The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-08-02
ROMON SIHONSON IN NEW ROLF
FAKE CAPTAIN WOOs SOCIETY
AS FAKE REPORTER.

AS FAKE REPORTER.
East Side. Youth who as Soldier Had Q Near
weidins interests Harlem wsmen by
near Society Items-Concealed weapon
Leads to ms Arrest and Exposure.
For some weeks past social events In
Harlem have been covered by the busiest
little reporter who has struck that region
Ia q long time. Proud mothers and ambi-
tious matrons 90 well as seasoned politicians
who ought to know better have been sitting
up ell night to get the morning paper just
a. soon q the boy delivered Il 90 az to read
the pleasing aocount OF the function OF the
night previous that the reporter said he
would put in the paper.
The paper didn't have a line about any
Of them, which isn't surprising when the
reporters Identity Ii disclosed. He is none
other than Romon Simonson, u. s. A., late
Captain OF the Second Battery Of the
First Field Artillery ct Fort Riley, Kan,
who nearly bad q military wedding to a
young roma on the West Side two years
ago. A few real reporters got on the
'CAptain's' trail just before the wedding
came % and found that the supposed army
officer realbusiness was driving a butchers
wagon.
It will be some satisfaction to the persons
who gave the young reporter q second
helping out OF the lobster salad. to know that
the imaginative young Simonson Is now
down In the Tombs under 1900 bail for
carrying d concealed weapon. His recent
activities IN Harlem may result in other
charges being made against him.
| Sirnonson's present plight IL due to the
aounnen Of Detective Tierney Of the East
1o4th street station. who prides himself
or knowing o reporter when he sees one.
Tierney saw young Simonson standing at
10th street and Second avenue early yes
! terday morning. aoting in a name that
Tierney thought required Investigation.
When Tierney got to the young mans
side he saw something bulky protruding
from the latter's hip pocket. Tierney
felt Of It and found 1t was a revolver.
who are you and what are you doing
out here at this hour with that gun?' asked
Tierney.
Don't bother me- Simonson replied.
@I'm q reporter and I've just been sent up
here on a dangerous job. / brought the
Office revolver along to protect myself
Tierney said II would be necessary to
show him. and the pretended reporter
flashed q metal shield labelled Reporters
'Its my private opinion that hat piece
Of tin is ,phony and that you're nothing
but a faker,' suggested Terney., sJust
come along TO the station house with your
office revolver and your reporters badge.
simonson declared It wal an outrage to
treat a gentleman of the press that way,
and said that the least be would do would
- - .-AnI ~ nA~ nt-.l1,. nL-,& Tsz-n--
and have him broke. When Tierney got
his man to the station house 1t took him
about FIVE minutes to find out that real
reporters are not carrying that kind OF
simonson said he worked for disowned him.
When Simonson was searched q police
mans billy was also found on him, but he
wa merely charged with carrying con-
cealed weapons, He was arraigned before
Magistrate steinert In the Harlem court
yesterday, where he owned up.
forS: asked he Court.
sI've been getting Into q lot Of swell par.
d slss sn IN e asTism on q Geo he . %sny pig of " sSe
badge the prisoner said. Its been good
for political outings too. and / don't know
no. many swell meals and drinks I've had
simonson said that he saw the badge in
the window Of O second hand store in Grand
street and couldn't resist buying IL. He |
tried IL at q big East Side wedding and found
that It worked 50 wel that he has been
81 .ooe bail When the Magistrate held him,
90 he was taken down to the Tombs to await
trial.
Simonson said he lived at 227 East i1sth
street. and inquiry there Yesterday showed
house with his father, who can scarcely |
speak English. The father couldn't under
stand the nature Of the trouble the boy had
got into. He said that the boy had kept
biz Job o on the . butchers assa W wagon ssn until n lab about
q photograph gallery on the Bowery.
Young Simonson's career in the last three
years shows how far Q bright young East
Side Hebrew can &c in this townif his nerve
three years ago he CHANGED to visit a friend
who was q private at Fort Hamilton. The
sight Of the army officers with their yards
Of gold braid and their shiny, swords i'm
Hs saw a second hand ofaoers uniform
In q Bowery shop q day. or go later he
bought 1t. threw up his job and left the
Fast Side: Subsequently he mastered the
manual Of tactics and represented himself
as an officer or many occasions.
One day he CHANGED to visit the Essex
Market court one morning when Magistrate
Breen was sitting there and was officially
introduced. Capt. Simonso1' was
said:
'Glad to meet you. my boy; I hope you'll
be q General some day
THANK you, Judge, IN do my best
replied the Captain"
The reporters couldn't overlook a chance
like this and asked him about his career.
Simonson told 30 many amazing things
about himself that several Of the reporters
looked him up. They couldn't find him
up that liz West Point diploma '1 that lathe he
carried was bogus. He said he was Just
going to be married to a West Side girl and
hoped nobody would tell her he wasn't the
real thing. The reporters promptly found
the girl and told her and also her brothers.
They fell on young Simonson and took. ali
the war enthusiasm out Of him. The we'd
ding was called OF.
Slmonson wrote up his career for several
Sunday magazine sections, where his idea
Of being q reporter may have originated.