Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-08
Ex-Gamb|erHe|d
In Theft Of Guns
From Arsenal
}. B. Wo||ine, Seized
In Sole to Costa Rico,
Ron Big Club Here

Joseph B. Walling, former Wash
ington gambling club president who
served Lorton Reformatory term
in 1916, was held today for hearing
January 81 on charges of stealing
Government firearms for shipment
to Costa Rica.
His arrest by the FBI here late
yesterday was the 18th in connec-
ton with the attempted shipment
of 80 cases of machine guns and
similar weapons stolen from the
Raritan (N.JD arsenal. The first
arrests were made January l after
the firearms were recovered from
a Mexican boat at San Francisco,
the FBI reported.
Walling, who is 50 and lives in the
1400 block of Girard street NV, was
said by FBI officials today to have
admitted he signed a bill of sale for
13S of the firearms to the Costa
Rican government, He used the
name John Cassidy" in the trans
action, they added.
Went to FBI.
He was taken into CUSTODY when
he visited FBI headquarters late yes
terday in response to a request that
he come in for IAN interview" When
arraigned before United States Com
missioner Cyril S. Lawrence on
charges of theft of Government
property he was unable to provide
the $4,000 bond Immediately but did
SO several hours later and avoided
staying overnight in the District Jail.
Walling's first encounter with
police occurred May 5, 1945, in a
raid on the lavish Trojan Club in
the 100 block of Massachusetts
avenue NV. Police described the
place as 'Washington's better gam
bling establishment catering to the
white-tie-and-tails group"
Walling, who at the time said he
was broker with an Office in the
downtown financial section, was ar
rested with Charles R. Warde, listed
as a merchant, and Byron M. Jones,
colored, who told police he was
houseman.
Elaborate Establishment.
The gambling establishment, &C.
cording to raiding officers, was I'M
usually elaborate and had been fur
nished at a cost of $4,000. Police
declared the raid apparently was
tipped off because only the three
men were in the place when they
arrived. The trial brought out tes-
tlmony that plain clothes police
man had seen go men and women,
some in evening dress. playing vari-
Gus kinds Of gambling games there.
The case was tried three times
in District Court here, with juries
dlsagreeing twice. In April 1916,
a jury convicted Walling and Warde
on charges of setting up a gaming
table in the Trojan Club. Jones,
the club doorman, was acquitted.
Judge James M. Proctor SEN
fenced Walling and Warde to serve
6 to 10 months in the Lorton Re-
formatory.
Tells FBI of Activities.
Since his release from the re-
formatory, Walling has been the
Washington representative of an
Evansville, Ind, air = conditioning
firm, the FBI said. He told FBI
agents, they added. that he also
acted sometimes as a sideline broker
in other fields, particularly to To-
cate scarce materials and buyers.
The Raritan arsenal theft, the
FBl reported earlier this month,
was engineered by Fillmore Ross,
described as an arms broker, and
1t. Walter S. Morrow, a civilian
guard at the arsenal
Walling'S part in the plan, the
FBI charged, was to pose as owner
of 1873 of the guns sold to Costa
Rica. The 80 cases of recovered
firearms identified as having come
from the arsenal included 200 sub
machine guns, Is 50-caliber machine
guns and quantity of carbines
and bazookas. The Mexican Consul
at San Francisco assisted the FBI
in locating the firearms aboard the
Mexican ship in San Francisco.