ANOTHER MILITARY IMPOSTOR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 54, 4 March 1903, Page 4

ANOTHER MILITARY IMPOSTOR.

fe Fxiiding was the scene of a little mild E excitement on Saturday week, when a I - Ann was arrested under rather peculiar circumstances. A military man arrived there by the early train from E&n)meratoi» North, deck'd in all the pomp sad glitter if a Sergeant-Ma jor I > pt the Royal Horse Artillery, and that E, 1b considerable. He bad the uniform PaU correct, sword, field-ssrvice cap, if-'chevrODS and crown, signalling, and L good conduct and marksman's badges, |ln fact he had all the little extras on r .irim which the military soul delights in. f four pounds worth of gold lace on his i- uniform, no doubt, madd him feel as if lie ere at least a general. He was t Strutting about the town for the best part of the day, the main attraction to ||r thefßir; but,-alas, in the afterroon, jl- hie got a very severe fall. I' p appeurs that he had been at Palmers- || \id North for the last few days, and bid posed there as a drill instructor, aid wanted to take charge of the camp £: of the Mmawa'u Cadets. The officers 'i: weren't "having any," so our.hero §?•-' thought he would try Feildiog, where P perhaps he would m?et with more success. But a wire from the police at P-l ocerston put Constable Whitehouse on bis traok, and (he " hero of a bun- \' dr d figh's" was unceremoniously ar- • .tasted for stealing a fi- Id service cap, S sod bringing the Kicg's uniform into fe iurfpnte. Constable Whitahoupe aril? rested him, and was conveying him to "p the lock up wbec, without faying acyip- thing more than " good-bye," he bol'ed " ' down the Kimbolton Eosd. Several civilians fried to stop hicn, Hit it fell to lot of a Mr Wilson to bi~" h'"m '(- down in true foothail ft>l°. li« was £ then conveyed to tfce " little brown f; jug " without ony furtbe" mishap, and I was brought b: foro a Justice, whera he I gave his name as Frederick Betcke, f: and was ren,an<kd to Palmerston t North. He stated that at one ticne be ' was a member of the Stratford Mmi-. ted • Rifles, where he probably imb-bd the ' military spirit which culminated in his ?■: insane act. At Palmerston hs was - sentenced to four months impriscm- > ment on five charges of false pretences Accused had masqueraded the streets of-the town over a week in orthodox • Imperial uniform.