Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-17

pany embezzlement case read 9
confession today which purport.
eddy cleared him and put all the
blame on q woman co-defendant
who had been offered immunity
to turn states evidence.
John s. Nolan, 80, former
manager Of the Silver Spring
loan company. threw a surprise
into the trial in Montgomery
County Circuit Court. as the de-
tense opened its case.
Denying he took any of the
$4,000 which officials said was
missing from the receipts, Moan
read to the jury what he called
a notarized confession" given
to him by Mrs. Mary v. Biggs
81. the eompany's cashier who
testified yesterday that she had
unwillingly assisted Nolan take
the money.
NdAtcu new Evidence
1t was understood the COMES
sion" was represented as new
evidence which Nolan had been
able to turn up only last night
after a long search.
Nolan said Mrs. Biggs, the slim
brunette who yesterday testified
Nolan had given her money for
a mink coat. had purchased a
Cadillac and engaged in high liv-
Ing with her. assumed all the
blame and offered to clear him
soon after they were indicted.
They met in her apartment,
and he testified to telling her:
you told me it was only paper
shortage"
Then she told me it was more
than that and she had taken the
money and short-added the fig
ureS in the reports.
Il told her that was the same
as stealing from me and that it
would ruin my future" he testi-
ed. She said then that she
would give me a confession that
would let me out"
Photostat Admitted
A photostatic copy, admitted
in evidence and read to the jury
by Nolan. said in substance that
Mrs. Biggs readily admitted the
charges and that Nolan was not
a party to the offense. 1t abb
solved Nolan of taking any
money, denied there had been
any scheme between them, and
said the "confessor" assumed all
liability.
In other testimony Nolan said
that in addition to the loan COM
pany, the now-defunct Federal
Discount Corp. he also was SELL
ing cars for an automobile
dealer and had paid income
taxes on $4,000 in commissions.
The defendant said he had
given Mrs. Biggs half of his
earnings, or another $4,000, but
that she did not pay tax on it
because she didn't want the
Government to know she had it..
She Paid for Car, He Says
Contradicting the woman's tes-
timony that he had purchased a
Cadillac in Philadelphia, Nolan
testified he went to New York
with her December 81, 1852, and
that it was she who paid $500
cash for the car. She told him
this was part of her share of
the auto commissions, he said.
Earlier Nolan testified that he
at no time handled any of tine
receipts taken in by the loan
company. but that it was always
handled either by Mrs. Biggs o.
the collection manager.
Yesterday Mrs. Biggs testi-
fled the scheme was born in
1851 when Nolan saw an expen-
sive wrist watch in a Statler
Hotel window display and began
thinking of ways to get it. When
he hit upon the scheme they
used, she said. II was reluctant
>. in the first place. 1t wasn't
right and in the second place,
1t wasn't foolproof."
Tried on One Indictment
Nolan is being tried on one
of four county indictments
charging embezzlement and lar
ceny after trust involving short
ages allegedly totaling $4,476.
The county charges that the
money disappeared in Septem-
Der an october of 1852.
The small loan firm, now de-
funct, moved from the District
to Silver Spring in August, 1852.
The firms president, Ben w.
Abrams. testified yesterday an
audit made in November, 1852,
revealed a $4,000 shortage in
the Washington and Silver
Spring locations. Nolan and Mrs.
Biggs also were with the COM
PAW in the District.
Charges against the pair in
Washington were dropped in
1854. Mrs. Biggs was acquitted
after z three-day trial and No
Ian w pa directed verdict of dis
rnissal.
Charges Threats
r Mrs. Biggs told reporters she
was afraid to reveal her address.
On the stand earlier, she said
Nolan threatened me If ever
testified and reminded me had
q small daughter.
She told the jury Of eight men
and four women how the alleged
fraud scheme worked. She said
she typed a record Of payments
made to the loan firm. After the