Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-07-24

sued similar operations on the coast
end who made an unsuccessful al
tempt to mulct officers Of that Tegi-
ment .=...s::
Captain Won Meyer" presented him
self at Fort George Wright attired in
smart riding togs of quite the correct
cut, made an official call on the CON-
msnding officer, offered his card
printed-and introduced himself as an
officer of a Uhlan regiment sof the
German army on leave of absence
rnder EpeciaI permission from the
emperor. The Captain" was offered
the hospitality of the club. his call
was returned by the commanding Off
Ger and being of very pleasant address
and glib conversationalist he made
quite an impression.
He stated that his father was gen.
eral officer and that at that time he
was military governor of the city OF
Berlin. He rode frequently to the post
and was unquestionably a fine horse
man; he handled a sabre with skill
and exhibited several scars, the relics
CT student duels in his college days
at Bonn, he said.
I He talked much of having partici-
rated in military rides from Vienna
TO Berlin, from Moscow to Berlin and
claimed that while serving with the
German force in China, at the close
of the Boxer campaign he had made
a ride from the Taku forts to Berlin
accompanied by single soldier ser,
want
This latter statement having been
made about the time he fell into dis
favor, it was suggested that there
we're no mounted troops with the Ger
man forces in China, but the doughty
captain was not phased for a minute
and replied that he was attached for
staff duty A visit to the target range
however developed the startling dis
closure that he knew nothing about
military rifle and that he could barely
hit the surrounding landscape. On his
return to the club from the range he
announced that he had dropped his
letter of credit amounting to several
thousand dollars either on his ride to
the post or on the range and a careful
search of the range was unsuccessful
He invited a party of officers to dine
with him in town that evening, but
when the hour for dining arrived the
assembled guests had no host. The
suspicious of his intended, guests were
aroused and upon comparing notes 1T
developed that many of his statements
cid not gibe so that when he called
the following day. profuse with apollo
gies at his absence, the exhibition of
a tissue copy of a telegram to his
bankers in New York to stop pay
ment on the lest letter of credit, was
received with no more warmth than
Els carefully worded request. for
small loan to tide over his affairs I'M
iii his bankers conld reply. The Spo
kane papers the following morning
uncovered his tracks and announced
that the German captain had left town
between suns, with a trail of unpaid
bills and loans behind him., the Ger
man consul being the heaviest loser.
1t was learned later that his real cog
nomed was Schmidt, that he was want
ed for similar financial transgressicps
in several American cities, and that
he was also known in China and the
far east Several weeks after his hur
ried departure from Spokane. he was
playing at the same old game in Port.
land, Oregon, and from there disap-
peared, not to be heard of again until
the recent disclosures in Honolulu.
The description of the riding mas
ter's appearance, his methods of pro
cedure and his manner of living all
point to the return of the late guest
IF tho 9Sth infantry