Evening Star Newspaper, December 13, 1934, Page 5

ALLERED NUNBERS OPERATOR ON BAL Adam Offenbacker De- mands Jury Trial When Arraigned on Charge. Charged with operating 8 num- bers game at 101 H street, Adam Of- fenbacker, 62. said by police to have » gambling record, was arraigned be- fore Judge Ralph Given in Police Court today. He was released on $500 bond after he pleaded not guilty and demanded & jury trial. Offenbacker’s place had been un- der observation by first precinct police about two weeks. Yesterday | Capt. W. E. Holmes directed that the establishment be raided. " Plain clothes men gained Admlnsion‘ and made two plays, using marked money. This money, a quantity of elips and numbers books were seized during the raid. They will be used as evidence against Offenbacker when his trial comes up in jury court. CONSTANT GAMING ARRESTS ADVISED TO COMBAT CRIME (Continued From First Page.) State was operated locally by petty gamblers who didn't do much else. “In the last year or so, however, we have found several leaders in the liquor running racket turning their attention to the new business as their old one dropped off. This con- flict of interests led to the shooting of Daddy Black, original boss of the numbers racket up there. “Then when the race track opened at Pawtucket the cigar stores and | newsstands began to become thriving gambling joints, working base ball, numbers, racing and several other | petty rackets. Meanwhile, the street agents became increasingly active and | we found them working on saleswomen in stores, low-salaried employes every- where, and even youngsters with a few pennies. Concerted Drive Begun. “We started a concerted drive on them about a year ago and have made more arrests and gained more convic- tions during the past 12 months than ever before. Unless you keep after them and keep an eye on the known | leaders, they will turn any community into a shambles of gambling and vio- lence.” Attorney General John P. Hartigan ©f Rhode Island: “‘Our laws are now adequate to cope with this sort of gambling and we are | trying to keep on top of it. Contin- | uous arrests and convictions will keep | the business under cover and under a measure of control, although it is diffi- | cult to check it entirely. The ingenu- | rendered recently at Albany. Compromises Federal Agents Press Levies on “Flagrant Violators.” Frank J. Wideman Cites Almost Perfect Record of Convictions. BY REX COLLIER. “No compromise.” This is the edict which has gone out from the Justice Department's reorganized tax division to gangsters and others who have “wilfully and | deliberately” violated Federal tax-laws, it was disciosed today by Frank J. Wideman, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the tax division. In an interview today the tall, vig- orous Florida lawyer who heads an army of 90 experienced tax attorneys declared that convictions or guilty pleas have been obtained in 91.9 per cent of all criminal actions instituted since creation of the division last January. He said there have been 80 con- victions or pleas of guilty in tax prosecutions during the past year. Among those convicted were John Lazia, underworld politician in Kan- sas City, Mo., who later was slain by gangster enemies; Leon Gleckman, St. Paul political leader, and other prom- inent figures. Schultz Case Pressed. At present the division is press- ing prosecution of Arthur *“Dutch” Schultz, New York gangster, who sur- Evi- dence in these criminal cases growing out of evasion of income taxes was collected by the Internal Revenue Bureau's intelligence unit. In cases which have been settled out of court because the Government was not certain of ability to convict, !a total of more than $1,000,000 in Narcotics Foe ity of leaders of such rackets will | bring developments of new and more | serious kinds of vice if you leave them | unmolested.” | Chief of Police R. M. Jordan of | Ricamond, Va.: “We have the numbers racket and ‘we have caught plenty of the runners. Our troubles begin when we bring them into court and a loosely con- structed law allows a sympathetic | Judge to accede to some sharp lawyer’s | plea and lets the operator go. When | we get convictions, we can't get fines or sentences that amount to any- thing. These fellows just laugh at a $10 fine. “Public sentiment and the courts are not sufficiently behind the police to make our efforts effective. Usually it's the policeman who is on trial and some cheap lawyer is allowed to browbeat and sneer at the officer who is trying to enforce the law. The same thing happens whenever citizens agree to appear as witnesses, and the result is that decent persons don't want to get up on the stand and be abused by some shyster. "I don’t blame them. “This numbers game and all the rest of the petty little rackets, that are just different forms of robbery, never will be stopped until the courts co-operate and the public becomes conscious of how it is being robbed.” Two members of the attorney gen- eral's staff for the State of New York, John F. X. McGohey and Ambrose V. McCall, described how the num- bers game has worked its way into | more extensive forms of gambling. Betting Against Rules. | | Men on public relief in Germany who are caught betting must have their relief payments transferred to| their wives. b HARRY T. ANSLINGER, Head of the Bureau of Narcotics, which is now concluding a drive that rounded up nearly 1000 persons accused of peddling dope, shown here addressing the Crime Conference on “The Narcotic Problem.” —Harris-Ewing Photo. Before Selling Investigate the Prices We Pay for OLD GOLD Jewelry of every description, bridge- work. silver. No matter how old or dilapidated any of !aregzint ar- ticles might be. you will be greatly surprised at the cash prices paid by us (Licensed by U. S. Govt.) SHAH & SHAH 921 F St. N.W. Phone NA. 5543—We Will Call AMERICA’S FINEST MOTOR OIL Change CoLD - - SUPERFINE ¥ 5 f@ [ 4 TEST ™ ey i WINTER LUBRICANTS FOR CAREFREE WINTER DRIVING [\ Chevrolet USE Ford V-8 Plym_outh USE USE 10-W 20-W 20-W t Independent Dealers Everywhere | eral agencies and facilitating litigation THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1934, U. S. Tax Collectors Refuse With Gangsters FRANK J. WIDEMAN. taxes has been turned into the Treas- ury. In addition to prosecuting gangsters and other flagrant violators under the income tax laws, the division is de- fending the Federal Government in thousands of cases involving tax claims and is the principal champion of New Deal agencies whose consti- tutionality has been attacked on grounds of improper exercise of taxing authority. ‘The average sentences meted out to tax violators this year has been 1 year, 2 months and 21 days, records sho The fines have averaged nearly $3,000. “No Compromise” Is Policy. Wideman has adhered rigidly to a policy of “no compromise” in all cases | | classed as “flagrant” and in those in- | | volving income derived from illicit | activities on the part of the taxpayer. Cases in which sufficient evidence | | for conviction was lacking and the | character of the offense was not fla- grant have been compromised with the taxpayer. Litigation now pending before the division involves a total of more than $166,000,000 in taxes. This figure does not include more than $700,000,000 in processing and floor taxes at stake in a case which the division recently won in & Federal court in Massachu- setts. This case, involving a test of | the constitutionality of the Agricul- tural Adjustment Administration act, has been appealed by the petitioner, | the Pranklin Process Co. receivers. Wideman's division was created by executive order with a view to co- ordinating legal work of several Fed- pending in the courts. Work to Control Po. Thousands of men are now con- structing dykes and canals in the Parma district of Italy to control the floods of the River Po and to make the river navigable for almost its re length. SPECIAL| Thursday Friday and Saturday GENUINE OAK LEATHER Half Soles Rubber Heels Both for this price Our regular price, $1.35 SELIS 810 14th St. N.W. Natl. 6780 MOST CRIMINALS ESCAPE JUSTICE, CONFERENCE TOLD —_— —_(Continued From Pirst Page) Poole, - dent of the General Federation Women’s Clubs; Kenyon J. Scudder, chief probation officer of Los An- geles County, Calif.; John Landesco of Chicago, Andrew J. Cavanaugh, chief of police of Fairport, N. Y., and Kath- erine Lenroot, chief of the Children’s Bureau of the Department of Labor. The Committee on Resolutions will present its report upon conclusion of the speeches. Scott M. Lofkin, presi- dent of the American Bar Associa- tion, is chairman of the committee. The conference will close tonight with an address by Attorney General Cummings and by Bishop PFrancis J. McConnell of the Methodist Episcopal Church, New York City. Immedi- ately thereafter, Attorney General and Mrs. Cummings will hold a re- ception for the delegations in the Pan American Union Building. Cites Need for United States Agents. Joseph B. Keenan, Assistant Attor- ney General, told the conference last night the “interstate” character of modern crime “clearly justifies” the use of Federal agencies in its control, Answering criticisms that the Ped- eral Government was usurping State rights in the tracking down of crim- inals, Keenan cited constitutional pro- vision for Pederal control of inter- state matters and declared crime now falls within that category. Rapia transportation has enabled | criminals to take themselves beyond the jurisdiction of a single State, Kee- nan said, and made it imperative that a co-ordinated man-hunting agency, disregarding State boundaries, take up the job. | From Gov. Ehringhaus of North Carolina came an assertion that all States would co-operate to make law enforcement more effective. “The Governors are prepared to ac- | cept,” Ehringhaus said, “the challenge | of the Federal Government to under- | take a great program looking toward | betterment of crime repression and crime prevention in this country, and we will carry forward whole-hearted- ly any constructive movement in that direction which may grow out of this conference.” | Urges Strict Parole. | Sanford Bates, director of the Fed- | eral Bureau of Prisons, argued for the ' eventual release of all prisoners under parole, with strict supervision, rather than freeing them without supervi- sion upon the expiration of their sen- tences. Pledging co-operation in the crime “The brave men who have given their lives will have died in vain i society does not act to prevent the re- cruiting of new public enemies. “Mad dogs must be killed, but it study, find a cure or antidote for that kind of human madness.” Strict control of firearms was urged by J. Weston Allen of Boston. He asked the conference to demand that States take “prompt and vigorous action to secure legislation” for licens- ing the purchase of arms capable of being concealed on the person and the registration of all such firearms. He estimated the underworld has 500,- 000 pistols and revolvers, A. C. Lindholm, head of the Minne- sota Parole Board, said that- parole properly administered by & board was the only sound way to determine the length of a prisoner’s sentence. A parole system could be successful, Lindholm said, only if a wide lati- tude was allowed the parole board in determining the time for release. With these powers, Lindholm said, a board could give detailed and unbiased study to each case. Sees Encouraging Signs. Recognition of the average citizen of his responsibility to co-operate with law officers is an encouraging sign in the war for crime suppression, Barron Collier of New York, chairman of the International World Police Advisory Committee, told the conference. Training of sheriffs and chiefs of police in conjunction with National Guard encampments was suggested by Gov. Sholtz of Florida. He said Florida officers had been so tralned last Summer, with Justice Depart- ment men present to give instruction in specialized crime detection work. As to “crooked” lawyers, John F. Schindler, New York investigator, said: “No considerable crime is ever com- mitted that hasn't & shyster lawyer as an accessory. I am not talking about the great majority of lawyers. They are a credit to the profession. But there is a wide range of crooked lawyers, dipping their hands into all kinds of crooked professions.” This brought a reply from Louis C. Cohane of Detroit, a delegate from the American Bar Association, who said the number of crooked lawyers “infinitesimal.” B e ————————e ] THE GIFT STORE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE among the GIFT suggestions of DIAMONDS WATCHES SILVER—LAMPS AND CLOCKS 385, 19-in. Sterling Silver SERVING TRAY & Jewelers Station Large tray . special purchase of a limited quantity $477.50 « « heavy weight . . . A this greatly reduced price. ers Platinumsmiths A.Kahn Jnc. Arthur J. Sundlun; Pres. 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