Evening star., 1952-03-04
Witness baIks
Al Queries on
YVonne Simkins
Refuses to Testify as
D. G. Seeks to Block
Bruss Rail License

D. &. Seeks to Block
Bruss Rail License
A witness who told crime prober
secretly that Mrs. Yvonne Simkin
was linked to the numbers racket
then baked when questioned il
open hearing, refused again toda,
to testify as the District corpora
ton counsel sought to block ;
liquor license renewal for Mrs
SimkinS' Brass Rail Cafe.
Jacqueline Terry. 80, colored
OF the 1000 block of Euclid street
NV. was question at length about
her statement to staff investiga'
tors for the Senate Crime Investi-
eating Committee on December II
The questioning came as deposi.
tion-taking resumed in the sui
which Mrs. Simkins, wife of Roger
(Whitetop) Simkins, has flee
against the Alcoholic Beverage
Control Board seeking renewal oi
the license. The board has taken
no action to renew the license fol-
the restaurant. which was the
scene of celebrated but confused
shooting case four years ago.
Night Manager Wounded.
Charles H. Nelson, night man
ager. and Henry piggy Leake,
were wounded. Leake was identi-
fed at the pre-trial testimony yes
terday as onetime employe of
Simkins in a numbers operation.
Miss Terry had told the Senate
crime probers that she worked for
Orian T. Whiting until Decem-
ber 9.
Assistant Corporation Counsel
Robert D. Wise read Miss Terry
a statement and asked her if she
remembered making it to Arnold
Bauman, counsel for the Senate
Crime Subcommittee.
She said she remembered "sign-
ing my name to it, but refused
10 say II Sne naQ reaQ IL.
AS Mr.. Wise read each page of
the statement, Miss Terry said,
Il decline to answer on grounds
that it might .incriminate me"
The same thing happened at the
crime probe, when Mr.. Bauman
read the statement he said Miss
Terry had previously made to him.
Contents of Statement.
Included in the statement was
an admission credited to Miss
Terry that she saw Mrs. Simkins
in the Whiting numbers head
quarters. She said Mrs. Simkins
came there to familiarize Whit
ing's employees with the custom
ers," when, Miss Terry said, Whit
ing took over Simkins' business.
According to the statement, Miss
Terry also had said Mrs. Simkins
told some telephone customers it
was "all right" to make bets with
the organization.
Attorney George E. C. Hayes,
representing the restaurant, OBJ
jected to the reading of the state
ment as an attempt "to pull in
matters not having anything to-
do with the ISSUE" Mr.. Wise re-
piled, however, that the issue at
stake was to establish whether the
officers of the corporation seeking
liquor license were of good moral
character.
Mrs. Simkins was identified yes
terday as a one-time worker in
a Simkins numbers headquarters.
Managed Numbers Business.
Maurice A. Newsome, owner of a
restaurant in the 300 block of
Georgia avenue NV, said he
managed the numbers business
for Simkins while the latter was
in Hot Springs, Ark, obtaining
a divorce from his first wife.
Under questioning by Mr.. Wise,
Newsome pointed out Mrs. Sim
kinS as one of the persons who
counted money and helped search
numbers slips for "hits" while the
business was being operated at
the home of Odessa Madre. He
said this headquarters was "in
the 1900 block of First street
NV" Earlier, however. Mr.. Wise
said the home was in the 100
block.
Names Three Others.
Others working there, he said,
were Leake, Odessa Madre and a
Joe Rudder."
. He said the business was trans
ferred during this time from the
home of Sarah Mears, in the 1000
block of Georgia avenue NV.
Her name also figured in testi-
mony before the Senate COM
mittee.
He said he was supposed to get
25 per cent of the profits while
Simkins was away, but that he
never received anything because
the business lost money. The or
ganization was taking in between
$500 and $4,000 day at this
time, he said.
The names of both Newsome
and Rudder were mentioned ear
lier in the day, when Mr.. Wise pro-
duced the transcripts of some let
ters he asked Mrs. Simkins if
she had written to SimkinS while
he was in Hot Springs.
Advised Not to Answer.
Mrs. Simkins was directed by
Mr.. Hayes, not to answer any
questions about the letters.
Mr.. Wise asked Mrs. Simkins
if she had written a letter, dated
May 2, 1945. which said in part:
ct know you would laugh if you
could hear Joe Rudder. He is so
scared until he is sick. He said
he thinks about Blick all night
long. He said, You know, Yvonne,
you and don't have anything to
do with the numbers, we just
cOIlnt the money Hat Hat"