Evening star., 1947-06-03
us. Jury Indicts
Two in S144,OOO
WAA Sale Fraud
Former Official and
Ex-Conyict Accused
Of Altering Papers
By Mory Lou Werner

A Federal grand jury in Alexan-
dria yesterday indicted Jointly a
former War Assets Administration
official and an ex-convict on charges
of fraud against the Government
in connection with a scheme al
legged to have cost the Government
$4,000.
The. two indicted were Louis ".
Dionne, 38, once a WAA expediter,
of the 1900 block of N street NV,
and George A. Gormley, so, of the
1900 block of Fulton street NV.
They were arrested last January
after a Federal Bureau of Investiga-
ton investigation. The Government
charges they planned to obtain
GoVernment-owned textiles through
alteration of sales documents at a
WAA sales site at the Washington
Quartermaster Depot in Alexandria.
The indictment charged the two
men "unlaWfully, wilfully and fell
oniously used and caused to be used
a receipt and voucher (War Assets
sales document1 knowing the same
to contain fraudulent and fictitious
statement - ~
Trial Set for June "a.
Federal Judge Sterling w. Hutche-
son set June "a as the date for trial
of the two men after attorneys for
Gormley pleaded for more time be-
cause they said it would be difficult
to locate witnesses in the case.
Judge Hutcheson asked Gormley's at
torneys to report on their ability to
locate witnesses before the scheduled
trial date to see if a time extension
will be necessary.
At the time of the mems arrest
last January, FBI Director j. Edgar
Hoover said the $144,000 worth of
textiles netted in the scheme were
recovered from New York storage
firm. Mr.. Hoover said Dionne's "ad-
mitted participation in the scheme
netted him $1,000, paid by Gormley
through an Intermediary on Decem-
ber II, 1896" The scheme, the FBI
said, assured Gormley delivery of
more, high-grade woolen goods from
the Government warehouse than he
had purchased and paid for at the
Alexandria sale.
Gormley was sentenced to serve
eight years early in 1888 in connec-
ton with the $4,000 swindle of
Washington finishing school matron.
His accomplice was the Countess
Grace de Benque, who was convicted
on three counts of grand larceny
and sentenced to from two to four
years for each offense.
Indicted in Mail Theft.
Also indicted yesterday was Mrs.
Doris E. Evans, 1000 block of North
Vermont street. Arlington, on a
charge of theft from the mails.
Mrs. Evans pleaded guilty to the
charge when she appeared before
Judge Hutcheson late yesterday aft
ernoon and was put on. probation
for tive years. According to the
testimony of Government mail
inspector she admitted taking the
mail of neighbor to get even with
her because she said the neighbor
was picking on her.
Other indictments returned by the
grand jury included:
Richard o. Tittleson, forgery and
utterirg; Carl E. Bridenstine, Earle
Forrest. Laverne C. Hawkins, An
thony P. Keller, Georges Searles,
Frederick Yeatera and Robert E.
May, escapes from United States
prisons: Winfred John Warrelmen,
theft on Government reservation;
Violet v. Butler, theft of Marine
clothing at the Quantico Marine
Base; Casper LIE Roy Bigelow,
forgery and uttering; William An
drew Chambers, theft of a Gov
ernment typewriter.