Evening star., 1952-01-18
u
10 More Named
As Nelson Aides
Due 10 Testify
Two Women Tell
| OF Office Operations
At Numbers Trial
By w. H. Shippen

By W. H. Shippen
Nearly a dozen women adding
machine operators have begun to
total up the score against Charles
E. Nelson at his trial with Is
others on charges of operating q
rich numbers lottery with the help
of police officers.
A second adding machine expert
took the stand yesterday and
probably will be followed by pa
rade of co-workers, when testi-
mony is resumed Monday in Dis
Itrict Court. The trial was in adj
ljournment today to allow Judge
James r. Kirkland to dispose of
other cases.
Direct testimony Of Mrs. Helen
Lorraine Brown of Seat Pleasant,
Md, was offered with a precision
as to names. dates and places,
which led the Government to in
quire If she kept a diary. Her
answer was, "Yes."
Mrs. Brown, however, was not
referring to the diary to refresh
her recollection when she detailed
II moves made by syndicate head
quarters during her seven years Of
employment. from June, 1914, un-
It'll she was discharged, March 8,
1851.
Calmly Testify.
Under direct examination, she
testified as calmly as did her
predecessor on the stand, Mrs.
Dorothy Ridgely, 81. also of Seat
Pleasant. mother of five children,
and a syndicate employe with nine
years service, she said.
Mrs. Brown, like Mrs. Ridgely
testified that Homicide Squad De-
|tective Robert G. Kirby, suspend
led. and former Precinct Detective
James E. Lowry. who retired five
years ago, participated in the
numbers operations.
Mrs. Brown told the jury she
knew Inspector Albert I. Bullock,
also suspended, by sight, and had
seen him outside a gambling place
in Seat Pleasant but was mot
acquainted with him personally. -
Agree ON Principals.
The two women agreed the su-
lpervisors of the racket were Nell
Ison, his wife. Mrs. Virginia Madge
Nelson. and Robert L. Nowland
land his wife. Mrs. Mary c. Now
land.
I Mrs. Brown said that the Nell
sons daughter, Mrs. Bertha N
MacWilliams, and her husband
William (Billy) K. MacWilliasns
ljoined the racket when headquar-
tiers was moved to "the MacWil-
liams home" at North Beach, Md,
in August of 1850. ~. 81
Mrs. Brown said Mrs. Nelson
hired her in June, 1914, and she
went to work in the garage of the
Nelson's prosperous stock farm al
Ritchie, Md. totaling numbers
slips on an adding machine at $40
a week.
In Paper Bags.
The witness said that Blight
Lee, another defendant, was in
charge for one day. but the rest
lof the time she took her orders
from Mrs. Nelson, who, she be-
Ilieved, brought the bets and money
to the garage.
In October or November, 1914
the witness said, the headquarters
was moved to the Richardson
home" on Central avenue, Seat
Pleasant, remaining there until
September. 1947.
She said Lowry, Nowland and
sometimes" Kirby brought the
work" (numbers slips ano
money! to the home in Drown
paper bags" marked with the ini-
tials of men on the various routes
Defendants working on the Of
flee force at~the time, she said
were Mrs. Ruby Geary, Mrs. Mary
T. Hutchinson, Mrs. Effie Lou
Trent and Mrs. Shirley Mccoy
There were 20 or 80 adding ma
chimes in the Office then, she said
Mrs. Brown told the jury she
had never seen Inspector Bullock
in the Richardson house but no.
ticed him in the yard four or five
times.
In September. 1947, Mrs. Brown
said. the outfit pulled out fol
Uncle Billy's place, owned BY
Nelson at North Beach, in Calvert
County. They stayed until De.
cember, 1948, with the Nowland.
supervising. and Lowry, and "oc.
casionally" Kirby, delivering The
work"
II recall at one time seeing
Kirby come into the place on 9
cold winter day to get warm,
Mrs. Brown added.
That December the Office moveC
back to the Richardson place, anc
on August 4, 1949, returned tc
Uncle Billy's establishment fol
only a week.
Mrs. Brown is to return to the
stand for cross-examination on