The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-10-22
PRETENDED TO Be
MILITARY POLICE:
Private Collins Taken to
Camp Devens Today as
Deserter
PRIVATE ALLEN
GIVEN SENTENCE
One Arrested in Brattleboro and Other
in Bellows Falls-Allen Pleads Guilty
in Keene to Stealing Railroad Con-
ductor's Bag.
ductor' 8 Bag.

i'll Keene to Stealing Railroad Con-
ductor's Bag.
Private George E. Collins of Middle
town. Conn. was in the Office of the
local draft board this morning in custo-
dv of United States Marshal Arthur
p Carpenter of this town, and after
Clerk Frank d. Z. Stowe of the local
board had made out certificate that
Collins was Il dcserter Policeman Ang-
us MeKinnon of Bellows Falls took him
to Camp Devens, Aver, Mass.
Collins and Private James Allen of
Brooklyn, who have been posing nearly
two months as military policemen in
towns between Greenfield, Mass, and
White River Junction. also in keene
and, other New Hampshire places, col
lceting money from soldiers who had
STAYED away from camps longer than
entitled by their leaves Of absence,
were taken in to custody yesterday
afternoon. Allen was arrested at the
Brattleboro railroad station by [. 5.
Marshal Carpenter and Collins was ar
rested in Bellows Falls by officers there
at the request of City Marshal Phil
brick Of Keene.
The two soldiers have been noticed
I by all the officers for some time, but
/ the officers had received no complaints
and had no information on which they
could make arrests, but when the way
was opened for legal action it did not
take long TO locate the two young men
The two men have been working to
gether, holding up men in uniform and
asking them if they had passes. When
they found a man who had overstayed
his leave or was without a pass they
allowed him to 90, on receiving 50 ol
more. If the man had no funds they
sent him back to camp. They returned
one to camp from keene and two from
Bellows Falls
The scheme was discovered through
the larceny of train conductor s bas
in Keene Oct. 10 The bag was late
found minus a punch, and as it wa
learned that Allen was using a puncl
, an investigation was begun by Cit.
Marshal Philbrick of Keene and De
i tcctivc James Bradley.
A warrant for the arrest of Allel
: was issued, charging larceny, and Mar
shal Philbrick went with it to Below
Falls Yesterday, but found Collins thcr
instead of Alien Collins was take
!, into custody and the officer then tele
phoned to L. s. Marshal Carpenter
who went to the railroad station an
picked up Allen, who was expectin
Collins to come from Bellows Falls o
the , clock train.
Marshal Carpenter took Allen I
Bellows Falls by automobile and turne
him over to the Keene officer, who az
companied him to keene, where he We
to be arraigned in court today on I'll
larceny charge.
Allen was taken before Judge Charl,
Madden of the municipal court in keer
this noon. He pleaded guilty to the chars
f of larceny and was sentenced to s
e months in the county Jail He said
Z. was II wears old He had a reyolv
r which it is said he stole from the chi
" of police in White River Junction, al
:. he and Collins had letters and phot
graphs from girls in Bellows Falls al
Greenfield.
This morning Policeman McKinn'
of Bellows Falls brought Collins hel
- and his ease was disposed of as pre-,
ously stated.
Collins had on United States arm
r. uniform and a sleeve band with t
" letters NJ. p. (Military Poiice), VIII
he Allen wore Connecticut state qua
he uniform
mt To Marshal Carpenter Collins stat
hit that he was 25 years old and that
" home was in Portland, Conn. He Ii
rs Camp Devens Aug. 3 on 60hou1
NO leave and had not been back. He Ii
he Allen, who came from another can
sci and they hatched up plan for maxi
ers money Allen claims that they secul
10. money from a priest, claiming tt
ri they had not received their check. I'll
rode from town to town as bli
baggage, as they did not have tn
pass with photo, such as is required
the military police.
!, Collins had papers showing that
enlisted in the Connecticut Natio
Guard in 1911, that he served at
~, Mexican border and that he ente
the federal service in March, 1917.
was discharged in June, 1917, on
no count of having dependent relatiN
but later secured a divorce and Y
he indueted into the service at Camp d
in ems, last spring.
int ------
Natural 0uary