Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1919-03-11
NAB EX-OFFICER
OF U. S. ARMY
SECURES LOCAL ENDORSEMENT
ON WORTHLESS DRAFT AND
LEAVES FOR THE COAST
ARRESTED IN SPOKANE SATURDAY
Hansbrough Poses Here as u. s. Sc
cret Service Operative

Second Lieutenant F. S. Hansbrough,
was arrested Saturday night in Spok-
ane by federal officers on the charge
of impersonating an officer. He was
given a hearing yesterday morning be-
fore U. S. Commissioner John l.. Dirks
and was bound over to the federal
grand jury under $4,000 bonds which
he had been unable to furnish at last
reports.
Hansbrough was apprehended en-
tirely through the efforts of r. e.
Saunders, of Brody's Drug Store, and
County Attorney o. c. Wilson.
Early Saturday morning Hansbrough
appeared at the postoffice and asked
Postmaster Wiley to identify him at
the bank so that he could cash a draft
on the secret service department of
the government at Washington, d. c.
Wiley sent Hansbrough to U. S. Com
missioner King but King happened to
be out of his office. In the meantime
Hansbrough went to the Brody Drug
Store where he asked e. e. Saunders
to identify him at the bank Hans
brough told Saunders that he was in
the secret service department and that
he had been sent here on short notice
anu httQ tiaN iilOi lln6 at - III
o'clock on a freight train and that he
was short of funds for expense money.
The man wore a regulation uniform
of an officer and claimed to hold a
captains commission. His story was
quite plausible and Saunders obliged
him.
! After returning from the bank where
Hansbrough cashed his draft Saunders
20 90 tl. . !,
stranger had acted and inasmuch as
he had gone good for $50 for the man,
decided that II would not be amiss to
investigate Mr.. Saunders first found
out that Hansbrough had arrived here
on the G. ~ dinkie Friday night in
stead of on a freight Saturday morn
ing. Then he called up the federal
officials in Spokane and learned that
Hansbrough's procedure in getting
funds was quite irregular and that he
was most probably a crook. At this
stage of the game Mr.. Saunders told
County Attorney Wilson of what had
happened. In the meantime Hans
brough left on Great Northern train
No 43, went to Standpoint and at that
place left the Great Northern train,
went to the Northern Pacific depot and
boarded another train to Spokane.
> County Attorney Wilson phoned in
to Spokane and advised the federal
authorities of Hansbrough's transac-
lions here and requested that they
hold him for investigation.
Accordingly Hansbrough was ar
rested at the Northern Pacific railway
station in Spokane by Spokane detec-
tives. He was found in the dining
car of the train and had arranged
with porter to buy him another tick
ct in Spokane
When arrested Hansbrough had $4S
on his person. having spent So of the
money he had received here. Mr.
Saunders will probably be fully reim-
bursed
Hansbrough gave his age as 25 and
at his hearing yesterday told the Of
fcials that his folks live at Kansas
City, Mo. He is said to be the same
young officer who was arrested al
Fort Sill about year ago on the
charge of passing bad checks. Fol
this offense he was court-martialeC
and sentenced but for some reason the
findings were set aside at Washington
d. c. and he was turned loose bu
was discharged from the service.
Since that episode he has been op
Grating through the middle west ant
came to Spokane where he buncoe'
hotel proprfetors. He is said to hav'
left victims in nearly every town h
. has visited.
Hansbrough has laid himself liabl
to severe sentence for impersonatinl
United States official and is also liza
BILE for obtaining money under falls
Ipretenses. While here he pretende
that he was investigating white slav
case.
Hansbrough had number of Bon
ners Ferry people on his list whom h
intended to try to get to identify hir
at the bank so that he could cash tn
!, $50 draft. He tried to find II. A. Gal
! and o. S. Davis after he failed to fin
: Mr.. King.