El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-01-07
ARMY CAPTAINS
MISSING-LOST?
Capt. King, of Camp Kear-
ny, Calf, Last Heard
From in Ell Paso.

Missing, one army captain. he
was last seen in FL Paso. Informa
tion regarding his whereabouts is
anxiously awaited by the authorities
at Camp Kearny. Calf, according
to latest reports from here.
The Los Angeles Examiner relateE
the story as follows:
Capt Richard F. King OF the
145th field artillery. who disappeared
at Christmas time and has been alb
sent without leave from Camp I-ear-
ny. for a week. apparently has left
Fl Paso, 10 which city he went,
though he wrote from FL Paso 10 a
superior officer that he intended to
80 on to Washington It IS believed
here that he has crossed the river
into Mexico and will seek service
either with the Carranza army or
with villa
Kings brief career in the 4Oth
division was as spectacular as a night
attack on the western front He Dor
rOWed money right and left from Of
ficerS and enlisted men and spent It
with lavish hand His financial di-
ficulties are supposed to have been the
causes Of his flight at the risk OF ar
rest and punishment for desertion.
MyEtery ShrOuds Past.
col. Richard W Young command
ing the regiment stated today that
10 had been definitely established that
king is not the true name of the Of
tending officer, though the mans pa st
is shrouded in mystery. The captain.
in addition 20 private debts. left 3
battery funds in q tangled state. so
that there viii be about $500 OF its
moneys to account for II he decides TO
give himself up or II he is captured by
the federal authOrities-
The total Of personal debts King
left behind is considerable. He is
known TO have borrowed $500 Of one
officer and $3.50 OF another and small
sums Of many others
Col Young warned King some time
before Christmas that his extrava-
gauces must stop. Bills Of all sorts
were coming to regimental headquar-
tiers and the colonel told him he must
arrange to pay his debts King talked
OF asking for a leave Of absence.
IN discussing his domestic sltua-
tion he claimed that he did not have a
wife in Salt Lake City and asserted
that a woman in san Diego was his
wife. Col. Young told him then that
he would not recommend a leave OF
absence for him until he presented
legal evidence Of marriage TO the
! Dung woman he had introduced as
Mrs. King.
sOther Woman in Case
King left camp on the Christmas
leave and did not return He was in
Los Angeles ana went direct TO FL
PasO f ON there From Fl Pzso he
wired 10 the san Diego woman. and
when she learned he had also sent a
telegram to a rival of whom she had
not known before. she turned the
message over 10 the intelligence Of I
.icers-
View Years day King wired good /
wishes TO the men Of the Utah foot
ball team Of the 1z5th field artillery.
which team he had coached He I
signed his name and added. Some I
where in France 1t IS believed he /
sent the message across TO FL Paso ]
rom Juarez.
King told other Officers that he
had two yeas at West Point. and
ilsO that later he served in the regu-
ar army as an enlisted man He has
,laimed also to have been a student
It Lehigh university and a football
tar there He was q trained soldier
It any rate, and a wizard as a foot
lall coach.
Was Railroad Man.
In private life. just before he
anne into service last. he was a rail-
Dad man. employed as a travelling
master mechanic. RE went 20 the
lOrder with the Ctan artillery and
erved there as 4 sergeant and won
lieutenancy and finally a captzincy
nd was given command OF battery 3.
Z the 18th
The missing captain IS q man Of
charitable strength. He is spectac-
liar IN conduct and If he has actually /.
zone into Mexico. reports Of spectaG-
liar doings may De expected from d
i'm there