RIVAL TO BILL ADAMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1916, Page 2

RIVAL TO BILL ADAMS.

NEVER WORN KHAKI. Bill Adams has been rivalled by Carl Imrc Highton, aged IS, an .Englishman, who at Hull last month wa* fined £lO, br 51 days' imprisonment, for masquerading as a lieutenant of the Yorkshire Light Infantry. 1-le was arrested while with a vnung woman, and when a bandage round his head was unwound no wound was found. He said he was wounded in l'lyricc at the end of September, but after„'irds admitted he had never been in the Army. A letter in his addressed to a woman, contained the following-. "The Trenches, somewhere near Arras, France—My Darling Ena,—l am writing this little note from this hell hole. We sailed from Liverpool to avoid the German 'subs.' It was a terrible long way round, and we did not land until the early hours of Monday morning, when they rushed us up in taxi-cabs to the front. "We have been in action since 4 p.m. this afternoon, and 1 never want to be in such a fearful place again. We are in the second lino of trenches. It is pouring with rain, and anything but cheeriul. We .have had our major killed, many other officers wounded, and five or six second lieutenants killed. "The Hermans never saw us until get ting into their trenches, and ilien they flirted /aclling us, and in the fcariiil rifle fire poor Major was killed. I was only four feet from him so I had a lucky escape. is coming back to England to bring a fresh draft out, so I am giving him this to post for you f rom Leeds. Give me a thought' --ometimes. You will marry me, won't yiiwhen this rotten war is over?" The defendant's solicitor said vanity had led him into this trouble. He was anxious to make his friends believe lie was an officer, and he outdid Bill Adams.