Evening star., 1951-07-31
CurtaiIed'
Gambling Raids,
Ex-DeputySays
Attack Is First Hint
OfRiftinG.O.P Ranks
In Prince Georges
By J. l. Michael


Guy E. Curtis, former Prince
Georges County deputy sheriff
Who resigned after a five-month
against liquor and gam
bling law violators, declared to-
lay that he quit because his cru
;ading activities were "curtailed"
oy Sheriff Carlton G. Beall.
1.-THE sheriff." he said, never
me to lay off any indi-
vidual, but he made it clear that
he felt that I was much too zeal
ous."
AS arrests and convictions piled
up. the former officer charged,
Sheriff Beall needed and nee
died." saying, If you keep on
locking up people, you'll find your
self in trouble, and maybe you'll
get shot
Finally" Mr.. Curtis added.
"the sheriff ordered that I be
permitted to do nothing more than
serve routine papers, but I re-
fused to become a messenger boy"
His declarations were the first
open indication of the riffs which
have developed in party and Off
cial ranks since Republicans took
over the county government last
fall after ousting the 25-year-old
Democratic regime.
Supported by Police.
Mr.. Curtis, who began his duties
in February and left his $3,000-a-
year post early in July. also
charged that except for such
figures as the late Jimmy LaFon-
taine, there are about as many
gamblers, big and little, operating
in the county as there were at any
time in the last quarter century.
'It also would astound you,"
he added. "to know how much
bootleg liquor is sold in Prince
Georges today and every day, in
cluding Sundays"
Mr.. Curtis said that in his ef-
forts to curb these law infractionS
he had received the fullest CO.
operation" from Police Chief F.
Allen Richards and other mem
bers of the county police force.t
but had received nothing butt
criticism from the sheriff and
members of his staff.
But" he asserted, when the
80 cases I worked on were con-
cluded with only one acquittal,
Sheriff Beall took his share of the
credit and tried to take the Po-
lice Departments share as we'll"
Recalling that he left his post
with the remark, Il am resigning
because I can no longer function
in accordance with my convic-
tions," the former deputy said he
has since learned that many peo-
pie believe he was discharged or
that he quit under fire.
Harmony Lacking.
II want them to know" he said,
that this was not the case"
1t is no secret that something
less than complete harmony exists
among the Republican county
commissioners, between the COM
misSioners and the county legis-
lative delegation, between the
delegates themselves and between
the sheriff's Office and some other
county agencies, including the po-
lice department.
The Sheriff'S Office and the po-
lice department each look hope
fully for greater police powers but
neither is willing to show its hand
pending a report of experts now
conducting survey of the county
government.
If the disagreement between
Sheriff Beall and the former dep
uty produces public controversy,
Mr.. Curtis expects Chief Richards
and at least one delegate, William
F. Hughes, to champion his cause.
Four Raids in Day.
Recounting his experiences as a
deputy, Mr.. Curtis, a former mem
ber of the Hyattsville National
Guard Company who was wounded
in Europe in World War II, said
he at one time made four raids
in one day with the aid of Chief
Richards.
"We took sheriff Beall along out
of courtesy" he declared, land
the sheriff exclaimed, Man O. man,
what we are doing for the county?
Let's hit 'em like this every day!'
But his enthusiasm soon
waned," said Mr.. Curtis, "and soon
the sheriff was caustic about every
move the chief and I made, even
those carried out in lumberjack
costume and in roles such as brick
yard laborers and tractor trailer
drivers"
Mr.. Curtis, who operates a night
club in Seat Pleasant, said he has
a wide acquaintance with the
county's sporting fraternity but
denied that he ever had under
world connections.