WASHINGTON AND VICINITY -
TUESDAY, JULY 13, 1948 . S
__ *--- - -
____._
School Session
v -yV
Set on Curricula
In Montgomery
Workshop to Study
Changes in Courses;
Parents Invited
The Montgomery County Board
of Education announced today it
will hold a workshop for teachers,
parents and professional groups
next month to study curriculum
changes.
The session will be held from 9
a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through
Fridays throughout the month of
August at the Rockville Elementary
School.
At the same time, Dr. Edwin W.
Broome, superintendent, yesterday
said that plans for night meetings
to accommodate those parents un
able to attend during the day will
be completed soon.
Those attending the workshop,
plans for which were drafted last
May, also will discuss methods for
~ providing a minimum arflount of
student interruption in classes.
Session for Principals Set.
Dr. Broome told the board at its
meeting today in Rockville that it
' has been decided to substitute for
the social studies subject the sep
arate items comprising this field,
such as history, geography, civics,
science and Current events.
He said a workshop for principals
will be held September 1, 2 and 3
at the Richard Montgomery High ;
School, Rockville. Members of the
teaching staff will meet September
8. 9 and 10 at their respective
schools.
Dr. Broome emphasized that all
parents are invited to next month’s
workshop. He added they also are
invited to meet with thd principal
and faculty of each elementary
school to discuss any changes they
wish in the school curriculum.
Dates for the meetings at each
school will be announced prior to
September 8.
Reports on Parents’ Meeting.
Board Member James W. Gill, In
reporting on last night’s meeting in
Bethesda of a group of parents who
advocated a "return to fundamen
tals” In county public schools, said
he was impressed with the sincerity
of the parents.
He expressed the opinion*that any
parent or teacher who wants to crit
icize the present school program
should be able to do so without fear.
He said some of the parents last
night said their children might be
discriminated against in school be
cause of their criticism.
"I believe the meeting resulted
from failure of the Board of Educa
tion to take all parents into its con
fidence,” Mr. Gill said. "We just
haven’t kept parents informed of
oiir objectives and the quicker we
give out accurate information and
acquaint the public with our plans,
the quicker this board -will be better
Off." • Vi,
Teachers Held Untrained. ' j
. Mrs Curtis Walker, another board |
member, said much of the criticism!
of the present curriculum has re
sulted from the failure of new
teachers to receive proper training
in the “new;” method of teaching. ,
The board received several letters
indorsing present teaching methods
and denying charges that the coun
ty's educational system is "radical."
One of the letters, signed by Mrs.
Ruth G. R. Nadel, president of the
Eastern Suburban Area Parent
Teacher Association Study Group,
made the following recommenda
tion*:
j . "More adequate financial support
of education; elimination of over
• crowding in schools; better physical
facilities and improvement of
teacher personnel.
Other organizations Indorsing
present teaching methods included
. ! the Leland Junior High School PTA;
the County League of Women Voters
and the County Child Study Group.
l&O Parents at Meeting.
Mr. Gill. Mrs Walker and H.
Stanley Stine, school board chair
man. were bombarded for three
sweltering hours by the potests of
100 parents at Bethesda last night.
The parents demanded more em
' phasis on "fundamentals like read
in'. ’ritin’ and 'rithmetic. and a lot
, less time on rope skipping, jelly1
making and bowling lessons.
They also called for the ouster
of Dr. Broome as superintendent of j
schools and one suggested, to heavy
applause, that Mr. Stine resign
from the Board of Education.
The board members made little
effort to reply to the criticism, say
ing that they had come to listen and
not to debate. Mr. Gill objected,
however, to a statement by E. G.
Adams. Bethesda real estate oper
ator. that the people "have lost
confidence and faith in Dr. Broome.
Mr. Adams demanded Dr. Broome's
removal. The board member said
Dr. Broome is highly regarded by
leading educators.
The patrons discussed at length
their plans to obtain 5.000 signa
tures to a petition calling on the
board to concentrate on basic stud
ies and discontinue some of the
•'newfangled” instruction.
Fleaer Favors Three Rs.
But James L. Fieser of Bethesda.
retired executive vice president of
the American Red Cross, warned
the board members present not to
misjudge the public's feelings.
Mrs. O. W. Anderson of Gaithers
burg. deploring the tendency to
neglect instructions in grammar. 1
quoted Dr. Broome as telling her
that "you don't need grammar.”;
She also objected strongly to the
distribution of a letter signed by
Mr. Stine, urging citizens support:
of the Board of Education's pro
posed budget for 1948-9.
Mrs. Anderson and Percy Greaves
of Bethesda said the letter should
never have been distributed through
the schools. For one thing, declared
Mr. Greaves, it stated that unless
the school proposals were approved
by the county commissioners, some
services would have to be dropped.
After the commissioners slashed the
request *611.000, the patron said,
this statement was proved to be
‘‘untrue.”
"One thing we must have in our
schools is honesty. The school au
thorities used the pupils to dis
tribute this letter, which was
proved untrue.”
Then, .looking directly at Chair
man Stine, who signed the letter, he
asserted:
suggest that the persons re
Resigning Greenbelt Manager
Requests 'Double' Leave Pay
The resignation of James T. Gob
bel as town manager of Greenbelt,
which becomes effective Monday,
has raised the question of how
many days of accumulated leave he
is due.
The issue arose last night at a
meeting of the Town Council when
Mr. Gobbel declared he was en
titled to 98 days of accumulated
double” leave. He read an inter
pretation of a resolution passed
in 1946 by the Town Council in
which Town Solicitor John S. White
stated the manager “very definitely"
was entitled to the double leave
accrued in the three years he served
m the dual capacity of town man
ager and community manager of
Greenbelt.
The 1946 resolution he referred to
provided that Mr. Gobbel was en
titled to 'all leave benefits given
regular employes of the town.
Fights 1946 Resolution.
Mrs. Elizabeth Harrington, a mem
ber of the council, sought unsuccess
fully to have the 1946 resolution
rescinded. A similar move made
bv Mrs. Harrington last month was
tabled and efforts to re-open the
tabled motion last night failed.
Former Mayor George F. Bauer
asserted the 1946 resolution “was
not passed properly’’ and said Town
Manager Gobbel “has not acted in
good faith" in claiming 98 days’
leave.
Mr. Gobbel's salary is more than
$6,000 annually. No town official
present at the meeting last night,
however, was willing to estimate
how much salary Mr. Gobbel would
receive during the 98 days.
Special Session Called.
The council decided to hold a
special session at 8 p.m. Friday to
determine how many days Mr. Gob
bel is due.
Police Chief George Pannagoulis
was named acting towm manager,
effective next Monday when Mr.
Gobbel vacates the post. He re
signed in April. He has announced
he would take a similar pcsition
elsewhere.
The council reported that 25
candidates have applied for the
vacancy.
In other actions, the council ap
proved wage increases of $530 a
year for town employes and ac
cepted for first reading a proposal
to place town employes under the
State retirement system.
Wheat Yield Reported
Close to Average in
Most of Maryland
The 1948 wheat yield, reported as
much as 60 per cent below expecta
tions on some Frederick County
farms, is near average in most parts
of Maryland, statisticians of the
Agriculture Department said today.
A miller described the Montgomery'
County crop as "subnormal” because
of spotted damage resulting from
wind and hail storms Just before
the harvest. He estimated the
county crop at 85 per cent of aver
age yield.
D. B. Wilson, statistician for the
Bureau of Agricultural Economics,'
said farmers generally have been as
much concerned about quality as
quantity of the Wheat. The crop
looks better in the field than it is
proved to be on threshing, he said.
He explained that in most sections
the grain did not fill out well before!
ripening.
Mr. Wilson said the per-acre yield
in Maryland this year is less than
that for 1947, but approximates the
10-vear average. He commented
that 1947 was an unusually good
wheat year.
A. R. Selby, manager of the Liberty
Milling Co., Germantown, said crop
losses vary, principally because of a
late June storm that knocked down
the wheat, speeding up ripening be
fore maturity. Heaviest damage was
in the Potomac River section, he
said, while farms around Damascus
and Laytonsville fared much better.
A combination oX circumstances I
was blamed for the«crop failure in
Frederick, where some farmers de- j
cided to grind their short crop for!
feed rather than market it. Growers
said some crop yields would.be as
low as 40 per cent of the original
estimates.
Latest figures show that Maryland
has 385,000 acres in w'heai this year,
compared with 370,000 in 1947 and
an average of 369,000 for the 10-year
period.
High Court Puts Off
School Funds Ruling
By the Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va„ July 13.—The
Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals
convened for a 1-minute session
yesterday and rose without handing
down the expected opinion in the
school construction funds mandamus
suit.
Chief Justice Edward W. Hudgins
announced that the court did not
have its opinions ready and would
adjourn to meet again September 6
at Staunton.
Before the brief session, five of
the seven justices were closeted in
a conference' on the school issue.
This issue was a mandamus pro
ceeding brought by the attorney
general to force the State treasurer
and controller to release retirement
funds to be used by the localities
for school construction purposes.
Already some $5,000,000 have been
committed to localities by the State
Board of Education. This was done
under authority of a 1946 act of the
legislature which permitted retire-,
ment funds to be used to purchase
local school bonds through the liter
ary funds.
State Controller Henry G. Gilmer
and State Treasurer Jesse W. Dillon
declined, however, to release any of
the retirement funds money until
the Supreme Court passed on the
constitutionality of the issue.
When the court adjourned its June
term and set the special meeting
for today, it was generally believed
by interested parties that the im
portant decision would be forth
coming. The adjournment without
the decision, which is now expected
to be handed down at Staunton,
came as something of a surprise.
11 Teachers Complete
Maryland U. Course
Eleven Maryland vocational teach
ers and extension workers complet
ed a three-week course at the Uni
versity of Maryland yesterday.
Those attending the course includ
ed John R. Gee. La Plata: Philip R.
Hogue. Southern High School, Anne
Arundel County: Richard N. Jones,
Clarksville: William W. Miles, Da
mascus: George C. Remsberg. jr., of
Walkersville and Frederick; Maurice
C. Ward, Poolesville: Max A. Smith,
Clarksville, and John R. Williams,
Gwynn Park.
sponsible should present their resig
nations."
Arthur C. Horton of Rockville,
chief engineer of the National In
stitute of Cleaning and Dyeing, told
the meeting that he had considered
taking his children from the Mont
gomery County schools and sending
them to their grandmother in Vir
ginia, because they cannot get the
“necfssary foundation" of educa
tion. particularly reading.
The parents furthered their or
ganization by choosing John H.
Hiser, Bethesda theater owner, as
chairman, and electing the follow-:
ing other officers: Robert B. Parke,;
vice president; Emil Pessagno.
treasurer; Mrs. Frances Acton, re
cording secretary, and Mrs. Duncan.
Brooks, corresponding secretary.
Taxi Holdup 'Gun Girl'
Among Nine Convicts
Paroled in Maryland
By the Associated Press
ANNAPOLIS, Md„ July 13.—A
woman convicted as the gun girl in
a series of taxicab holdups in Wash
ington in 1945 is free on parole aft
er serving 26 months in jail.
Mrs. Flora Roberto Thompson. 26,
of Washington, v/as among r ine
Maryland prisoners paroled Friday
by Gov. Lane on recommendation
of the State Board of Parole and
Probation.
Parole records on file with the
secretary of State show that Mrs.
Thompson, colored, held the gun
while a male companion robbed
cabbies in Washington and Prince
Georges County.
Their method was to have the
cab driver take them out to iso
lated suburban areas, where they
foiced him out of the taxi, took
his money and drove off in the
cab. the record indicated.
After trial and conviction In the
District of Columbia, Mrs. Thomp
son served 15 months of a 6-to-18
month sentence at Occoquan. On
her discharge last August, she was
tried in Prince Georges County on
a charge of robbery with a deadly
weapon for the Maryland offenses
and sentenced to an indeterminate
term of "not more than five years”
in the State Reformatory for
Women.
Mrs. Thompson had no previous
criminal record and was "courteous
and co-operative” in jail, the prison
report said. She will work in Wash
ington.
Rale Increase Called
Vital lo'Blue Cross' ;
i
By the Associated Pres*
RICHMOND, Va., July 13.—The!
existence of Virginia's “blue cross"
system of hospitalization is “very
seriously threatened” unless a rate
increase is allowed immediately,
spokesmen for the plan told the
State corporation commission yes
terday.
Rising costs of hospital care,
coupled with an increase usage, of
hospital treatment by contract hold
ers, are rapidly depleting the plan's
reserves, M. Haskins Coleman, jr.,
executive director of the Virginia
Hospital Service Association, told
the SCC.
These rate changes are proposed
by the association, Mr. Coleman
said:
Present,. Proposed.
Individual $1.(M) $1.35
Husband and Wife_ 2.00 2.50
Family . _ 2.50 3.00
The executive director said slight
ly higher rates also are requested
for those contract holders who make
their monthly payments direct to
the association, rather than through
an established group. The direct
payments, he said, would be $1.40
per month for individuals, $2.75 for
husband and wife, and $3.30 for
families.
Realty Value Boost Planned
BERKELEY SPRINGS. W. Va.,
July 13.—A flat increase of 5 per
cent in the valuation of Morgan
County real estate is being planned
by the Board of Equalization and
Review, P. C. Yost, member, dis
closed today.
Takoma Park
Apartment Plan
Wins Approval
County Heads Pass
14 Zoning Petitions,
Deny 18 and Defer 2
Construction of a 140-unit Ta
koma Park apartment project to
cost about $1,500,000 has been ap
proved by the Montgomery County
commissioners in one of 34 zoning
decisions.
The commissioners, who acted
yesterday in closed session at Rock
ville, denied five petitions which
contemplated construction of a
total of 2,400 apartment units at
a cost of more than $12,000,000. Of
the 34 petitions, 18 were denied, 14
approved and action on 2 was
deferred.
Plans for the Takoma Park proj
ect were disclosed by Roy R. Hunt
at a recent hearing on his request
to rezone from residential A to C
property on Piney Branch road In
the area bounded by Old Blandens
burg road and Long Branch.
Approval also was given two pe
titions for apartment house zoning
of about 3714 acres, plans for which
have not been disclosed. One, filed
by New Hampshire Estates, Inc.,
involved 2614 acres bounded on the
north and west by Carroll avenue
extended and Piney Branch road,
on the east by the Montgomery
Prince Georges County line and on
the south by the James M. Gibson
property.
Eleven Acres Involved.
The other request was filed by Mr.
Gibson for approximately 11 acres
on the east side of Carroll avenue
extended, 500 feet south of Piney
Branch road.
The five petitioners whose re
quests for large-scale apartment
house zoning of land were rejected
are:
Drs. A. S. and M. S. Schwartz
man, who planned to build 1,200
units at a cost of about $7,000,000
on 44 acres near Norbeck.
Samuel Kushner, who contem
plated construction of a five-story
apartment hotel and two garden
type apartment buildings at a cost
of about $2,000,000 on four acres
along Wisconsin avenue.
The Rolling Park Land Co, which
planned a 200-unit apartment proj
ect to cost about $2j000,000 on Old
Bladensburg road between Carroll
avenue extended and Piney Branch
road.
Katherine E. Lord and Catherine
T. Vance, who proposed a 100-unit
apartment hotel to cost about $1,
000,000 at Forest Glen and Semi
nary roads. Forest Glen.
The Bannockburn Heights Im
provement Co., who planned to erect
700 apartment units on 57 acres
between Massachusetts avenue ex
tended, Goldsboro road and Mac
Arthur boulevard.
Other Petitions Denied.
Other petitions denied were: I
Safeway Stores, Inc., residentiti A to
commercial D of two lots at Sligo and
Ritchie avenues. iBflver Spring.
_ Fred S. Koigod* Harry Burka and M.
David Dubb. residential A to commercial
D of land along Fldwer avenue about 400
feet from Piney Branch road, Takoma
Park.
Sadie L. Fritz, residential A to com
mercial D of land at Georgia and Areola
avenues. Wheaton
william E. Richardson, residential A to
commercial D of land at 107*7 Colesvllle
roed. near Silver Spring.
Avon Shockey. residential A to com
mercial D of about 10 acres on the Rock
ville pike north of the White Flint Country
Club
Godfrey Godsall. residential A to com
mercial D of land at Seminary road and
Columbia boulevard. Montgomery Hills.
Felix C. and Drusilla M. Montuori. resi
dential A to commercial D of about •:1 -2
acres on the east side, of the Rockville
pike near Montrose.
Vernon M. Dorsey, residential A to C
of three lots on the south side of Chevy
Chase drive between Oflutt lane and
Bradley boulevard. Chevy Chase
Thomas E. Hampton, residential A to C
or a lot adjacent to Mr. Dorsey's property
Safeway Stores. Inc., residential A to
commercial D of two lots at Sligo and
Mississippi avenues. Silver Spring.
Leo I. and Dorothy M. Donovan, rest-!
dential A to commercial D of land at Old i
Georgetown road and Del Ray avenue. I
Bethesda.
Pet'tions Approved.
Those approved included:
Abbott B. and Della C. Goodrich, resi
dential A to C of land at 30 Elm avenue,
Takoma Perk
Gordon O’Connor residential A to com
mercial D of two lots on Viers Mill road
north of the Kensington-Wheaton road,
Wheaton.
Catherine Crawford, residential A to
commercial D of property at 10764 Coles
ville road.
Harry G. Cole, residential A to C of 3
acres at Jefferson and St. Paul streets.
Kensington.
Abe and Irving Miller, residential A and
commercia D to Industrias E of land on
the east side of River road about 150 feet
south of the Baltimore Ac Ohio Railroad
tracks.
Arlington Village residential A to C of
land on the east side of the Rockville pike
south of Garrett Park
Twin-Brook. Inc., residential A to com
mercial D of 2‘/z acres in the Twin-Brook
development on the Vierti Mill road south
of Rockville.
Those on which action was deferred
were:
Louis Hurwitz. residential A to commer
cial D of land at Mohican road and Mac
Arthur boulevard, near Glen Echo
Viers Mill Village Co . residential A to
commercial D of 2 acres in the Viers Mill
Village housing project between Wheaton
and Rockville.
- — . ":wwwRv..
GEORGIA AVENUE UNDERPASS NEARS COMPLETION—This aerial view of the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad underpass (arrow) in Silver Spring shows the progress of construction which is
expected to be completed next month, thus ending a source of irritation to merchants who com
plain of traffic leaving Washington being diverted ofT Georgia avenue. This view is looking
north. The railroad tracks, running diagonally across the center of the photo, are laid on a
temporary fill which will be removed when the permanent roadbed is placed on the underpass.
—Star Staff Photo.
'Child Society Extends
Reorganization Time
The National Society for Crip
pled Children has extended for
another 30 days its deadline for
the dissension-ridden Washington
Society to .'reorganize'’ or be ex
pelled, it was announced today. *
Originaly the deadline was set
for Sunday by the parent organi
zation.
Mrs. Beulah Drake, District presi
dent, said a report will be made as
soon as possible.
Demands for a reorganization of
the District society, supported by
the sale of Easter seals, erupted
last April, when five employes re
signed in protest against the so
ciety's operating methods. Subse
quently two directors resigned, and
a third announced she will follow
them if the society fails to reor
ganize.
Mrs. Drake recently appointed a
five-member committee to make a
survey of the local organization's
operations. She did not reveal the
names of the persons appointed
to the committee but did say, at
that time, the study would take
until at least August 1 to complete.
WCTU of Montgomery
To Gonvene on Friday
The Women’s Christian Temper
ance Union of Montgomery County
will hold its annual convention
Friday in the Kensington Baptist
Church.
Mrs. John G. Thompson, county
president, will preside. Speakers
will include Mrs. Charles Wagner,
State president; Dr. Frederick W.
Smith, superintendent of the Temp
erance League of Maryland; the Rev.
Ernest Averette, pastor of the
Kensington Baptist Church, and the
Rev. E. M. Porter, pastor of St. Paul
Methodist Church.
ASK FOR THE THREE R’S—Among those who protested so-called "modern” methods of educa- j
tion in the Montgomery County school system at a meeting last night was Mrs. Norman Miller •
of Bethesda (standing). More than 100 persons attended the meeting in the Boulevard Bowling ;
Alleys, Bethesda. * -St" stafl *hoto
I *
District Man Gets 60 Days
In Bethesda Garage Break
William H. Walton. 35. of the
1300 block of South Carolina ave
nue S.E.. was sentenced In Bethesda
Police Court yesterday to serve 60
days in the Rockville jail for tam
pering with an automobile.
Police said Walton, colored, was
arrested July 4 after he broke into
the garage of Mrs. Lee Ogilvie, 8404
Elmhurst drive, Bethesda.
Trial Magistrate William B.
Wheeler imposed a $50 fine on
Charles Tucker, 1200 block of Wis
consin avenue N.W., on a charge of
assault and battery. He was accused
of striking Robert A. Haines, Cabin
I John, with his fist last Saturday in
i a Cabin John tavern.
John P. Stewart, 51, of the 800
block Eighth street N.E., forfeited
$100 collateral on a gambling
charge. Police said that when
Stewart was arrested last week near
Bethesda, they found a large quan
tity of number slips on him.
D. C. Police Join Search
For Ft. Meade Fugitives
District police today were aiding
Federal and Army authoriites in a
search for Pvt. Leonard Beasley, 23,
a Washington resident who escaped
yesterday from the Fort Meade pris
on stockade.
Pvt. Beasley, colored, was awaiting
trial on a desertion charge. Army
officials said he deserted the Army in
April, 1947. He was arrested here
July 6 by agents of the Federal Bu
reau of Investigation.
Army authorities said Pvt. Beasley
has a wife, whose last Known address
was in the 800 block of Thirteenth
street N.E.
R. D. Scott to Command
Falls Church Legion
Roscoe D. Scott has been elected
commander of Falls Church Post,
No. 130, American Legion.
Other officers include Ichabud
Dawson and James Hollins, vice j
commanders; Bob Hanesworth. ad- i
Jutant; Tyler Maflet, finance officer;
B. Frank Good, athletic officer; Paul I
E. Coffinberger, sergeant at arms;
Louis Rothgeb, chaplain; Fred Hop
per, historian; John E. Taylor, judge
advocate; Acors Thompson, service
officer, and Harold Cosby and Rex
ton F. Jones, Executive Committee
members at large.
Fairfax Club Chartered
By Rifle Association
The Fairfax Rod and Gun Club.
Inc., of Falls Church, has been
granted a National Rifle Association
charter.
Officers are A. F. Shockey, presi- ,
dent; Walter J. Cronin, vice presi- i
dent; Fielding L. Huesman, execu
tive officer; Jerome M. Gibson, chief .
instructor; William R. Nunn, secre- |
tary, and Arnold N. Pciikoff, treas
urer. I
Body of Man Missing
From Boat in Bay Found {
The body of Lawrenee L. East -
64, of 733 Sixth street N.W., who j
disappeared from a rowboat at ]
Breezy Point Beach, Md., last Thurs- ,
day. was recovered yesterday from ;
Chesapeake Bay. j,
Mr. East rented a rowboat at .
Breezy Point on Thursday. The
empty boat was found later by;a
fishermen. The body was discovered i
near Cedarhurst by the crew of a
Naval Academy crash boat.
- |
Firemen Plan Carnival
The Capitol Heights (Md.» Volun- 1
teer Fire Department will hold its ,
annual carnival from Friday to July
24.
4
Falls Church Orders
Survey After Hearing
Annexation Proposal
Immediate annexation of more
territory by Falls Church was urged
at a meeting of the Town Council
last night. j I
A report of Dr. and Mrs. -Thbmas
H. Reed, municipal affairs special
ists, pointed out the advantages of
prompt expansion of the bounda
ries and warned that further delay
would put the town in danger of
losing the benefits of annexation.
The report also suggested that
“the meager industrial area in Falls
Church be augmented by annexing
territory suitable for light indus
trial development."
Council Plans Survey.
' Annexation, according to the re
port, should not be confined to de
veloped subdivisions adjacent to
present boundaries, but also should
include a substantial ring of unde
veloped areas.
The' council accepted the report
and voted to hire an engineer to
make a survey of the territory in
volved.
Town Attorney La Rue Van Meter
was asked by the council to request
Circuit Court Judge Paul Brown to
certify Falls Church as a second
class city. A recent special census
disclosed the population of the town
warranted such recognition.
The council approved a request of
Capt. T. H. Howe, police chief, for a
police commission to pass on mat
ters affecting the behavior and
status of town policemen. Members
named were Town Manager Roy F.
Dunn, Town Clerk Sherman Wells
and Capt. Howe.
Fiesta Permit Granted.
A permit was granted to C. F. j
Blanding on behalf of the Falls
Church Community Park, Inc., for
a three-day fiesta to be held on
September 24, 25 and 26. His re-1
quest for $600 to $1,000 for expenses
and for use of the Gibson property, I
now under lease by the town, was
referred to the Recreation Comm 1s- I
sion.
A delegation from the Hillwood
Citizens’ Association protested
drainage conditions at Buxton road
and Broad street. They presented a
petition asking that a storm drain
be installed. ' The matter was re
ferred to Town Manager Dunn.
The council voted to accept an
pffer of Basset and Jones to donate ;
pne acre on West Broad street in |
Falls Hills subdivision for the town’s i
proposed 1,000,000-gallon water tank.
Blood Donors Sought
In Prince Georges
The Prince Georges County Red
Cross chapter today appealed for
blood donors and said a bloodmobile
will be at the Hyattsville Elementary 1i
School from 10 a m. to 4 p.m. Thurs- j.
day.
The chapter is seeking 100 pints of j
blood for civilian and military needs.'
| Star Movies | i
Community movies, sponsored by!
The Star in co-operation with the
Recreation Department and “The
Film Center, are scheduled for 9
pm. today. Programs of comedy,
sports, cartoon and travel shorts
will be shown at the following play
grounds a*hd recreation centers:
HiUcrest. Thirty-second and Denver
Itreets S.E.
Lanxdon Park. Eighteenth and Frank
lin streets N.E !
Rosedaic. Seventeenth and Gales
itreets N E.
Stoddert. Thirty-ninth and Calvert
itreets N.W.
Thomson. Twt'fth and L streets N W.
Twin Oaks. Fourteenth and Taylor
streets N.W.
Barry Farms. 1230 Sumner road 8.E.
Monroe. Georgia avenue and Colum
bia road N.W.
fame. Fifteenth and C streets II.
Snows Court. Twenty-fifth and 1.
itreets N.W. 1
State Trooper
Tells off Raid on
RocwayTowers
30 to 40 Men Were
At Gambling Table,
He Testifies at Trial
By CHarlei J. Yarbrough
Star Staff Carraspondant
ELLICOTT CITY. Md.. July 13.—
A State trooper who was the first
man to enter Rocway Towers when
it was raided June 5, testified today
that “30 to 40 men were standing
around the craps table.”
The witness, Trooper First Class
Preston Rowland, had begun his
testimony yesterday in the Howard
County gaming trial of 21 men ar
rested in the raid. The turreted
casino, Rocway Towers, is on United
States Highway No. 1, about a mile
north of Laurel. '
Trooper Rowland was cross-ex
amined by William H. Forsythe of
Ellicott City, one of the four defense
attorneys.
“That is a lot of people around a
12-foot table, is it not?" Mr. For
sythe asked, referring to the "30 or
40” Trooper Rowland had men
tioned.
Saw No Play at Table.
“They were pretty thick,” Trooper
Rowland replied. He said he saw no
play and no money on the table.
One of the defendants in the trial
which began yesterday is Patrick J.
Clarke, identified as owner of the
Towers and charged with permitting
gambling there.
Two others, charged with operat
ing the establishment, are Theo
dore A. Meyers of the 4200 block of
Branch avenue, Silver Hill, Md., and
Walter Novak of the 1200 block
Jackson avenue, Takoma Park, Md.
Eighteen persons, many of them
from Washington area, are identi
fied as employes and charged with
keeping, dealing at, managing and
having an interest in a gambling
table, keeping and managing a
gambling place and unlawfully bet
ting.
\ Protesting Sheriff on Hand.
Witnesses—most of them Mary
land State policemen—and the 21
defendants more than half-filled
the courtroom. Also in the court
room was Sheriff Frederick Kramer
of Howard County, whose depart
ment was left out of the Rocway
Towers raid and who protested later
that "as high sheriff, I should have
been notified.”
Introduction of gaming equip
ment and the small arsenal seized
in the raid took up most of the
afternoon’s session and produced
some humorous sideplay on the
identification of some of the ar
ticles
At one point State’s Attorney
Daniel Murray, jr., produced the
working topi used by a croupier—
"a stick" in some localities; a ’’rake’'
in others.
judge Decides on "Kike.7
“ifrhat is itr the judge toked.
“I'don’t knew,” Mr. My (ray re
plied.
“Then to me ft will be a rake,”
the judge decided.
Two wooden boxes in which, po
lice said, dice are kept, were pro
duced and went into the record
without an official name. A mi
crometer used in measuring dice
also elicited the judge’s curiosity.
Testimony given yesterday dealt
largely with the police'identification
of the gambling equipment and the
guns, but Prosecutor Murray also
called a telephone man to the stand
in an effort to show "heavy” tele
phone traffic out of Rocway Tower*
before the raid.
Telephone Official Testifies.
The witness was Sydney S. Stab
ler, area manager at Laurel for the
Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone
Co., who testified that three tele
phones were installed in the place
under Patrick J. Clarke s name.
Trooper Rowland took the stand
to tell of being met at the begin
ning of the raid by Theodore A.
Meyers, one of the \defendants.
Meyers, he said, was carrying a
rifle. Later, the policeman said,
Meyers told him they kept the guns
there in fear of hijacking or rob
bery.
The raiders seized some $45,000
in cash.
Another witness, State Police
Sergt. G. Earl Newcomer, said
several of the defendants had given
him statements in which they said
I they were hired and paid by Novak,
some of them receiving $200 a week.
Salaried Recreation Head
Proposed for Falls Church
Provision for a full-time salaried
director will be included in a budget
now being drafted by the Falls
Church Recreation Commission for
action by the Town Council next
month, Larue Van Meter, commis
sion chairman, said today.
The commission is the outgrowth
of former efforts of the parent
teacher associations to co-ordinate
recreation programs with those of
Fairfax County. The commission
has been granted $350 to continue
this program where the PTA move
ment left off.
Other members of the commission
were Mrs. Mark Regan, secretary;
Col. Frederick Riley, John W,
Koons, John C. White, M. T. Rust,
Samuel McCrary. Mrs. Robert Meith
and Thomas Todd, coach at the
Falls Church High School.
Arlington League to Indorse
Nonpartisan for Board
Malcolm D. Miller, chairman,
said yesterday that the Arlington
Better Government League will in
dorse a nonpartisan candidate for
County Board at a meeting August
27.
Mr. Miller said questionnaires will
be distributed to nonpartisan candi
date* for the vacancy to be filled in
November. To date, only one person,
Lee Potter, has filed as an indepen
dent candidate.
T. Oscar Smith, runner-up in the
County Board election last year, said
he will enter the race as a non
partisan if the Republicans enter a
candidate by convention. The
Democrats will be represented by
the winner of their three-way
August 3 primary contest.
Mr. Smith said he will support
Mr. Potter if no other independent
files for the office. - —
1