Evening star., 1952-02-03
By w. H. Shippen

OY w. III. SNtppSU
The numbers business around
Washington is going "off the rec
ord" as rapidly as possible.
This might seem odd in a city
supposed to support many paper
mills by making at least seven
copies Of everything.
In the trade just now. however,
pieces of paper with numerals
written on them are as unpopular
as search warrants or subpoenas
from Senate investigators.
There's nothing lucky about q
ledger. q "little red book" or even
Ia carbon copy of an income tax
return. Moreover, little pads OF
completely blank sheets can prove
Embarrassing If they shape up
like slips" in q jury's eyes.
Records Proved Unlucky.
The Nelson convictions Friday
were proof enough. If proof was
needed, that the best book keepers
may be the unluckiest book
makers. Charles e. Nelson's rec
|ords, surrendered without protest
Ito a Senate agent. smoked out
I13 informers.
Furthermore. 13 members Of the
Ibig syndicate were convicted with
Nelson on Friday, the 18th day
of the trial in District Court. The
documents appear to have "brok-
len" the case, with no police aid
whatever, either in the District OF
Maryland, and thereafter the luck
Iof Nelson and his partners ran
Iout.
Meanwhile, plenty Of paper
work has gone out the window
'figuratively speaking, that is. Ir
the past small change bets, even
down to a few pennies. were
faithfully recorded with vari-
colored copies going to the bettor
1.-THE writer and the pickup mar
on the route.
paper Mill' Active.
These in turn were collected
in brown paper bags, carried across
town to headquarters offlces
often in nearby Maryland, re-
corded on adding machine "rib'
bons," searched for "hit" mum.
Ibers and returned along with the
adding machine record, the pay
OF money and the earnings o.
employees.
At one time, according to wit
nesses, it took as many as 2
women ONCE employees to run hi
multimillion dollar paper mill
for Mr.. and Mrs. Nelson and thei
partners, the Robert L. Nowland
of Alexandria. Va.
But times have changed since
Nelson, then known only as al
opulent gentleman farmer" ant
race horse breeder, opened his per
sonal files at his country estat'
/ in Ritchie. Md. last August.
With so much paper in th'
Governments hands. Nelson's EN-
iployes and former employees fount
themselves pretty well showed
under" as the saying goes. No
body needed to tell them-despit
the implications Of defense law
Eyers that they had been threat
'ened"- unless they Joined tn
parade to the witness box the.
might be facing the jury in a les
vocal capacity.
I Business Now Restricted.
= Around Washington just nov
the business is pretty well limited
at least temporarily. to word-of
mouth transactions. ,.
Relatively few bets are writtel
Ion slips and transported. especial
Ily around the known haunts OF tn
runners, or at the accustome
hours dictated by track time.
True, plenty Of paper is chang
ling hands on street corners, lunc
stands and in Government Offices
Ibut it's the kind Of paper Uncl
T. Sam prints for money. Even alel
police officers, spurred on by in
+ vestigations and a shake-up {
the gambling squad, can't arres
ola man for possession of money.
E Even if the new plain-clothes
e men now on the prowl see tn
= switch they can be certain OF onl
one thing-the suspect Is not