The sun., 1918-12-01
FAKERS IN UNIFORM
ARE SENT TO PRISON
Provost Guard Rounds Up
False Heroes Who Preyed
on Public.
SOME BEGGED S25 DAILY
One Bogus Military Policeman
Actually Sent Several Ger
mans to Jail.

Broadway during the United War
Work Fund drive there was a speaker
in the uniform Of a private, who wore
the Crolx de Guerre and a wound
stripe. He recited a thrilling tale of
Ibis experiences at the front and at
the end of his story solicited funds.
When he came to the table occupied
by Major +. L. Thomas, provost mar
Noonan and Lieut.. John ]. Noonan
Major Thomas asked the soldier to
prove his identity and to give his au-
thority for his present activity. The
soldier became impudent and resentful
and made contradictory statements.
Some OF the men and women in the
room were concerned that the motives
and integrity Of a man who wore the
CroiX de Guerre should be questioned.
Got Medal From French Soldier.
Investigation showed that the hero"
who was so active in behalf Of the
boys over there had not been wounded,
that he was n medical and not a sur
wood y. j.. and therefore the wound
stripe was n fake. 1t also developed
that he had no citation for the Croix
de Guerre. In fact he had obtained
the medal from French soldier. al
though the manner Of his getting the
cross is not clear.
He had been sent TO New York for
the Liberty Loan drive but his leave
had expired November and he was
at the time being sought by Cen
Davis for being absent without leave.
Sergeant Frank ]. Pickett traced the
man to a hotel in West Forty-fifth
street, and in company with Lieut..
Hill and Sergeant Walter Culhane ar
rested him there. He was occupying
room with a girl. who he said was
his wife. The man finally was re-
turned a prisoner to the Lakewood
army hospital.
This Is only one case OF many
fraudulent Misrepresentation made
by men in New York city and other
parts Of the country. Some of the Of :
Tenders are soldiers and sailors. while
many of them have acquired uniforms.
although they have never been in the
buttons, chevrons. bars, gold stars.
also obtain war medals by hook or
crook, and there is one firm in Penn
sylvania which truns out Military
Police badge which resembles the real
badge very closely
ono fake NJ. p was discovered after
he had been at large for six months,
during much of which he had been act
I ing as provost guard and had actually
arrested and delivered at Ellis Island
n number Of individuals. including
some Germans. He had been clever
enough to fake an order giving him
authority TO work in New York city.
Fnker Now I'm Fort jay Prison.
Fake or forged passes and boosted
passes in which the dates are raised.
are often employed by the men who
ar" preyin" upon the public, soliciting
FUNDS for war work or for tobacco for
the soldiers. George II, n fake
overseas man, who was found solicit
ing funds had equipped himself with
Il uniform and large button. No.
"l65B. lie wore a double gold stripe.
indicating n year in oversease service.
and single Chevron to indicate he
had been wounded. and he sold small
buttons, pocketing the money. He
was sent to prison in Fort Jay.
Lieut., John NJ. Finnerty of the de-
tectlve detachment, Provost Guard
mas Just broken up a gang which was
carrying on extensive operations in
! mulctinE the public. The leader wa
a sergeant Three of the seven mon
who worked with him had been in the
service. They collected money upon
every opportunity. and worked botL
New York city and Derby, Conn Two
OF the gang stole pad Of checks
! ana a punch from Y, NJ. c. A. can
! teen. They would eat food to tho
amount of so cents. punch their own
1 check with their stolen punch and
pay tn" cashier 10 cents.
one ~ the gang had his right hand
han'aSod His pal, in appealing to an
audience, told how the brave COM
radc' seized the bayonet as a Boche
was going to run it through his
"bunkic' and the edges of the bayonet
had severed all the fingers and thumb
Of his right hand. After the mans
arrest the bandages were removed and
1t was found that the fingers and
thumb were still there.
Whole Gang Now in Prison.
ON" Of the gang exhibited a scar
across his abdomen which he said
came from a wound from a bayonct,
but which proved finally TO be scar