Evening star., 1952-01-16

Rise-to-Riehes Story Told at Coming TrioI
by Nelson's Ex-Aide. Pose AZ
Roger (Whitetop) Simkins' for
mer girl friend, quoted Simkins as
saying he was paying "ice," which
is the term for police protection.
She said Simkins, owner of the
Brass Rail Restaurant. conducted
O numbers business from her home
at 2026 Georgia avenue NV, and
that she was Office manager from
1910 to 1945.
Miss Hall estimated Simkins'
stake" averaged $4,000 to $4,000 a
day early in the week and $4,000
to $4,000 toward the end of the
week. She said it went as high as
$1,000 a day.
Refuses to Testify.
The Neely Committee investi-
eating the District crime situation
also ran into its first trouble with
a witness who refused to answer
questions on grounds of possible
self-incrimination. And it OBJ
tanned testimony that:
/. Simkins' numbers operations
In the 1940s ran into approximate
ly SIS million a year.
2. A police sergeant and a cor
poral were detailed to school
crosswalk duty by Capt. William
T. Murphy after they arrested
some gambling suspects in the
14th precinct. One of the officers
said he was certain Capt. Murphy
did this to punish them because
he was displeased by the. arrests.
On the stand yesterday, Capt.
Murphy denied assigning any of
1lcer to crosswalk duty as punish
ment for gambling arrests.
The balky witness who was
warned by the Senator'S that he
faced o citation for contempt of
the committee was Nathaniel Tay-
lor, 80, Of the 1400 block OF Cor
coran street NV.
Warned by Welker.
After he refused to answer
about so questions put to him by
committee members and Chief
Counsel Arnold Bauman. he re-
ceived this stern admonition from
Senator Welker. Republican, of
Idaho:
II want to warn the witness
that he is getting a one-way
ticket to place of incarceration. 4"
Taylor refused to answer such
questions as whether he recog-
nized staff investigator to whom
he had made a sworn statement
about participating in the num-
bers business. He also declined
to state what jobs he has held
or whether he had held any not
connected with the illegal opera
tionS.
He remained adamant on
grounds that he feared anything
he said might tend to incriminate
him and said he was doing so on
the advice of counsel.
The lawyer, Joe Sitnick, told
the committee he had given that
advice because he was forbidden
to confer with the witness after
each question was asked and be-
fore the reply could be given.
Counsel Cautioned.
"You well know he doesn't have
any right to refuse to answer any
question which does not tend to
incriminate him." said Senator
Welker." and you know that under
the law sworn witness on the
stand is the sole judge of whether
possible standardization is in
volved."
The committee gave Taylor and
the lawyer an opportunity during
the luncheon recess to decide
whether they want to change their
minds or risk the contempt cita-
ton.
In the statement which Taylor
made to committee investigators,
copies of which were released to
the press by Mr.. Bauman, he free
ly admitted writing numbers for
Orian Whiting. Charles Anderson
and possibly for Simkins.
He also stated that the police
protection cost $50 a month and
that it was paid automatically at
the first of each month.
QueStionS-Answers Listed.
Here are the questions and an
swers on that point:
@. Did you ever pay o ice sheet
10 Simkins?
A. Not me.
@. Did you understand that An
derson paid an ice sheet to Sim
kins?
A. I understood that he paid it.
@. When did that take place? =?
At the first of the month?
A. 7 don't know about him.
@. Were the other collectors OF
pickup men charged for ice?
(Continued on Page AT, Col. IL
gI:n pannv$e Axanlo Eaa1