The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-10
FAKE ARMY OFFICER
HELD FOR DISCRETION
Speicher, Who Had Escaped
From Governors Island, Is
Recaptured.
CAUGHT WHILE UP STATE
Money Promised to Soldiers
Said to Have Opened the
Prison Gates.

Frank +. Speicher. who escaped from
the military prison at Governors Island
about a month ago. where he was held
on charges of desertion and impersonat-
ing an army officer with intent to de-
fraud. has been recaptured. According
to word which reached here yesterday
he was taken up State Saturday by Sc
cret Service agents who have been trail
ing him ever since the day he donned
the uniform of an army Captain and
walked unconcernedly past the guard at
Castle Williams. A countrywide search
has been made for the missing prisoner
Speicher was an automobile mechanic
and was drafted into the Motor Trans
port Corps from his home at Arlington,
". j., last June. later being assigned to
the Fifth Engineer Training Battalion at
Camp HUMPHREYS, Va. He had snap and
the officers liked him. and when he APP
piled for a ten days furlough to go to
Washington ito see some friends about a
commission the leave was granted.
When he returned and said Second
L,eutenancy had been given to him and
hA had taken the oath in Washington the
authorities at Camp HUMPHREYS believed
him. He was felicitated. when shortly
afterward a notice came, ostensibly from
the War Department. promoting him to
a First Lieutenancy. Another leave OF
absence resulted in his return in a Cap
tair's uniform. No one doubted his good
fortune or suspected 1t was not genuine.
Last October he was arrested at Camp
Humphres on a charge OF embezZlle-
ment, made at Newark, y. j. He was
Humphries on a charge OF embezzle'
upon he promptly started forming a
S2,000.000 syndicate. II is charged, tc
purchase surplus supplies from the Gov
eminent after the war. The prominent
Newark business men who were inter
ested were greatly impressed at SPEECH
ers sudden promotion to Majority. He
took representatives of the syndicate &c
Camp Holabird. Maryland. where he ex'
hibited what purported to be an order
from Gen. Drake of the Motor Transpor
Corps authorizing him TO sell surplus
equipment, including 992 Dodge cars and
s22bO,000 worth of tires. The favorable
impression thus created was enhanced
when Speicher appeared next clad In thu
uniform OF a Lieutenant-Colonel HI
explained that his work in arranging thu
sale had gained him another promotion
Speicher Is charged with having OBJ
tained $1,000 from members of the syn
dictate to be used at Washington II
facilitating the deal in certain Influential
ant-Colonel failed to return to Newark
members of the syndicate started in
quiries. with the result that they dis
covered he had no authority whateve
to negotiate the sale OF anything. The!
learned too that he had bought $500
automobile and affected a reconciliation
with his wife, who was overwhelmed b,
his rapid rise in the army.
Early in April detectives arrested
Speicher at Danbury. Conn. after
thirty-six hour chase. He was take
to Governors Island as a deserter an
as a plain private. His escape followe
q few weeks later.
The police say Speicher was ARRESTED
in Detroit in 1912 for forgery. 1t is ais
charged that there are indictment
against him in Newark and Jersey Cit
for accepting money for automobiles 70
which he was agent and then failing t
deliver the cars. There is an additions
charge in Newark that he left town with
cut observing certain formalities regard
inF bail bond.
Surprise was expressed at the head
quarters of the Eastern Department las
night that Speicher had not reached a
least the rank of a Brigader-General b
tho time OF his recapture Saturday