Evening star., 1952-02-23
3D.C. GAMBLING
Bosses Reported
Out Of Business
Police List Warning,
Beurd, Simkins, See
Dietz Operations Cut
By Charles G. Brooks

Three of Washington's most
powerful gambling racket bosses
were reported today to have
retired" under pressure of In
Ivestigations by the special rack.
cts grand jury and the Senate
District Crime subcommittee.
Capt. John B. Monroe, chief Of
the police anti-gambling squad.
said his undercover men have
found that Emmitt Warning. Sam
Beard and Roger (Whitetop)
|Simkins have gone out of busi-
mess"
Capt. Monroe said only the or
|ganization reputedly bossed by
Abe (Jewboy Dietz) Plisco remains
intact among the underworld ma
chimes that once collected hun.
|dreds Of millions of dollars an
nually from Washington area
citizens.
Bets Handled by Phone.
And his investigators have re-
ported. Capt. Monroe said. that
the Dietz machine has drastically
curtailed Its operations and now
accepts only large bets. Almost
all Of Its transactions are handled
over telephone wires now. Capt.
Monroe said, and the numbers
game runners who once made col-
lectionS from well-organlyed routes
are now unemployed.
Beard, the corpulent racket boss
from whom the Federal Govern.
ment Is trying to collect "a million
In back income taxes and penal
ties is genuinely sick" and has
definitely gone out Of business,
Capt, Monroe said.
Beard, who ID awaiting trial In
Baltimore on tax evasion charges,
suffered Il heart attack last month
shortly before he WAS scheduled
TO appear before the Senate Crime
Subcommittee.
Warning Also In Tan Trouble.
Warning, d small but domihanN
hauFe In numbers came operations
here for more than two decades,
"has plenty OF money new" Capt,
MenPee said, and has been inaes
tive for Menths, FAK eVaAlen
charges are pending against him
In the 0ffiee OF United states Ats
tofney Charles NJ, lrelan,
6imkins, cited by the crime
committee for contempt when no
refused to answer any questions
about his gambling activities, sent
word to his small army Of nuns
heFs game collectors several
months ag0 that he would not
back any more bets, Capt, Monroe
said,
The special grand jury for the
past several days has been ques-
tioning men and women whose
names have been linked with Sim
kins' operations,
Although the "big shots" are
running for cover plenty of
numbers are being written and
plenty of horse bets are taken here
daily" Capt. Monroe said.
Wire Service Lacking.
Lieutenants in the Beard, War.
ring and Simkins organizations
are trying to establish their own
gambling racketS. according to in
formation his undercover men
have received, Capt. Monroe said.
While the individual books Of
the small independent bookmak-
ers are comparatively small. the
total quantity of gambling busi-
ness here remains large, Capt.
Monroe declared.
The gambling squad boss said
the small racketeers are hamper red
In their operations by the discon.
tinuance Of wire services which
used to supply them with race
track information.
Subpoena Of Records Feared.
"The wire service men seem to
think that the District Of Coluf1-
bia Is no place for them at the
present time" Capt. Monroe said.
The commercial wire service or
ganiaztions seem to fear that rec.
ords Of their operations will be
subpoenaed by the special grand
Jury or the Senate investigating
Committee, Capt. Monroe declared.
Capt. Monroe said almost all
gambling operations In the Dis.
trict are now conducted by tele.
phone from small headquarters
hidden In apartment houses In
respectable residential areas"
I'VE are, Of course. trying 10 get
our 'undercover agents In those
JOINTS" the gambling squad chief
said.