Evening star., 1951-07-07
Home 7ownLeorns of Girl sRole
AS AGENT for FBI in Red Ranks
II Wos Tough Says
Virginia Wife Who
Joined Communists
By Colt HendIey. Jr.

By Colt HendIey. Jr.
The sleepy little village of Ches-
! terbrook, Va. learned yesterday
THAT th+ local girl who has been
the subject OF telephone party line
gossip for years is really a heroine,
not a Communist Party worker.
Until the news broke that Mrs.
Mary Staleup Markward was an
FBI undercoyer agent reporting on
the District Communist activities
everybody there thought it was too
bad that she had fallen into such
bad company. She was snubbed
and gossiped about.
1T was tough" the pretty for
mer beauty shop worker. now
housewife and mother. said.
But. after all what could you
expect" she added with a laugh
II was publicly proclaimed a
Communist in the papers"
The Star first revealed yesterday
that Mrs. Markward, at the re-
quest of the FB1, joined the Com
munist Party here in 1943 and for
nearly seven years reported on
Red activities in the Nations
Capital.
In closed-door testimony before
the House Committee on I'm
American Activities she told Of
''at least" two underground Com
munist rings of Federal employees
in the District, and revealed that
Ia secret cell of Naval Gun Factory
workers existed during the war.
20 CLUBS" Formed.
Mrs. Markward, who rose to be
treasurer OF the city Communist
organization and a member of the
policy making unit, was able to
keep the FB1 exceedingly well in
formed on the strength and aims
OF the local Reds.
She said that total member
ship was about 230-a conservative
estimate"-at any one time, and
listed some 20 Communist Party
/ clubs" which were organized
throughout the city. The witness
also told of the concentration by
Red recruiters on building trades
and food workers, but added that
the biggest step forward by the
Reds was their success on local
college campuses.
MRS. Markward now lives in
Fairfax County, not far from the
Chesterbrook School. in a settle
ment of about 80 families. Her
husband, George A. Markward, is
a bricklayer and veteran of Gen.
George S. Patton's European cam
paign. The couple has one child,
Christine. 4.
Up the hill about o quarter of
Ia mile from the Markward's home
lis an old-fashioned rambling
white house where Mrs. Mark
iwaid's mother. Mrs. Mary Stalcup,
lives.
The Stalcups bought the house
in 1869 and have lived there since.
Mrs. Markward was born in
that house and lived there through
her childhood and while attend
ing Central High School in Wash
ington. Her father. who died in
1888, was an employe Of the Bu-
reau Of Engraving and Printing.
Her mother worked at the bureau
from the time Of her husband S
death until last January, when
she retired.
After graduating from Central
High School in 1899, Mrs. Mark
ward went to trade school and it
was while she was working for
a Massachusetts, avenue beauty
shop that the FBI approached her.
II had no idea why he ap-
preached me. I was not con-
nected with any organizations or
groups. I didn't know any of
these people (the Communists)
My only knowledge of why the
FBI came to me was they ap-
preached me as loyal American, -
she explained.
Il hope I responded as ! should
have and have been Of some as
sistance to my Government"
Starts Seven Year Job.
Then began her introduction
into the half-world of the Com
munist Party after she had agreed
to work for the FBI.
She started early in 1943 on
what was to be a seven-year job,
ended only by illness. Later that
year she was married to Mr..
Markward, a master sergeant in
the Army. Five days after the
wedding, he went overseas.
Mrs. Markward said she told
George before they were married
that she was working for the
FBI. II didn't tell him very much
and he had only a vague idea
what I was doing" she said.
Her mother also knew. But
they were the only two with the
exception Of the FBI officials who
were aware she was not a Com
imunist.
Il just severed all relations with
my old friends" she explained.
"The few I saw, I never talked
about communism with them