Evening star., 1951-08-19
Prince GeorgesP Polio
Cleared in Tip-off;;
Case May Reopen
By ]. |. MichoeI

charges that Prince Georges
County detective knew of an al
legged tipoff to numbers backer
Charles E. Nelson may be made
despite the officers official ex-
oneration.
County Commissioner Edward
J. Waters SO indicated yesterday,
soon after Detective Ralph Bond
and all other policemen who
planned and executed a fruitless
raid on car occupied by Nelson's
wife. were given a clean bill of
health by the county commits
sioners.
This thing is not over yet"
Mr.. Waters declared, "and if any,
thing pertinent comes up, it will
be reopened."
The commissioners announced
their decision at Upper Marlboro
at the end of a special session
called to hear stenographfc
transcription of recorded con-
versation between Detective Bond
and John William Lewis, Wash
lngton electrician and amateur
sleuth who broke the Nelson case.
Lancaster to Make Inquiry.
AT the same time, the commits
sioners formally asked States At
torney Carlyle j. Lancaster to
investigate Nelson's illegal affairs
insofar as they affect the county.
Nelson, Ritchie (Md.) numbers
backer end horsebreeder. has been
target of the Senate Crime Com
mittee.
| Mr.. Lancaster said he would
gather and assemble all available
evidence and present it to the
grand jury, probably at the regu-
lar October court term.
Police Chief F, Allen Richards
said that. meanwhile, he will con-
tinue probe of his department.
Mr.. Lewis told the commission
ers Tuesday that a county official.
later identified as Detective Bond,
said he knew leak had occurred
which frustrated a raid August
in which a car occupied by Mrs.
Madge Nelson was searched by
county police and found to con-
tain nothing discriminating.
Commissioners AssaiI Lewis.
Lewis said he recorded the COL
loquy three days later in a car
parked outside Detective Bonds
nome and turned the tape over
to the FBI. 1t was forwarded to
the Senate Crime Committee
where a transcript was prepared
and given to Prince Georges Coun-
ty authorities.
The commissioners differed with
Mr.. Lewis evaluation of the re-
cording and then excoriated him
Commissioner Daniel A. Abbott
who offered the "clean slate" re.
solution unanimously adopted
with board member H. Wilson
) Spickall absent. declared:
THE material on this tran.
} Scription has no more value thar
piece of waste paper. If Mr.
Lewis had stayed in Virginia
where he lives. Prince George,
police would have broken the Mel.
son case quickly"
. In my opinion,' Mr.. Abbot
said. Lewis was motivated b,
!; spite and if county police made
any mistake, it was in tieing il
with him."
!, Lewis Furnished Information.
Prince Georges police staged the
raid on the Nelson car chiefly
; on information furnished by MIR
!, Lewis, who had watched the Mel.
; son farm and saw car leave thu
place for North Beach at almos
; exactly the same time each day.
He worked with county polio
and also advised the Senate Grim
Investigating Committee of hi
discoveries. The day after tn
raid. he revealed details of tn
foiled raid at a committee hearing
AT the same hearing, Mr.. Nelson
admitted that he received a fame,
income from an investment an,
said he thought some of his profit
came from gambling.
Board Clerk Thomas w. Hick
read the closely-typed, 25-pag
transcription in a two-hour opel
session frequently interrupted b
explanations of obscure points b.
Chief Richards and other officer
who worked on the case.
Women Ordered From Room.
Before the reading started
Chairman Thomas E. Latimer or
. dered women to leave the room
because Of vulgar language in tn
transcript. Parts of the record
ing were deleted by the Grim
, Committee because of its obscen
| nature.
For purposes of Identification
) the committee inserted first name
of principals as a guide to ques
{ tions and answers. Detective BON
: said that because of these changes
and a rumor that the recording
had been played in a Washington
newspaper Office. he felt it wa
unfair to make it's contents pub
lie. He did not object formally
OF chief interest was that por
ton of the record which relate'
to the alleged leak. In the ca
at the time of the conversation
were Detective Bond, John viii
e liam Lewis and Lewis brothe
$ Joseph.
] On this point. the transcrip
< gave these questions mad answers
Joe: WAS it true that Kenn
! Larson said there was a fix tha
0 day?" Larson was not furthe
e identified.
Bond. 'tI understand that ther