Evening star., 1952-07-26
Numbers Raids
Crack2 Rings,
Police Report
IT Suspects Seized;
5 Pistols Found in
Home of Prisoner

home OF PRISONER
Police late yesterday cracked
open two separate numbers game
syndicates.
In simultaneous, well timed
forays. police and deputy United
States marShals, armed with
United States Commissioners
warrants, rounded up If suspects
ut one Southeast and four North
west locations.
Police said six of these COM
prised an entire numbers syndi-
cate, and the others, good por-
ton Of another. All are colored.
The biggest catch of the day,
according to police, was James
H. (Doc) Lewis, SO, Of the 1900
block Of Ninth street NV. Pvt.
Thomas j. Horrigan, who with
Capt. John E. Winters of No. 2
Precinct led one of the raids,
described Lewis as a ''good-sized
numbers backer," believed to have
been operating for the last 10
years.
Loaded Pistols Found.
Lewis was arrested at his home.
Police also found weird assort-
ment of loaded pistols there. Pvt.
Horrigan said that in Lewis
bedroom they found one each of
Japanese. Italian. Spanish and
German makes and. hidden in the
television set, an American Colt.
Also arrested at Lewis home
was Dewitt Wilson, SO, of the
1900 block of M street NE. Police
collared the other four few doors
UP Ninth street. This was at al
variety shop described as the
front for the syndicate believed
to have been wiped out in the
raids. A seventh man was arrested
there, but he was not charged
Immediately.
The others were Forest McAbee
80, Of the 1900 block of Quincy
street NV; James v. McGriff, 81,
Of the first block of G street NV;
William E. Boone, 81, of the 14OOI
block of Twelfth street NV, and
Charlease Bates. %. of the 100
block of I street. NE.
All except the Bates woman, who
police said had the occupancy
permit for the place, were charged
with operating a lottery and pos
sessing numbers slips. She was
charged only with operating a lot
terry.
Slips Found In Trash.
Police said McGriff attempted to
throw quantity of numbers slips
behind a juke box when he was
arrested. They found a quantity
of slips in the trash can behind
the counter.
Pvt. Horrigan said both McAbee
and Wilson are under indictment
for numbers charges lodged last
April.
The second alleged syndicate
was hit by nine policemen led by
Capt. John B. Monroe Of the
Gambling Squad, and 1t. Todd
Thoman. The officers converged
simultaneously on three different
locations.
Capt. Monroe believes he has
caught virtually all of the syndi-
cate, except the top man. Yester-
days catch, he said, included three
writer's, the manager of drop"
and a pickup man. A drop" is
a point where writer's and small
pickup men leave their money.
Called drop" Manager.
The drop" manager, accord
ing to Capt. Monroe, is Thomas
Fears. 36. of the 1900 block of
North Capitol street. He was ar
rested at the home of Marjorie'I
Ford, 80, of the first block of p
street NV, who also was locked
up.
Capt. Monroe said the pickup
man was Orell Duncan. "a, of the
1900 block of First street NV.
Duncan was arrested with Jessie
M. McCreary, q, of the 200 block
of Bates street NV, at the wom-
ans home.
Capt. Monroe said Duncan ad-
mitted picking up money and de-
livering it to some one called
Jimmy"
The fifth suspect was Catherine
B. Hale, "a, of the 1000 block of
Twelfth street Sc, arrested at her
home. All five were charged with
operating a lottery and possessing
numbers slips.
Woman Arrested.
Not included in the raids was
the arrest yesterday of Mrs.
Thelma Mae Baughman. 80, of the
1900 block Of independence ave-
nue. Sc.
Probationary Detective Richard
j. Latona of No. Precinct said
an undercover man had placed
bets with her in the last month.
Yesterday, the officer made a play
with marked money in a restau-
rant in the 800 block of Pennsyl-
vania avenue Sc.
He said the woman, who for
merly was q waitress there, had
$410.12 in her purse. She was
arraigned late yesterday before
United States Commissioner Cyril
s. Lawrence, who continued the
hearing until August 6. She was
released under 81, 1000 bond.