Evening star., 1951-12-05
u. 5. Pushes 2-Pronq
Drive on GAMBLING
In Washington Area
Senate Crime Hearing
Set Jan. H.; Rocket Squad
Tracking Stomp Evoders

Bad news for Washington area
gamblers came from two Federal
fronts today while Metropolitan
police hastened the organization
of an entirely new gambling squad.
The Senate District Crime In
vestigating Committee announced
it will open its hearing on jan
uary IA with Roger white Top)
Simkins. colored, as its first wit
ness.
The Internal Revenue Bureau
disclosed that three special racket
squads of Federal agents are oper-
ating against gamblers in the
Washington Maryland revenue
District with orders to take wig
orous action"
Inspector Clarence H. Lutz,
newly appointed chief of the
Metropolitan Police gambling
squad, named 1t. Todd Thoman
Ijr., second in command of the
unit. He selected Sergt. Vincent
H. Jenkins, 80. as a member OF
the squad.
.. Cooperation Pledged.
The new gambling squad chief
earlier had pledged full co-opera-
tion~ with the Federal racket
squads and in turn was assured
that information gathered by the
special agents will be passed on
to him.
The Internal Revenue Bureau
squads, part of a Federal
force of 1900 special agents
sent into action against the
gambling racket across the coun-
try. have been supplied with the
names and detailed data on the
operations of "big shot gamblers
in the Washington area.
The Federal agents are under
orders to track down the gamblers
for evading the new Federal gam
bling tax law which requires them
to take out occupational tax
stamps and pay 10 per cent OF
their gross income to Uncle Sam
Only 2 Here Qualify.
Only two Washington gamblers
thus far have qualified for the
occupational stamps Their iden-
titles will be made public in Bal
timore later today Two other
men applied for stamps, but were
denied them because their appli-
cations did not contain all the
data required by the new law.
BY serving its first subpoena
on Simkins. the Senate committee
indicated it will start it's hearings
with a probe into the sensational
Brass Rail Cafe shooting more
than three years ago. A special
District grand jury investigating
gambling went deeply into the
case in the summer of 1850, but
nothing developed.
The cafe, in the 1700 block of
Seventh street NV, was owned
by Simkins' wife, Mrs. Yvonne
Simkins, when two men shot each
other there in January, 1948. The
men subsequently recovered and
were tried on assault charges.
The prosecution promisd it would
show that the shooting developed
from a feud among numbers game
operators. Simkins, a witness st
the trial, refused to state his oc-
cupation on the grounds of posi-
BILE self discrimination and said he
knew nothing about the shooting.
Both defendants were acquitted.
Silent on Strength.
When Inspector Lutz took over
as chief Of the squad last week,
he relieved all II members of the
unit from further gambling as
signnents. He said he wanted to
start out with an entirely new
squad. He has refused to dis
close whether the new squad will
be larger or smaller than the
old one.
Activities of the Federal racket
squads are expected to provide
great impetus to the police cam
paign against gambling.
Under the new tax law, gam
blers are required to file monthly
reports listing all their places of
business, the names of their back
(See GAMBLING, Page A-20