Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-06
Monroe Called
Master PIotter
In Bride Trial
Final Arguments
Begin in Case Of
Gambling Poyoffs
BY JACK JONAS

IOOdy Wdc C1AaI dCVC1 11CO 90 o
man who led three lives as he
dealt with men practiced in
handing out brides.
Assistant United States At
torney John Doyle told Federal
court jury considering bribery
and conspiracy charges against
two policemen and six alleged
gamblers that Capt. Monroe
preached the subject of brides
lin the manner of a person who
lives one life among his neigh
bors, one life in the police de-
partment. and another life when
he turns to bribery"
Mr.. Doyle characterized the
other defendants as cold, hard
blooded practitioners of crime"
Hits Lamb Defense
He said they all tried to as
sumo the lambs clothing of
/ innocence" by claiming they had
been trapped into violating the
law.
THE lambs clothing fits very.
very poorly around the shoulders
of Monroe" Mr.. Doyle declared.
He was the man who started
this entire matter. He was the
man who had in his mind plot
to corrupt someone"
He said suspended Probation
airy Detective George c. Prather
was "a man who ranged far and
wide to see if more brides could
be taken. How can such a man
wear the clothing of lamb?"
Others on trial are Roger w.
(Whitetop) Simkins, SIS, colored;
Albert H. (Real Estate) Smith.
As; Curtis M. (Bozo) Taylor, 80.
colored; Charles (Geechie Char
lie) Anderson, 40, colored; John
lefty Winston, AZ, colored. and
Burnie King, 20, colored.
Trial NeafS Close
Final arguments came as the
trial in the United States Dis
trict Court for the District Of
Columbia was exactly one month
old.
Mr.. Doyle traced once more
the Governments story Of brib-
cry. He referred to Capt. Todd
o. Thoman, jr., who investigated
the bribery case for 10 months,
as an honorable man who sought
to preserve law and order so
that you and your children would
be safe"
Capt. Thoman. during is days
in the witness chair, testified
that more than $4,000 in bribe-.
money passed through his hands
in plot to protect the numbers
racket here from police inter-
ference.
Mr.. Doyle said the gamblers
on trial were interested only in
protecting No. l. They didn't
care about the little man. It
was all right for the little men
to be arrested. but they wanted
to protect No. /.
"Cold and Calculating"
Here are as cold and calcu-
lating a set of eyes and as cold
and as calculating a set of
hearts as you will find any
where in the world" Mr.. Doyle
added.
Referring to sharp cross
examination of Capt. Thoman,
Mr.. Doyle said that defense at
torneys turned and fled" when
United States Attorney Leo A.
Rover was called as Govern
ment witness. He pointed out
that the defense attorneys asked
Mr.. Rover no questions.
That brought a whitening blast
from Myron G. Enrich, first of
six defense attorneys to argue
| the case.
"Mr. Rover have known for
about 80 years." Mr.. Enrich
said. HE happens to be at the
present time the United States
attorney for the District of Co
lumbia. And I want to say
something, If / may, about United
States attorneys in general.
Questions Authority
"They are not God Almighty.
Every United States attorney has
been a lawyer who knew a poll
tician who got him a job. The
United States attorney has no
authority to tell a member Of
the police department to violate
the law. Mr.. Rover took it upon
himself to say he decided. He
told them to do this. Let's
not be misled about God, jr."
The defense has commended
that Capt. Thoman. acting under
orders from the United States
attorneys Office, was himself In
violation of the law when he did
not arrest the accused as soon
as the first brides were paid. Mr..
Enrich also attacked Capt. Tho
mans testimony.
IF Capt. Thoman were the
honorable man that he con-
tended to be all he would have
had to say when the bride offer
was made) was Brother, forget
! it. I don't want to talk to you.'"
Sees Entrapment
Later, Mr. Enrich declared:
why did Mr.. Rover and the
others for 10 months whistle
and play the tune Of the week?
They sent Thoman out to get
some cash That's what they did
for 10 long months, according to
Mr.. Thoman. What was he do
ing If he wasn't trying to en-
trap someone?"
Referring to a statement by
Capt. John B. Layton, another
Government witness. that he
didn't believe he was giving
protection to gamblers as long
as the investigation was in prog
ress, Mr.. Enrich asked: