
the records and to suppress any
evidence obtained from them il
event he is prosecuted.
| When Judge Let's denied thi
motion. Assistant United State!
,, Attorney John w. Fihelly an
nounced that Prince Georges au
thorities would have full acces
to the documents for the count,
investigation.
Unnamed Experts Assist.
! States Attorney Lancaster ha
been assisted in the preliminar.
!. investigation by Police Chief F
Allen Richards and Sheriff Carl
f ton Beall, and by two unname'
experts. The latter are general,
: believed to be State policemen
who also assisted the Senate Grim
probers.
Sheriff Beall testified before tn
Senate committee that NelSol
tried to bribe him to provide TO