Evening star., 1952-01-17

HER SK1PPEB RETURNS-Ne
Garrison, skipper Of the Flying
Nelson
Continued From First Page)
OF her personal and family life
along with her motives for turn
ing States evidence. 80 "a =
Mrs. Ridgely told the Distric
Court jury that Kirby and Lowr.
helped deliver and process tn,
numbers during the period Gov
cred by the conspiracy indictmen
and also had acted as armet
guards to protect the money ans
the personnel of the syndicate.
Had Office in Alexandria.
The witness also testified thai
in 1919. the big office in ths
Richardson home" in Seat Pleas.
ant. Md, was transferred to thu
home of Robert L. Nowland ane
his wife. Mrs. Mary c. Nowland
somewhere in Alexandria, Va.
Mrs. Ridgely said the operation
continued there for several months
before it was moved to the home
of another defendant, Mrs. Mary
T. Hutchinson. known as "Flam.
ing Mamie" in. Seat Pleasant.
Mrs. Ridgely reiterated that Tho
orders were issued by Nelson anc
his wife, Mrs. Virginia Madge
Nelson, and the Nowland couple
She said when she was fired ir
June, 1850. Mrs. Nowland tolc
her the orders came from the
Nelson's.
Six Women Fired.
4 Mrs. Ridgely testified she ther
went to the stock farm owned b,
the Nelson's at Ritchie, Md, ane
was told by them she had beer
|discharged with. i've other womer
because the syndicate had beer
hit hard and was curtailing nc.
|tivities with the partners to ,yds
the detail work Of processing tn,
bets.
Under cross examination by De.
fense Counsel T. Edward O'Con.
nell, Mrs. Rideely said she ihae
discussed the case with some q.
a dozen former women employe.
of Nelson who have been callet
to testify for the Government.
Three former men employees o.
the syndicate already have testi.
fed on the operations going bach
as far as 1880.
Over strenuous defense objec.
|tions, Mrs. Ridgely was allowed
Ito identify four photograph.
taken of her and other defendant.
at a gay Christmas party given by
the Nelson's in 1948 in the Tes
Topper Tavern, next door to tn.
Richardson house.
Question Anglers Her.
One Of the pictures, according
to testimony, shows Mrs. Ridgely
in the embrace Of Sergt. Kirby.
Didn't the Nelson's say you were
being fired because women were
complaining that you were associ.
|ating with their husbands" Mr.
|O'Connen demanded.
Mrs. Ridgely, who had beer
testifying in an almost inaudible
voice because she had O "sore
throat" leaned forward in the Wit
ness chair and demanded angrily
"Are you kidding? Well, you
had better be, because nothing like
that ever happened"
Then how about this picture
which shows both of your arms
around Detective Kirby?" The a.
torney added that Kirby. also l1a6
five children and that he, too, was
married. q
,.:Well, both of his arms werf
around me also." Mrs. : Ridgely
countered. "That was a perfectly
innocent picture, taken at 8
Christmas party. Haven't you
done the same thing yourself al
parties?" {;
Says She Quit for Children.
Mr.. O'Connelr replied. amid gen.
eral laughter, "I move that thu
question Of, the witness be stricken
from the record 81
The pictures indicated conSid. !.
cradle drinking at the party, Mr.
O'Eonnell said. He asked Mrs
Ridgely If she had been fired fol
drinking too much.
: mo, I was not. I take q drink
when I want it, but never tor
much-it makes me sick"
Pressed as to why she hae
turned against" her employers
Mrs. Ridgely declared:
II couldn't afford to be q de.
|fendant. After all. I can't go tx
jail and leave five children al
home"
Then the only reason you tes.
titled against these defendant,
was that you did not want to &
Ito jail?"
you're mighty darn right,
Mrs. Ridgely replied heatedly. IS.
certainly did not want to leav,
my children. :"
Not ON Trial, She Explains.
Mrs. Ridgely was asked why sh.
had left out the names Of Gov
lernment witnesses now waitin,
Ito testify when asked to emu
lmerate those who were present q
lthe various gambling establish,
frnentS.
She replied she did not nam,
these former employees Of the syn
Idieate because they're not ol
trial."
E Mrs. Ridgely said she was di
lgorced in nearby Maryland il
1850 and that she has custody o
l..