The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-10
CHECKEREO CAREER
OF 1t. JOHN WILSON
Poses as Army Officer and Gets Nv
With Many Fraudulent
Deals.

Syracuse, y. Y. oct s." Lienteh-
ant John Judson Wilson, as ne cans
himself. but whose real name is SAID
to he stephen A. Wicks, of Buffalo
and who was arrested i'll Auburn on
charge of forgery shortly after MS
marriage to Miss Mary McQueenie a
pretty young trained nurse who had
attended him during serious illness
was today turned over to Deputy
Sheriff Hunter, of Watertown, Wis,
who came East with reauisiticn papers
for him. This episode appears to be
only an incident in most eSentful
and picturesque career.
Wicks. alias Lieutenant Wilson, &C
cording to the police records. was
married to Miss Minnie Miller. OF
Buffalo. in 1905. He was then twenty
ono years old. A year later, the
records show, he was sentenced To
serve tuo years and six months IN
the Western nenitentiary at Piusburg
for grand larceny. In 1911 he was
sentenced to two years and three
months in Auburn prison, this state.
on the same charge, and in 1915 was
committed to the United States peni-
ten1iary. Leaeenworth, Kan. for i'm
rersonatine an army officer.
Wicks was discharged from Leaven-
worth on July 20 1917. He was next
heard from in Syracuse, Neb. where
he posed as Edward T.. Cook, a
wealthy business man. and proposed
marriage TO the daughter of Edward
Mason. "A prominent citizen OF Omaha
~ then persuaded Mason to vouch
for INN at his bank where ne cssteti
a check for $500 on the First National
Bank of PittshurG. The check was
found 10 be forged and on November
; Cook" was arrested He was
found guilty but received a suspended
sentence and disa ppeared.
A few days after his disappearance
II was discovered that he had been
accompanied in his flight by the
Young wife Of Il bellboy in a local
hotel. The couple were located in
Denver and Cook" was brought back
IN Nebraska and sentenced To an in
definite term of from one to ten years
in Ute state penitcntiary, He was
released. however, on his promise 10
enlist in The army, which he did at
Lincoln. From there he was sent to
brownsville. Texas. He Joined the
Thirteenth United States cavalry on
irril ~ of this year and few weeks
later obtained ten-day furlough He
did not return - camp and on July
- VAS reported as deserter In
formation Was received about the
same time that he had defrauded the
Red Cross out Of considerable sum
vT money
Iic was then traced hack to Denver
sad from there 10 WATERFOWL. Wis -.
here Nc had posed as a lieutenant
ard paid marked attention "a Miss
Florence koser. lie WAS introduced
IN he young woman at bank and
a+hcd check for 5000 purporting
ia hz SJ by f~atn,SeF
Of he Thirteenth cavalry. from which
b" had deserted He disappeared he
fore Tho fraud WAS discovered
On July 4 he turned up in Puts
hors under the name of Lieutenant
Ellis Chase and married Miss Lance
cashier in a barber shop. The brides
father Mas induced 10 cash a-eheek
for s1oo and her brother another for
ssee. The bridegroom then disap-
resred once more.
Four days Later he appeared in
syracuse at the Onondaga ON the
night OF his arrival he WAS taken Ill
ana sent for n nurse and a physician
" ~ McQueenie. twenty-one pretty
tnd l0stF graduated from ST. Joseph $
hospital as nurse, was brought in to
care for the sick lieutenant He
made loas 10 her -a:e<i ,,s..ae ssazsesessl sts
marry him. AZ soon as he was able
Y leaNf ms room Inc i~o Obtained a
-4s$sr 3sa4ssa tssFnsr ard vfrs ssxcaasstYceei
f2tstu and wife,
= '1n the Same day the pseudo iieu-
tenant and his bride went Ia the home
OF Miss McQucenie's parents. in
Auhurn, where arrangements were
made for military church wedding
The groom appeared to haze plenty
ot money and bought an automobile
as wedding gift for his wife. making
substantial FIRST payment aud
promising To pay the balance as soon
~ no could get "a check casned At-
tofalnsly he presented a check for
sano at an~Auhurn bank
The bank soon discovered the check
IA hc forged and on the same after
noon, while the bridegroom was en-
gagged in a rehearsal for the military
wedding he was arrested on the
hatge of forgery. He was committed
10 the Cayusga county jail 10 await
Inc action OF the grand jury. but II
was decided that the county would be
spared expense II he were turned
over to the Wisconsin, authorities
who had been advised OF his arreS!
The deputy sheriff started for the
West with HIS Interesting prisoner.
-Buy Liberty Bond~----
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