IN FINE FEATHERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 40, 10 November 1917, Page 7

IN FINE FEATHERS

AMAZING MASQUERADE IN SYDNEY : A .PSEUDO-BRIGADIER'S j ADVENTURES - Sydney, November 9. 1 A. most amazing imposition Iw been j revealed bv tho arrest of Frederick John i Betcke, charged with unlawfully wea;- : ing a military uniform. He appeared in . court in the full uniform of a. brigadiergeneral, with many decorations. The ; police evidence showed that the only '< Tvar experience Betcke had ever nfld WjtfJ > as trooper in tho i\ew Zealand Forces in. South Africa, when, owinc to an injury i to his hip, the Imperial Governmentallotted him a pension of a shilling a dnj. Betcke told the police he' was horn in. ; New Zealand, and was the adopted eon ; of a full-blonded German named Otto ; Betcke. For the past six years he has ; lieen posing as ft military officer. He first promoted himself to lieutenant- ; I colonel, and gave military exemngs to influential citizens of tne Western Sub- ■ urbs. Finally he assumed tho rank of < "eneral. He appointed a returned eol- ; dier whom he met in a tram to oe his . j A.D.C., and presented nim. with, oincial ; papers promoting him to captain. . ' Betcke headed a recruiting procession : at Leiohhardt, in full, and . mingled in the-best social circles. His ; downfall came when ho was attending: ; a garden fete at Hurstville v-iiere he- , was arrested and pleaded guilty. IT? fol- • lowed the calling of ail electrician. ; Bel eke was remanded for mediial ol>ser-< ; vation. owing to doubts as to his sanity f , —Press Association.