Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1951-11-16

aSco'S cousin, who used to check
receipts for the murdered gambler,
who first told us how the Cuban
bolita peddlers called Culbreath
"Cabeza de Melon" Velasco showed
him his "pay-off" list, on which
there we're notations of alleged
weekly payments of $500 to "Cabeza
de Melon: the same amount to
r." and $3.50 to ED" Des-
champs charged that "Melon Head"
was Sheriff Culbreath; "R" was
States Attorney Rex Farrior. and
ED" was former Chief of Police
J. L. Eddings. (All three denied
this.)
Oscar Perez said he used to drive
Velasco to the county jail, where
Velasco and the sheriff would con-
fer in special inner Sanctum called
1.-The rat hole" According to Perez,
he used to help Jimmy count out
the weekly payroll, and the amounts
would vary from week to week.
Q. Why would it vary?
PEREZ: Well, as in every kind of
business, l guess you had to balance
your budget.
The 53-year-old sheriff told the
Committee some interesting facts
about his career and his activities.
In 1882, he was elected constable
He operated private fishing bust
ness during the period he was con-
stable, blu. filed no income tax re-
turns on his earnings. In 1888, a
grand jury indicted seven of the
most prominent gamblers of the
city and nine public officials with
out whose acquiescence or co-opera-
ton these fragrant violations of the
law could not have continued"
One of them was Constable Gull
breath, and the grand jury publicly
requested the then governor of
Florida to remove Culbreath, along
with others, from office. Nothing,
however, happened. In 1871, Gull
breath became sheriff.
The sheriff mistakenly denied he
ever had any dealings with Red
Italiano, except to call on him &C.
casionally in search of information
that might help him to solve crimes.
At one point, Sheriff Culbreath
tried TO convince the Committee he
really wasn't very bright. 81 am not
a smart boy and never was"
he said assuring US he couldn't
even remember the street address
of a friend he visits three times a
week. He also said he could qualify
as prime example, of Exhibit
A" of how fellow in public life
could be abused falsely by harp
ing critics, jealous and disgruntled
politicians, discontents, malcon-
tents, has-beens, would bes" and
What-not
For a mot smart boy. Exhibit
A" had done rather we'll for him
self. The Committee figured from
the sheriffs income tax declaration
that his net income for the years
l94l through l949, after deductions
and taxes, had been S36,Ol44 SO. He
admitted to having cash, bonds and
property holdings valued at $685.
1882. Counsel was able to establish
that at least $4,000 had passed
through five of Culbreath's bank
accounts in the past nine years and
that, currently, the sheriff had
S45, ZOO divided between his various
bank accounts, his safe deposit box
and the home safe. also, $4,000 in
government bonds.
Another bit of low-yet tragic
comedy was the disclosure by
two witnesses, formerly connected
with the sheriff's office. that Ernest
(Rookie) Culbreath, the sheriff's
brother and his chief criminal dep
uty, ran 4 gambling bool: right at
the county jail.
Associate Counsel Rice produced
a match book cover which read:
"Brigg g. Company Rookie Gull
breath and Leslie Cathcart. We do
small things big Everything in
sports"
What did the sheriff have to say
about that Everything in Sports?
well, sir" Sheriff Culbreath said,
II think someone that put out
matches did this to play trick on
them"
Next Week: The Black Market
and Business Infiltration.
Condensed from the book. Crime In
America" by Estes Kcfauver Cpr. 1851
Pub. by Doubleday. Inc. Dist. General
rorp.-WNII