Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-31
The Story Of Lands and His Role in the Engraving Bureau Theft

shadowy figures might yet join
the sextet already accused.
At the end of work, Deem
Der 80. the $58-a-week distribu-
tor-checker found himself on
the outside with a bigger hunk
Of the bureaus product than he
could have made in more than
40 years Of honest toll at his
current wage.
Part of his gamble was time
the time he would have to dis
pose Of it. The long gamble
was that he would have q few
days. What he hoped for was
that the dummy packages would
be placed undetected on the
vault shelf and shipped to the
Federal Reserve Bank of New
York. where they might remain
unsupported for many weeks.
Whatever his ultimate aim,
Lands didn't 60 underground
with the booty. The narrative
Of the next few days, as clearly
as it has been detailed by the
Secret Service and assisting
police. reads like this:
Realizing the money would
turn red-hot as soon as the
serial numbers were broadcast,
Lands began a spending cam
paign that mushroomed into a
giddy spree.
EnliStS Cousins as Aides.
He enlisted the assistance Of
two cousins, Roger Clinton Pat
terson. a 28-year-old. 220-pound
cement finisher, living in the
$500 block of Thirty ninth place.
North Brentwood, Md, and
Charles H. Nelson. 27-year- old
laborer and bowling alley pin
hoy, who lived in the $500 block
of Chapel Oaks drive, Chapel
Oaks, Md.
The very evening of the theft,
Lands and Patterson turned car
conscious. went to a Hyattsville
md dealer and bought for $3.50,
a 1947 two-tone Chevrolet. The
car was taken in PatterSon's
name. but lands paid for it with
100 81 bills and the rest in EOS
and los. The EOS were brand
new.
Counting all the EOS. the sales
man commented slyly: Must
have been in a crap game"
Grinning happily, Lands and
Patterson nodded affirmation.
Next day it was Nelson's time
to join the buggy brigade. He
chose a District used car dealer
and paid down $250.90, plus
$21.90 for license tags. on a 1850
green four-door Packard. Later
some Of the pilfered 20s were
discovered at the auto firm and
at the District tax Office.
On another scene, other
strange goings on we're leaking
out. That same night, New
Years Eve. Patterson had gotten
himself loaded and dropped in
on neighborhood crap game not
far from Lands apartment.
Good -Natured Loser
Patterson's luck wasn't so
good. but the husky competitor
took it graciously enough. He
seemed to have an inexhaustible
supply Of $40 bills-"that thick"
a witness later told police, in
dicating a one and one-half or
two-inch stack-perhaps $4,000
or $1,000.
Nor was Patterson -dismayed
when the pile gave out. He
blithely ambled out to his
parked car and returned with
another stack-"plenty of more
where that came FROM" he
chortled. drunkenly.
One member of the game was
so impressed he decided to look
for himself. took a sheaf of 20s
from the tire we'll of the car
and sub-let himself out as an
independent money changer. He
made quite a circuit. including a
car for himself, before Patter-
son caught up with him and got
back the residue.
On still another scene that
holiday eve. another tentacle of
greed was reaching out for
William Billy Giles. whose life
up to then had closely paralleled
that of Lands.
Giles was a native of Washing
ton, a graduate of Dunbar High
School and a $3,460-a-year flag
pole painter for General Services
Administration. For relaxation,
he liked to dabble in water colors.
A slight man with a little
moustache, he lived with his wife
and two sons. Daryl, S. and
Skippy. 2. just over the Lands
apartment in Chapel Oaks. Dur
ing the war, he had served a
hitch in the Navy. Up to then,
his public record was in perfect
balance.
Recruit for Disposal.
Into the Giles apartment
dropped Lands. carelessly tossed
a $40 bill at his friend and sug-
gested why don't you get a
bottle Of whisky?"
Giles did-paid $11.95 for a
quart of Scotch-and on return
ing was surprised that Lands
had departed. Next day Giles
went to the Lands apartment to
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