Evening star., 1954-09-29
Beard Record
Book Missiinq,
Testifies Gambler
Or One of Workers
Picked Up Data
By Jock Jonas
Stor Stoff Correspondent

BALTIMORE, Sept. ga
black book in which Washington
gambler Sam Beard kept his
daily record of wins and losses
turned up missing when the
Government began looking into
Boards income tax returns, a
Federal revenue agent testified
today.
Samuel w. Ford. testifying at
Boards trail in U. S. District
Court for the District of Mary
land on income tax evasion
charges. said he learned of the
record when he talked with
Robert Violet. a Hyattsville ac-
countant who worked on the
gamblers accounts.
Mr.. Ford said Mr.. Violet told
him that he prepared Boards
income tax returns for 1916 and
1947 based on material furnished
him by the gambler. A part of
the material was the book and
adding machine tape on which
figures from the book were
totaled.
Says Records Taken Away.
But, Mr.. Ford told the jury,
after the income tax investiga-
ton got under way, Beard or
some one sent by him came to
Mr.. Violett's Office and took
away the records.
The adding machine tapes
were left behind and were pre-
sented in court today as part Of
the Governments case.
Mr.. Ford said he was rather
amazed" to learn shortly after
he began looking into Boards
financial affairs in November of
1947 that the gamblers deposits
in his bank accounts far ex-
ceeded his recorded income.
The discovery touched off an
intense search through real es-
tate records and banks in WASH
ington, Baltimore and Maryland
and Virginia counties near
Washington.
Letters were sent or personal
visits made to IS banks, Mr..
Ford said. Information was
sought about accounts in the
name of Beard, Sam Blake or
Sam Slade, because the revenue
agents believed they were "one
and the same man"
4 Accounts Discovered.
But the agents discovered only
TOUR accounts all at the Bank
OF Commerce and Savings, WASH
lngton, and all the Boards name.
Mr., Ford also testified that:
l. A .ook at Boards safety de-
poSlt pox revealed $4,000 in cash
and $6 81 ii Government bonds.
2. Boards income tax returns
wee almost 100 per cent COR
rect' except with regard to his
gambling income.
5. tlt met with a firm refusal
from Boards lawyer when he
asked TO look at Boards gambling
record, although Beard himself
never refused him access to the
records
Boards penchant for $lOO bills
was given through airing in
court yesterday by petite bank
teller, who said the Washington
gambler was such a regular Wis
ltor at her window that he called
her by her nickname, "Of1ie."
Miss Lorene Offenbacher. of
,152-D Colony road, Silver Spring.
Mr., head teller at Bank of Com
merce and Savings, said Beard
called at her window because /
handled most of the large bills,
and that's what he wanted"
Sacks Full of Money.
Miss Offenbacher said the
short, chunky gambler came to
the bank two or three times a
week from 1914 through l947,
bringing a sack full of money
on each visit. He carried cash
and checks in canvas bags or in
tan grocery sacks. she said, and
changed it for large bills, usually
500 bills
All amounts above $1,000 in
such transactions, Miss Offen-
bacher said. were recorded on
special forms and sent to the
Government in line with
presidential directive to banks in
| 1945. Voluminous records show
ing such transactions by Beard
were submitted as evidence.
The Government also pre-
sented to the jury-over objec-
tions by Defense Attorneys
Thomas j. Kenney and Michael
Gould-a welter of records such
as deposit slips, savings ac-
count ana checking account rec
ords and listing of Boards Wis
its to his safety deposit box.
Ia Million Checks.
Microfilm records of nearly
IA million out-of town checks
that passed through the Lin
coin National Bank at Washing
ton were wheeled into the court
room.
In that maze of microfilm, the
Government contends, are some
1.700 checks, many of which
poured into Boards gambling
business from $50 cities in SO
States.
Snnrk Rnr Rurne