Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-29
Government to Start All Over Again
In Gaming Case Against Atlas Club

town club that they found one
dice game under way whep they
stepped through an open door on
the third floor and took the play
ers unaware.
Charged with presence in an
illegal establishment were Sam
uel Block, Bernard J. Kern,
Thomas A. Reynolds. William
Scheer. Joseph S. Stern, Maurice
T. Roche and Sam Wilmer.
Police and prosecutors subse-
quently disclosed that they had
been under considerable pressure
to drop the charges. Mr.. Gasch,
Mr.. Wood and Capt. Layton all
said they had been visited by one
defendant who represented him.
self as having Capitol Hill con-
nectionS.
Trial Set May 8
Municipal Court records
showed the seven men pleaded
not guilty on February 20 and
the case was continued for jury
trial May 8. 1t was continued
by Judge Edward A. Beard at de-
Tense request to April 10. 1t was
then continued by Judge Almond
w. Scott to May Is at Govern
ment request. 1t was continued
by Judge Scott to June IA at de-
Tense request and continued
again by Judge Scott to Novem-
Der l6 at defense request.
Judge Nadine L. Gallagher
then continued it at defense re-
quest to December II. When
Mr.. Wood objected to the con-
tinuance. Judge Gallagher had
her clerk write on the informa-
ton mo further continuances."
There have been various re-
ports on what happened Deem
Der II when the case came up
before Judge Scalley. Pvt. Jesse
Stone of the morals division, who
was in court that day. is now on
leave but he left a report which
Capt. Layton referred to when
asked why he and the other po-
lice witnesses in the case failed
to appear.
Continuance Expected
/ Capt. Layton said Sergt. VIII
liam D. Foran, another witness
in the case, called from his home
i'm Virginia at $3.50 am. to say
that the case was due to come
up that day and he was on his
day of but would be available.
Sergt. Foran was quoted as say
| ing that in view of the previous
requests for continuances by the
defense it was likely another
continuance would be sought
and granted.
When Pvt. Stone went to
court. he found to his surprise
that the defense attorneys sud-
denly were eager to go to trial
the first unusual event in a day
OF unusual events since defense
counsel had previously been the
ones seeking to get the case post
Iponed.
Pvt. Stone called Capt. Layton
to report the defense was ready
for trial. Capt. Layton said he
then tried and failed to reach
Mr.. Smithson because he
thought the District Court case
shoulc be tried first. He said he
then called Pvt. Stone back and
told him to ask Mr.. Wood to try
for a continuance. Capt. Layton
said Pvt. Stone called to report
that Mr.. Wood had agreed to
ask for a continuance and
thought it would probably be
granted.
Capt. Layton said the next
time he heard from Pvt. Stone
was in the afternoon when the
policeman reported that Judge
Scalley had granted a defense
motion to dismiss the case for
lack of prosecution.
Never Informed Of Time
Capt. Layton said he never
was told the case was coming I'D
for trial at 1880 pm.
He said police frequently keep
one policeman in court TO notify
the other policemen when the
case in which they we're TO be
witnesses actually came up for
trial.
\ Mr. Wood said he had talked
with Pvt. Stone in the morning
and had agreed to ask for a
continuance on police request.
I He said he had gotten word to
Assistant United States Attorney
William A. Dousherty in Judge
Scalleys courtroom TO try for q
Continuance