Evening star., 1951-01-13
Harding Killing
Investigation 10
Resume Monday
Long Inquiry Into
Possible Underworld
Rumificutions Due

OF last Wednesdays Staying Of
George P. Harding in the Hide.
Away Club will be resumed Mon.
day. with every indication point.
ing to long and thorough inquiry
into possible underworld ramif1.
cations.
Determination of city prosecu.
tors to go into "all angles" was
borne out in the painstaking pace
at which the jury began it's work
yesterday. An indictment i:
being sought, charging Joseph F
Nesline, 36, with murder, but the
investigation is expected to delve
much deeper.
Only two witnesses were quizzed
before the jury recessed for the
weekend late yesterday. The first
was the Hide-Away Clubs presi-
dent, Joseph E. Horowitz. The
second was George (the Creek
Clainos, 80, now in police custody
as parole violator, who was
named by a waitress at the club
as having passed a gun to the
murder victim shortly before the
Staying.
"We've Made Progress"
After the jury recessed, Assist
ant United States Attorney Frank
Strickler told a reporter:
81 can say we've made progress. "
Mr.. Strickler refused to elab-
crate, however, other than to say
that all the witnesses listed for
yesterday still are under sub
poena."
Arthur E. Mclaughlin, the other
member of District Attorney
George Morris Fay's Office assigned
to the case, said only that the
jury will be in session Monday.
Mr.. Horowitz was closeted with
the jury for an hour and a quar-
ter. He told a reporter afterwards
that "they questioned me more
about the club than about any,
thing else-how we operate and
so on"
Quizzed for 2 Hours.
Clainos, who was brought in
handcuffed to a deputy marshal,
was questioned for nearly two
hours. Afterwards he was quickly
whisked back to District Jail, but
while waiting to testify he called
over a Star reporter and repeated
a denial of the waitress story
about him. He also complained he
was getting a raw deal"
Four other witnesses also sum-
moned to appear yesterday are
expected to be questioned when
the jury reconvenes Monday. They
are Mrs. Juanita Gilbert, the at
tractive waitress who mentioned
Clainos in her testimony before
a coroner's jury; John Marissi,
2148 F street NV, who accom-
panied Nesline to the K street
club; a blond barmaid at the club
identified by Mr.. Horowitz as
Frances Morton, and Edward 7.
Dignan, 2019 I street NV, who
sat at a table with Harding before
the shooting.
Mr.. Horowitz, 53-year-old for
mer Arlington supermarket owner
who has three children, said he
retired from the grocery business
to take over the club at 3135 K
street NV. a year ago. He COM
planned strongly to reporters about
the attention focused on the club
by the shooting.
every Particular"
you'd think the club was on
trial instead of somebody else, =
he asserted, adding an opinion
that the shooting could have
happened in the Mayf1ower or
the Statler-or anywhere.
1--WE haven't had to call the
police in the last year-ever since
we've been operating the place, -
he said. We were very particular
who we let in"
Harding, gunman and gambler
with a long police record, got in
the morning of the shooting be-
cause, Mr.. Horowitz explained, he
knew of his gun-carrying "repu-
tation." The club employs nc
bouncer he said. Harding hadn' t
been in the place previously for
three months, he added.
Mr.. HoroWitz said he fully ex-
pected efforts to close the club
down, and he insisted he is mot
going to defy the police" Capt.
Beverly Beach has indicated a
desire to see the place shut and
has ordered police to make fire.
quent visits there to prevent
drinking.
Club Staying Open.
But the club president said
"they haven't given us any order
to close as far as I know" The
club is staying open without serv-
ing drinks, he said, adding:
II think I have every reason to
remain open"
Clainos said his raw deal' was
the revocation of his parole with
only 10 more days to go until I'd
be free" He was arrested for vio-
lating a conditional release from
a four-year term for white slavery
by aSSociating with known GRIM
inal at the K street after-hours
club, and this may mean return
to prison for IL more months.
Denying he had given a gun to
Harding a few minutes before the
shooting, Clainos said he met
Harding about 9 pm. at another
club, found the latter in a "bel-
ligerent state of mind and per.
Suaded him to give me the gun.
Worked AS Assistant.
But I only had it in my posses
sion a few minutes before he de.
manded I give it back to him,
Clainos declared. He said he wen'
with Harding to the Hide-Away
Club. but left "20 minutes before
the shooting"