The sun., 1919-04-02
HERO'S WOODEN Leg
50 REAL 1T SQUIRMS
Inquisitive Jersey Girl I'm
masks Secret of Actor in
War Cripple Role.
DANCES HIMSELF TO JAIL
"Sergt.-Major Ryan's" War
Cross and Relics All Claimed
by Others.

William Ham, actor. will not act
again for a long. long time. In the
clolstered solitude OF the local bastile
OF Elizabeth, ". j., last night. william
Ham scratched his legs ruefuliy and
then angrily. The left leg was a good
little leg, but tho right one had booted
him Unto the jug. and so It was in
deep desoond, William soliloqulzed
upon his misfortune.
Take the day before yesterday, for
instance, and he was the chipperest bit
OF masculinity in New Jersey. He was
Sergeant Major William Ryan. 'the
FIRST man to carry Old Glory over the
tor in the Tout sector whose right leg
was shattered by shell in o terrific at
tack. after which he won the Croix do
Guerre, after which he came to this
country, invaded home, after which he
gathered millions Of dollars for Unclo
Sam by speeding in the third Liberty
Loan campaign, for which Gov. Whit
man wrote to him quite eulogisingiy.
following which Lord and Lady Aber-
deem banqueted and feted him in the
Lord and Lady's house. as n result of
which tho Proctor Circuit booked our
hero for q vaudeville tour, inNwhich he
exhibited the Croix de Guerre and ell
the souvenirs of the great war, includ-
cracked. which brings Us right down
to the Jersey town named after the
high coilared Queen Of England.
Carries EIiEabeth's First Line.
When William Ham, or, as grateful
America knew him, William Ryan,
hoped of RATHER from Newark and
exploded into Main street. Elizabeth, to
him were drawn all the adoring Aphro-
dites that the somnolent Jersey town
boasts Of. for our wounded hero was not
only hero but, despite his wooden Lex.
was the epitome. or. as Dulcinea would
have It. the subliniity, the acme. the
embodiment. the summit of terpsichorean
lgracefulness. and when he danced Well,
anyway. Dulcy says just to put ones
arms on his shoulder and be spun away
| in the dance was like draught of~pure
ecstacy, for she was filled with bewitch-
| ment, and In her classic dome she heard
| the hummlng Of bees and carrolling OF
cuckoos. owls. bats and nightingaies. So
did all Of Dulcy's friends. and that's
why they let him wear their diamond
rings. watches and all that sort OF puppy
love stun. Until came the might. when
our hero was tired Of dancing and sat 1,
out with Dulcy. Besides being fervent
| adorer OF our returned heroes Dulcy II
(bubbling with witticisms 70
| 'How's your leg feel. William she
smiled coyly and let one hand stray
down toward the mechanical wooden
limb.
Feel? Stop you kidding" But Dulc,
was bound to get laugh. and she play
fully poked him beneath the joint Of the
leg (where II the leg was an arm II
would be the funny bonc).
Reveals . Surgical Marvel.
william. got any knots In your leg
Maybe I could look through the kno
holes, hey?" she piped. which sally ma.
have angered our wounded hero. but tn
poking digit ticitled his leg. and he salt
so, at which the inquisitive Miss Dulc.
slyly poked again, and the man from
Toul sauirmed as though a thousand
| woozelwoofs were scrambling all owe
him. or he had on a tickllsh shirt. Dulc.
was shocked. The leg was not woodei
leg. but one Just like his left leg. Sh
asked for her diamond ring, and for he
| cousin Clarabel's. and the others, but h
Indignantly walked away.
| Detectives Tom O'Brien and Jim Kelli
NETT OF the Elizabeth constabulary 20
onto Sergesnt-Major Ryan's trar yes
terday. In the frst place. his war relic
were recognized as those being stole
| from MalCCm baker anu hehyou SonB
don, ambulance drivers OF Mount Yer
non "a town visited by our hero las
June), and secondly. ne complained tina
his Croix de Guerre was stolen in III
Elizabeth X. Of {. hut, which resulte
In the l.. of c. secretaries finding on
that Sergeant-Majo~ William Ryan wa
not among those decorated with tina
cross.
So they piched the hero yesterday al
ternoon. and upon questioning him 1
Police Headquarters discovered that
was none other than william Ham, actor
and that his last experiment in impos
tering was a year ago when he spen
a while In Mercer county prison for pos
ing as an officer OF the United State
Army. He was turned over to the Unite
States authorities. and Charles +. Lynch
United States District Attorney, sal
yesterday he would prosecute the youn
hero.