Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-11-22

Guiding members of the diplomatic
CORDS. were victims of one of the many
variations of the package racket"
which the Jersey man is alleged to
have worked with fair success. The
operation was simple. Representing
himself as a Navy officer, Scheland is
said to have called on his prospects"
with the explanation that he had just
brought gifts from abroad from some
of their relatives or friends, on which
a modest customs" fee was due. II
the money was given to him, he, of
course, would deliver the package.
Under the circumstances, the money
was Forthcoming, but the package
never was.
Prominent Names.
Locally, according to the Justice
Department, Scheland had marked out
two leading members of the bar.
Harry Covington, former associate
justice of the District Supreme Court,
and G. Thomas Dunlop, Mrs. c. r.
Perry, the Japanese Ambassador,
Hirosi Saito, and the then counselor
of the Chilean Embassy, Benjamin
Cohen, who recently has been pro-
NOTED to his home Office.
Elsewhere the list included DR.. VIII
liam Darruch, dean emeritus of Co
lumbia Medical School. New York;
Stewart Duncan and Mrs. James B.
Duke, Newport, r. l.; Maj. K. Ida
japanese army inspector in New
York; NJ. Y. Inomata of the Japanese
Tourist Bureau, New York, and James
H. Caldwell, New York attorney.
Washington first was the operating
base In August. The Covingtons were
out of the city. but "Comdr. Stanton"
called on law partner of Judge Gov
ington and extracted $48.45 for the
mythical package, which in this in
stance was reported to have been sent
by the Covingtons' son-in-law, Lang
land Bond, vice president of China
Anyways.
Was for Rug.
Mrs. Perry, wife of q navy yard
craftsman, residing at 20ls G street,
gave s45 to Lieut.. Evans" who
brought greetings" as he said, from
son-in-law, Lieut.. William Lewis
Benson, U. S. N, in Shanghai, and
explained that the money would pay
the duty on rug Benson had sent
by him.
Mrs. Perry got suspicious a couple
Of days later when the rug didn't ma
terialize and instituted some discreet
inquiries in official circles.
Dunlop said he couldn't discuss the
matter.
Cohen also is reported to have paid
out $50 for rug" and to have a
fruitless trip to Baltimore with Sche-
land to get it. Scheland disappeared.
This was in October.
Went to Embassy.
A week later, the man, Lieut..
Hudson" called at the japanese En-
baSSy, with the rug story. In this in
stance, the floor covering was de-
scribed as having been sent to the
Ambassador by a Toxic hotel opera
tor. The Ambassador was away, but
an attache was said to have accom-
panied Scheland to the Navy Yard
where the rug was to be delivered. It
wasn't, but fee of $32.11 was re-
putedly extracted nevertheless. On
the way to the yard, Scheand also is
reported to have stopped in a pet shop
and on the strength of the front"
afforded by the Embassy car in which
he was riding, to have bought a dog
with worthless check.
Scheland was arrested in New York
on October rs on grand larceny
charge and according to j. Edgar
Hoover, director of the Bureau of In
vestigation, signed an admission Of his
operations. Announcement Of the ar
rest came last night after his arraign-
ment.