Evening star., 1944-01-03
Bogus Talent Scout
Indicted by D. {. Jury
On Il Check Charqes
True Bills Are Among
More Than IS Returned
In District Court

Hollywood talent scout" who
threw the Sons O. Fun" cast
into a mild state of panic last
November by signing up a num-
ber of it's stars and chorus girls
for parts in motion picture the
firm he claimed to represent was
to make in Washington, today
was named in six indictments,
which include a total of II counts
In connection with bad checks
he allegedly cashed here.
Lester, known under the aliases
OF Foster L. Smith and Robert G..
Walsh, had the local entertainment
world in a dither with tales of
bringing Bette Davis, John Garfield
and Pat O'Brien here to play the
leading roles in the movie He en-
tertafned at the Club Troika, gave
birthday party in honor of Lionel
Kaye, the "Daffy" of the Sons O.
Fun" cast, at the latter's expense.
Then he disappeared, leaving in
his wake trail of alleged rubber
checks and shattered theatrical
Illusions.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
agents eventually caught up with
Lester in Chicago. Returned here
in November, his preliminary ar
raignment had been postponed be-
cause of illness.
Nine Bad Checks Charged.
The charges against him in today's
indictments include nine counts un-
der the National Stolen Property
Act, charging that Lester issued
nine bad checks he is said to have
cashed. The other two counts
charge him with false pretenses in
connection with allegedly cashing
bad checks
He is alleged to have cashed
three checks for $3.50 each at the
Statler Hotel, where he held court
in regal style during his sojourn in
Washington, while six other counts
in the indictment cover checks said
to total more than Sl10 allegedly
cashed at department stores.
In the false pretense charges,
Lester is accused of cashing bad
checks for S100 and S75 respectively
at the Statler.
Assistant United States Attorney
Sylvan Schwartz said records show
that Lester was born in Los Angeles
and spent considerable time in New
York and that he has a Jail record.
The records give Testers occupa-
tions as that of actor, medical stu
dent and clerk
The indictments were among more
than IS returned by the grand jury
in District Court before Chief JUS
tice Edward G. Eicher.
Edwin E. OBryhim, 10, was
charged with arson in connection
with a fire in the Agriculture De-
partment Building at Twelfth and
C streets S.W., where he was said to
have been an employe. He was re-
ported to have started a fire in a
waste basket while firemen were en-
route \to a fire in another room in
the building.
Other Indictments.
Joseph H. Haskins, 80, colored
was indicted on two charges of
falsely representing himself to be
minister during which time he was
said to have performed two mar
Tiage ceremonies.
Leroy Adams, "a, and Robert H.
johnson, AZ, both colored, and said
to live in the 400 block of N street
NT o,n yxrifl,
ment and larceny of more than 1,400
gallons of gasoline, which they al
legedly sold to customers at a serv-
ice station at which they worked
after disconnecting the meter.
Joseph H. Nelson, "a, colored, of
the 600 block of L street Me- was
indicted on charges of sale, possess
sion and facilitating the transporta-
ton of narcotics. He also was named
in a second indictment on a charge
of failing to support his wife and
minor children.
Four colored youths were charged |
with housebreaking and larceny for
allegedly breaking into stores and
stealing liquor, more than $500 in
cash and other property. They were
listed as William Miller, James A.
Simpson and William H. Briggs,
each 18, and Randolph Valentine,
16. Miller and Valentine also were
charged separately in an additional
case.
The four and James Caroline, 16,
also were accused of housebreaking
at store. All were rounded up
and captured, police said, after
several had been allegedly observed
in the vicinity of the store, in the
600 block of Seventeenth street NV,
where Valentine was said to have
crawled out of a transom.
In another indictment, Mrs. Lai
Ping Chew Lee, 80, of the 4l0O block
Ninth street NV, was charged with
forging and cashing three money
orders for 500 and one for $25.