Evening star., 1936-10-21
FIVE INDICTMENTS
RETURNED AGAINST.
WILLIAM HERNDON
Former Loan Association
Branch Manager Faces
110.Year Term.
FORGERY AND LARCENY
CHARGES ARE LISTED
Admitted Gambling Away So, 600,
Except $500 for Travel, Pros
ecutor Asserts.

Five indictments, containing seven
larceny and four forgery counts and
covering alleged defalcations totaling
S9,02416, were returned today against
William S. Herndon, former manager
of the Georgetown branch of the
closed Fidelity Building and Loan AS
sociation. Herndon was arrested two
weeks ago in the Middle West by
Justice Department agents.
He had been sought since his dis
appearance June 20, which led to an
invetigation disclosing the shortage.
He is "a years old and has a wife and
daughter living in nearby Virginia.
Arraigned before United States Com
missioner Needham c.. Turnage on his
return here from Omaha, Herndon
pleaded guilty to larceny OF $4,000.
which was all that was charged in the
arrest warrant.
Assistant United States Attorney
John j. Wilson revealed today, how
ever, that Herndon has signed state
ment admitting all of the acts with
which he was charged by the grand
Jury, and saying he gambled away
the entire $4,000, except $500, which
he used for travelling expenses.
Gambled Sum Away.
Most of the money was spent play
ing the races, Wilson quoted him as
saying. On the day he left Washing
ton he is alleged to have taken $4,000
- hA OF n v,
branch. 1t was with this money that
he is said to have financed his trav-
els, which took him as far as Reno,
New, where he lost much of it gam
bling, Wilson declared.
The seven larceny counts cover a
period from June %, 1885, to the
date of his disappearance a year
later. Wilson said that in the Of
fenses detailed in the first six counts
Herndon received deposits from Gus
toners of the building and loan as
sociation, credited their pass books,
but made no entry on the ledger.
The seventh count concerns the $2.-
500 allegedly taken from the safe
June 20 last.
The assistant district attorney said
the four alleged forgeries were of
withdrawal slips which were used to
account for additional shortages not
referred to in the larceny charges.
Depositors' names said to have been
forged were Mrs. Edna G. Patterson.
1641 Wisconsin avenue; Miss Mary
Levy, Plaza Apartments; George
Demetrio, 1241 Wisconsin avenue, and
S. M. Swortzell, 1928 Thirty ninth
street.
Faces 110-Year Term.
Since the penalty for both grand
larceny and forgery is Imprisonment
for to 10 years, conviction as indicted
carries possible penalty of % to 110
years.
Now at liberty under $4,000 bail,
Herndon probably will be arraigned in
District Court Friday.
Fred B. Rhodes, former president of
the Fidelity, already had been indicted
on 20 counts of larceny and of
forgery, to which he has pleaded not
guilty. He is awaiting trial No con-
nection has been found between the
alleged acts of Rhodes and those of
Herndon. The association was closed
July 49,. incidentally with Rhodes
arrest.
William c. Price, 18, who was ar
rested about two weeks ago along with
his 65-year- father, William A.
Price, IN connection with the theft of
$4,000 worth of antiques from the
home of Mrs. Mary H. Macarthur,
sister-in-law of Maj. Gen. Douglas
Macarthur, U. S. A., was indicted
today, but the grand jury ignored the
police charge against the father. The
true bill alleged grand larceny.
Mrs. Macarthur told police she
leased her home at 1854 Kalorama
road to Mrs. Elizabeth Price, mother
of the 18-year-old high school student.
She reserved the use, however, of one
room in which she stored a quantity of
valuable antiques. Returning to Wash
ington after a years absence, Mrs.
Macarthur resumed occupancy of her
home and found the lock of the store
room door had been tampered with
and some $4,000 worth of articles
taken.
Police later traced the antiques to a
dealer, who implicated young Price.
On the strength of the fathers assur-
ance to the dealer that his son was all
right. police also arrested the elder
Price. BY its action, however, the
grand jury cleared him of any part
in the alleged larceny.
Embezzlement Charged.
In another indictment Francis A.
Ianahan, 81, of the 1400 block of
Chaplin street, was charged with en-
bezzling $1,734.12 from the Harring-
ton Hotel, where he was employed as
q cashier. He failed to report for work
June 10 and an investigation disclosed
the shortage. Lanahan subsequently
was arrested.
The grand jury's report contained
68 indictments in all. Four cases were
ignored.
Others indicted were:
James G. Dukes, ST., non-support of
minor children; Raymond E. Alley,
bigamy; Harry scott ana James A.
williams, HOUSEKEEPING; John r.
Swami, Norman A. Hackley, Richard
A. Chisolm, Arthur Richardson, Law
renee L. Gill, Levi Jefferson and James
M. Solomon, housebreaking and lar
ceny; Mary w. Brown, receiving stolen
property; Willy Sayles, Fountain Love
and Julius H. Jackson, assault with
dangerous weapon; William II. Win
field, Joseph Ross, Robert Bagley,
Joseph F. Stone, Walter w. Adams,
Fred Brooks, Howard A. Thomas, Ed
ward r. Daniels, Ruth Lowery, Julius
Avant and Harry Robinson, rob-
berry; James e. Avery, Robert
r. Dennison, Walter Geary, Thomas
L. Hill and Wilson Bruce, joyriding;
George Winfred Hall, Cornie Vernon
Byrd, Enola Holt, Allen Marshall, Ed