Atlanta Daily World

WASHINGTON, D. C. (NNPA)-

The testimony of convicted dope king James M. (Jim Yellow) Roberts concerning payoffs for police protection from two members of the narcotics squad of the Metropolitan Police Department was corroborated Friday by Evaline Tinky Roberts, his white ex-wife.

The former Mrs. Roberts, now Mrs. Charles Williams, was called as a Government witness in the trial of suspended Police Lieut. H. H. Carper and Sergt. William L. Taylor, who also is under suspension, charged with dope conspiracy and taking bribes.

Known as "Tinky," Mrs. Roberts testified that she handled between $20,000 and $30,000 a month for "Jim" from January, 1948, until August, 1949, just before their arrest.

Telling a tale of high living on dope profits she said about half of this sum was profits and that every bit was spent on "clothes, furniture ...and whatever I saw that I wanted."

SHARP CROSS-EXAMINATION

She said her "numerous" dresses cost upwards of $100 each, that she had over 50 pairs of expensive shoes, over $5,000 worth of furs, and that "Jim" had around seventy suits, all costing over $100 each along with twenty pairs of shoes and "two closets full of hats".

Her answers were given under sharp, cross-examination by Myron G. Ehrlich, attorney for Carper and Taylor.

The former Mrs. Roberts said she talked to Carper, known to her over the phone only as Mr. C, about fifty times. Usually, she said, it was to arrange a spot for the regular $500 monthly pay off to him.

Earlier, Roberts told the court that he didn't know how much money he made during that time.

"When you are in the rackets, you make a lot and spend a lot, of money," he testified. He added that he did not pay Federal income taxes, either.

Asked if he were worried about being indicted for failure to pay taxes, he said he had had "several talks" with Internal Revenue agents and that he did not know what their plans were.

Roberts, who is now serving a 5-to-15 year prison sentence, said he tried to get out of "the rackets" after he got out of prison in 1947. It did not work, though, he said, after old associates approached him and told him Washington was wide open for narcotics peddling.

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