Evening star., 1951-08-15

Senators to Question Link" Man Today
at Crime Heorine. Poee A-3
sioners, Police Chief F. Allen
Richards today continued an in
tensive probe to learn whether
County Detective Ralph Bond
knew of the alleged tip-off.
Specifically. the commissioners
want to know whether Detective
Bond told amateur sleuth John
William Lewis that "the fix was
in" when county police last We'd
nesday searched a car occupied
by Mrs, Madge Nelson, wife of
the Ritchie (Md9 horsebreeder.
In the car with Mrs. Nelson
the officers found two other wom-
en-, vegetables and dressed chick
ems, but no numbers slips or other
discriminating evidence.
Conversation Was Recorded.
Mr.. Lewis told the commission
ers yesterday that a county off,
cial had informed him of the
alleged fix. He refused to identi-
fly the official and suggested that
county authorities contact Mary
land State Police Detective Sergt.
Murray E. Jackson who is as
signed to the Crime Committee.
Mr.. Lewis said he had recorded
a conversation he had last Sat-
urday with the man to whom he
referred and had turned the tape
over to Sergt. Jackson. At the
end of his remarks, the commits
sioners abruptly ended a morning
session and asked Sergt. Jackson
to name the official.
They also asked the committee
aide to bring or send the tape to
the board room when the COM
missioners reconvened in the aft
ernoon.
Refused to Release Recording.
Chief Richards telephoned Sergt.
Jackson and said he was told that
Mr.. Lewis had named Detective
Bond as the official involved. The
chief reported that Sergt. Jackson
refused to turn over the recording
because the committee had not
authorized its release.
Sergt. jackson said, however,
that the recording. purported to
disclose that Nelson knew of the
impending raid two hours before
its scheduled time.
Meanwhile, Detective Bond told
States Attorney Carlyle j. Lam
caster he was the man Mr.. Lewis
had refused to identify.
Detective Bond voluntarily ap-
peared before the commissioners
in the afternoon and denied Mr..
Lewis charges. He said he had
discussed the possibility of leak
with Mr.. Lewis but had not said
that a tipoff had actually oc-
curred.
Mr.. Lewis told the commission
ers the official had said that "the'
numbers were started for the
beach North Beach. Md, but
were headed off and brought back
to D. c. the day of the raid"
Nelson Associate Questioned.
James Humphrey, a Prince
Georges coin machine operator,
who said he has been a business
associate of Nelson's for the last
three years, informed the board
that he had talked with Detective
Bond about tipofs. He said the
gist of their conversation was that
it looked like some one had told
police that Mrs. Nelson was trans
porting numbers in her car. Pun
phrey said he is connected with
the K & M Amusement Co. with
headquarters at 5808 Central ave-
nue., Capitol Heights.
Confronted with this conflicting
information, the commissioners
ordered Chief Rich
ards to conduct an investigation
and report his findings Friday.
II don't think we have the
answer yet," said Chairman
Thomas E. Latimer. who offered
the motion.
The commissioners at the same
time joined with States Attor-
ney Lancaster in voicing unlimited
confidence in the police chief.
1--WE believe your integrity can
not be questioned" they declared.
Chief Richards said he had
asked Mr.. Lewis to appear before
the commissioners in order to re-
flute published implications that
his department had been lax in
the Nelson case.
Mr.. Lewis related that Chief
Richards had given him full CO.
operation and said that if there
was a tipof he did not believe