Evening star., 1954-01-07

The 100000 Bureau Of En-
craving and Printing robbery
set in motion a fantastic spend-
ing spree in which four suspects
managed to dispose Of an esti-
mated $35.000 in stolen $40 bills.
Principals in the three-day
money changing binge were
listed by U. E. Baughman. chief
OF the Secret Service, as:
James Rufus Lands, %, Of
1929 Fifty-Second avenue. Chapel
Oaks. Md. accused Of stealing the
notes; William (Billy) Giles. a
Government fiagpole painter who
lives in the same apartment
building with Lands: Charles H.
Nelson. az. a cousin of Lands,
also Of Chapel Oaks; and Edith
Irene Chase. "a. of 325 I street
NE. Nelson's girl friend.
First Bill for. Liquor.
The spending spree got off
to slow start at $50 pm. on
December 81. the same day
Lands took the newly-printed
bills from a Bureau vault, Mr..
Baughman detailed. He related
this reQuence of events:
Lands dropped into Giles
apartment, gave him a new $40
bill and told Giles to get a quart
Of liquor. This first note of
hundreds to be spent. was taken
to Sandy's Liquor Store in the
5700 block Of Sheriff road NE.
There. Giles bought a bottle
Of scotch costing $11.95 and
pocketed the change. Lands,
meanwhile, went to his own
apartment and didn't bother to
drink any of the whisky.
The following day. Lands de-
cided to start the New Year of
with a bang.
At noon he took Giles into his
apartment. Giles began an ex-
planation about the change from
the previous night.
Enough for . Lifetime.
He was brushed off by Lands
with:
Don't worry Billy. I've got
plenty Of money, Enough to
take care of us for the rest Of
our lives"
He opened a closet door. Giles
eyes bugged out in Armament.
It's floor was literally carpeted
with spanking. crisp. new 2O's.
Giles was too excited to ask
where Lands got it. but he ad-
mitted he knew it, wasn't legiti-
mate.
The pair decided to 60 out
and get the money passed by
making small purchases and
pocketing the change. They
worked their way toward Brent
wood on foot. disposing of three
notes. each time buying a half
pint Of whisky. Lands remained
outside while Giles passed the
money.
BY 2:30 pm. that day New
Years. they had reached the
home Of Lands mother, Mrs.
Ethel Landers in the 4500 block
Of Banner street. Brentwood.
Farley on Disposal.
While they where there. Nelson
came to call with his girl friend.
Edith Chase. They sat down for
a conference. At its adjourn
ment. it had been decided to dis
pose Of the stolen notes system
atica1ly.
Giles rented car and Lands
borrowed another. They teamed
up. Nelson with Lands and Giles
with Edith Chase. The latter
pair was to go to Baltimore while
Nelson and Lands would work
the Washington area.
And change 20's. they did.
Before getting into his rented
auto. Giles was handed $4,000 in
packaged $20's. plus several loose
notes.
He and Edith Chase started
out the Washington Baltimore
boulevard. Their first stop was
the first liquor store outside of
Hyattsville. They bought a half
pint.
Giles, meanwhile, had set I'D
two large paper bags in the auto.
Into one he dumped the stolen
bills. into the other went the
change.
They arrived in Baltimore
about 6 pm. Their score along
the way was four half pints Of
bourbon.
Dump Purchases.
In Baltimore. they managed to
get rid of 100 of the eos by
laboriously going into food, drug,
liquor stores and one gasoline
station. making small purchases.
AS their car filled with merchan-
disc. mostly liquid, they dumped
it on side streets.
So assidiously did they work
they failed to keep a scheduled
rendezvous at Lands mothers
home SET f0r gan - m Tt x,o,