Evening star., 1951-03-20
Continued From First Page)

ice Commissioner Frank Balls, bu
joon called it off after eX-Polict
Commissioner Arthur Wallandel
5aid it was disturbing morale" i"
Digging into the mysteriou,
death in the early '40s of Abe
Relies, a key witness in the Ole
Murder Inc. mob prosecutions
Mr.. Holley demanded if Balls, il
charge of the men guarding Relies
was not at fault.
/ Relies plunged to his death from
a sixth floor window of Coney
Island hotel in 1941. He was 9
witness in the Staying of Peter
Panto, a dock worker. Albert
AnastaSia was suspect.
Gets Dig From HALEY.
. Mr.. O'Dwyer said the response
bility for Relies death went all
the way up to the police commits
Sioner.
And up to (then) District At
torney O'Dwyer?" suggested Mr.
HALEY.
Mr.. O'Dwyer was smoking his
pipe and appeared cheerful as he
left at am. for the hearing room
in the Federal Courthouse in
downtown Manhattan.
The former Mayor smiled and
posed for photographers on the
courthouse steps. Asked how he
felt, he said, fine"
Won't Identify RoSenblatt.
He was wearing a blue suit
white shirt and blue and white
/ figured tie.
I Reporters asked him to identify
a "Mr. Rosenblatt" whom he men,
toned yesterday in a heated eX-
change with Senator Tobey. Re-
publican. of New Hampshire. a
committee member. Mr.. O'Dwyer
refused. saying. Il will not dis
cusS the proceedings"
Mr.. O'Dwyer had accused Sem
ator Tobey of obtaining campaign
funds in New York. and, to back
up his story, asked if Rosenblatt
was present. He was not.
Senator O'Conor, Democrat, of
Maryland opened today's hearing
Committee members seated with
him were Committee Chairman
.Kefauver; Senator Hunt, Demo-
crat. of Wyoming, and Senator
Tobey.
Mr.. ODwyer resumed his testi-
mony at $40 am.
HALEY Starts Questioning.
Mr.. Haley put the first ques-
ton to him:
In your opinion, could book
making exist on any large scale
without police protection"
Mr. ODwyer No.
Mr.. HALEY; Do you believe that
bookmaking existed on a large
scale in New York City at the time
you resigned as Mayor?
Mr.. O'Dwyer: No. But from
later reports from Brooklyn, it
seems to me that over there at
least it existed on a large scale.
Mr., ODwyer resigned last Sep
tember to take over his diplomatic
post in Mexico. -
Names Frank Erickson.
Asked which he believed to be
the largest bookmaking operation,
the former Mayor said he bell cd
it was operated by Frank Eric s. i.
Erickson, head of a .5-millian-
a-year bookie empire, now is serv-
ing a two-year term on bookmak-
ing charges. He also has been a
witness before the committee but
refused to answer many questions.
Asked if he believed Erickson
operated a substantial portion of
his business in New York State,
Mr.. ODwyer replied:
Il haven't the slightest idea.
The records or arrests and con-
victionS in New York City would
indicate that there is and has
been lot of bookmaking. Across
the river in New Jersey it is abb
solutely big business"
Mr.. O'Dwyer said he depended
on The police commissioner and
chief investigators" to investigate
gambling He named Chief Mag
istrate John M. Murtagh, former
commissioner of investigation, as
one of the men he appointed to
this task.
Couldn't Follow Details.
Mr.. Murtagh testified yesterday
of efforts to stamp out gambling.
Mr., ODwyer insisted it was
quite impossible for the man at
City Hall to follow every detail
concerning the suppression of
gambling in the CITY,"
But he said a Mayor with an
honest police commissioner and
chief inspector and depending on
the integrity of the .city's fvegdis-
trict attorneys should be able to
realize that violators were being
prosecuted.
When good work is done, the
man at City Hall takes credit?"
Mr. HALEY asked.
When the men did a good job
l brought those policemen to City
Hall and l publicly commended
Them Mr.. ODwyer said.
Asks About Balls.
MI Haley When the men did
not do a good job, what did you
do?
Mr.. ODwyer: Give me a for
instance"
Instead, Mr.. HALEY asked
whether Mr.. Balls conducted a
gambling inquiry in 1946. Mr..
O'DWyer said he could not recall.
Mr.. Balls testified earlier in the
hearing that he headed a special
squad whose work was to CORE
late all information possible re-
lating to the underworld. 1t was
to report to the appropriate divi-
sions Of the police department
and other apapcinS