Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-20
DRIVER SEEKS
| LOST OFFICER
CHAUFFEUR TELLS SAD TALE
OF BRITISH "SOLDIER"
SAYS HE LOST $35 A DAY FARE
AND 81 IN CASH
Police Now on Trail of "captaln" j.
Hope johnson, Who Hired Auto
mobile in San Franz
cisco

If you met a man who declared he
was British army officer on a leave
of absence, and this self-styled B. A
o. was a smooth talker and of a pleas
ing personality, and you were the owner
of an automobile, and had agreed tC
take the b. A. o. in your motor cal
from San Francisco to Los Angeles al
the rate of $35 day, and after arriv-
ing in Los Angeles the b. A. o. bor'
rowed 81 from you until he could get
some large drafts cashed, and wher
you appeared at the hotel where the B
x. o. was stopping and found he ha6
disappeared WOULDN'T 1T MAKE
YOU NERVOUS?
That is just what happened to A. r.
Van Wrinkle, a chauffeur of San Fran
cisco, who appeared at the central sta
tion yesterday and told his story tC
Deputy Attorney Arthur Keetch anc
later swore to a warrant charging
Captain j. Hope Johnson with OBJ
tainging labor under false pretenses
The warrant was given to the detec'
tives and an effort is being made tC
locate the self-styled British army
officer.
Bargain Made In North
According to Van Wrinkles story t.
Attorney Keetch, a man giving hi:
name as Captain" j. Hope johnson ap'
preached the chauffeur at the Ferry
building in San Francisco and made in.
quiries as to the roads in California
and finally made arrangements where
by Van Wrinkle would take him to Los
Angeles at the cost of $35 day.
"The man met me near the entrance
to the Ferry building" said Var
Wrinkle to Keeteh. "He told me he hac
just disembarked from a steamship
that he was from Australia, where lt
s1I f1S
was in the United States on fur
Tough.
He first told me that he desired e
spend several days hunting in the
mountains and asked me to obtair
what information / could on the game
laws of this state and to meet him the
following morning at his room at the
Hotel Merritt.
Hunting Trip Abandoned
"I obtained a copy of the game laws
and obtained the needed information
and appeared at his room as requested
He then told me that his guns, hunting
suits and other equipment were packeo
away in boxes and he decided not tC
go on the hunting trip. Then he stated
he was desirous of seeing the country
and asked me what I would charge Il
carry him to some town in Southern
| California, either Monterey or furthe
south. 1 told him the price would bt
| s35 a day He accepted the offer, ant
after making preparations we started
"The first day we stopped at hote
at Santa Cruz, then we passed a day al
a small beach town. From there we
went to Santa Barbara and then came
to Los Angeles.
1--WE arrived here Sunday. and Cap
tain Johnson obtained apartments al
the King Edward hotel. l then told
him wanted my money, and he replied
that he had several drafts for large
amounts and would have to get them
cashed before he could pay me. He
spoke so earnestly about the matter
that thought he was telling the truth
and became convinced that l would get
my money.
Even Borrowed 81
Before / left him he stated that he
was entirely out of money and asked
me to lend him what could spare until
he met nae Monday morning. 1 let him
have 81, and he told me he would see
the British consul the first thing Mon
day morning, be identified, get the
checks cashed and meet me at the
hotel and pay me.
This morning when I called at the
hotel I found that Johnson had left
several hours previous and had given
no clew as to his intended destination
Van Wrinkle further stated that he
had made inquiries and learned that nc
such person as Captain Johnson" was
known to the British consul here, and
then decided to report the matter to
the police.