Evening star., 1951-03-19
Tobey and O'Dwyer Clash at Probe
Continued From First Page)


eral instances of police work by
Mr.. Balls as examples of his abil
ity.
Senator Tobey inquired:
What has that got to do with
it? Are you trying to build up a
case for Balls? You'll have a hard
time doing it. He told this
committee what devil of fell
low he was
Mr.. ODwyer declared the SEN
ator was biased and called for
''respectful' hearing.
Senator Hunt. Democrat, of
Wyoming suggested the recess at
this point.
The national television audience
for today'S hearing was estimated
at IS million to 20 million per-
sons by WPIX, the New York
News station which is originating
the telecastS for itself as we'll as
other stations.
10 Cities Get Telecast.
The audience in the greater
New York area was estimated at
AS to million. The hearings
are being telecaSt in 10 cities.
AS Mr.. O'DWyer testified, beads
of perSpiration dotted his fore
head under the warm television
and moving picture lights. He
halted occasionally to wipe his
brow.
At times his voice broke Slight
ly, but recovered when he took
drinks of water from a glass at
his left hand. His appearance
brought the largest crowds to the
Federal courtroom since the hear
ings opened here.
Senator Tobey quoted Mr.. Balls
as saying that Relies intended to
enter the ffth-floor window and
then go upstairs and tell his
'' guards ''peek-aboo."
Says Testimony Opposes.
Your testimony contravenes
that of MI Balls, whose testimony
was that he was not trying to
escape" Senator Tobey added.
The Relies case came into the
picture after Committee Chair
man Kefauver interrupted Mr..
ODwyer in a long story of petty
crime conditions he had observed
&c O Yo01icapoop mo ri ictrofa ooJ
Mayor.
Mr.. ODwyer had told of slum
conditions and of pinball and
mint machines that he said en-
couraged children to gamble and
steal.
Senator Kefauver broke in to
suggest that the former Mayo
'get down to details of organized
crime in this section"
Mr., O'Dwyer had told the com.
nlittee that if there is an alliance
IN, any form of crime it was to
prevent gang wars.
They thought it would be
better to have an alliance than
to shoot one another" he said
Gives Long Statement.
Before questioning began, Mr..
O'Dwyer offered a lengthy pre-
liminary statement in which he
said prohibition had left its mark
on the United States by giving
criminals an aura of respectable
ity in violating an unpopular law
He began his statement with a
recital of his own career, starting
as New York City policeman in
1917. And cited his efforts as a
Democratic Mayor to rid the city
of slumS and pIn-ball machines.
Returning to prohibition again,
Mr.. O'Dwyer said IS evil was that
it gave criminals the chance to
associate with the mass of people
and appear respectable through
the speakeasy.
Mr.. ODwyer told the commit
tee that the underworld had its
own court system that meted out
death sentences to violators of
the gangland code.
He described it as "a judicial
set-up-a kangaroo court where
they held trials, usually at night" "
1--WE also found" he said, that
IN certain sections of the country,
there were men who carried out
the orders of these courts, and
there would be only one order
death, execution"
Mr.. O'Dwyer said in many sec
tions of the country they had
troops under one man who had
authority to direct those troops"
Albert AnaStaSia was the one
who had authority to order the
Brooklyn troops" he said.
Asked who was chairman of the
Board of Directors in the under
world syndicate, Mr.. ODwyer said g.:
1T was rather a combination.
There was no chief man in charge,
combination, an alliance"
Mr. O'Dwyer told his story of
the virtual Nation-W Wide Murder,
Inc, after a sharp encounter with
Senator Tobey, Republican, of New
Hampshire.
Frank Costello also has another
date today with the committee
But it was not certain whether
Mr.. O'Dwyer's testimony would
leave time for Costello, reputed
racket king.
Committee lawyers dug up the
1941 murder case, linked to the
Infamous Murder, Inc, gang, last
night by obtaining a court order
for the grand jury transcripts.
A Brooklyn grand jury looked
into this case in 1945. Mi
ODwyer himself gave voluminous
testimony-32O pages of it.
The Staying was mentioned sew