Evening star., 1952-03-13
Long 'Feud' Indicated
BY Odessa Madre's
Brass Rail Testimony
By ChorIes 6. Brooks

| "A AOAA6 V4AAAO NOAAA4AOV SSVWVOA4
! Odessa Madre, convicted dope
lpeddler and former numbers queen
here, and the Simkins numbers
combine was apparent today, after
the Madre woman concluded tes-
timony at an Alcoholic Beverage
Control Board dispositions hearing.
The witness yesterday told of
Mrs. Yvonne Simkins, wife of the
gambler Roger "Whitetop" Sim
kins, and owner of the Brass Rail
Restaurant, working as Simkins
numbers lieutenant while the
gambler was in Hot Springs. Ark,
obtaining a divorce from his first
wife.
Mrs. Simkins Is suing the ABC
Board for an alcoholic beverage
license, denied her corporation
early this year.
Police officials believe that. for
many years, Simkins was small
time numbers operator and didn't
begin his sensational uphill climb
until the middle 1940's. Simkins
rise to underworld prominence,
they think caused many operators
to become jealous.
1945 Letters Obtained.
A few weeks ago, II was disclosed
THAT Odessa Madre had obtained
some letters written in 1945. from
Mrs. Simkins, then Miss Mitchell,
to Simkins who was in Hot
Springs. Both Mr.. and Mrs. Sim
kins have publicly accused the
Madre woman of keeping the
letters to use against them.
It is believed that these letters
have been presented to both the
Senate crime subcommittee and
the special racketS grand jury
here.
4 Yesterday the Madre woman
testified that Mrs. Simkins was
the sole boss of Sinkins' numbers
business while he was away. In
response to questioning by Assist
ant Corporation Counsel Robert
ID. Wise, handling the case for the
ABC Board, the witness, who ad-
mitted working with Mrs. Sim
kins, said the combines records
showed police payoffs.
It was in 1945, when Miss
Madre, who had returned to the
District from Hot Springs herself
was convicted on q numbers
charge.
II stopped working with num-
bers then" she declared yester-
day.
Reasons Undiscl0sed.
Why, she did not disclose at
yesterdays session. And neither
of the Simkins, who were married
shortly after the Hot Springs
trip, have been persuaded to ac-
count for the dispute, either.
Mr.. Wise said yesterday after
noon he was waiting for Mrs.
Simkins to produce her banking
records for the years 1945 through
1852 in an attempt to prove that
the Brass Rail was purchased
with Simkins' money and not her
own.
Nobody" Mr.. Wise said, "who
was employed as a Government
clerk at 1880 a year could afford
to buy a restaurant like the Brass
lRail on her savings"
The Madre woman has proven
to be most cooperative wit
ness" according to the United
States attorneys Office handling
the special crime grand jury in
vestigation Mr.. Wise said yes
Iterday it was all he could do to
keep her from going into crime
lin general, rather than sticking
Ito incidents that may involve the
Brass Rail.
Watched for Simkins.
! Her story was that she had in
lstructionS from Simkins to look
after the business. until he re-
turned from Hot Springs, yet she
testified that Mrs. Simkins was
the actual boss. It was learned
earlier in the depositions that
Maurice Newsome, another alleged
colored gambler, had also been
told to watch things for Simkins
| Authorities have said that prob
lably Simkins, being cagey oper-
ator. had all three watching the
business and each other because
|of the jealousy of other numbers
IoperatorS.