Arizona republican., 1920-07-30
FROM MARINE AND ARGONNE BAT TLE TO PHOENIX JAIL
Arrest Halts Social and Hec- tic Business Career of Man Whose Local History
 Has Sarcely a Dull Line

To have fought with honor in the battles of the Marne. in the Mouse Argonne offensive. and in the drive through Chateau Thierry; to have risen, in the hardest fighting along the western front from the grade of private in the infantry to that of ser geant and finally to the rank of sec ond lieutenant: to have the privilege of wearing one wound stripe and three or gold to denote his service overseas; to have been honorably discharged after a military career of which any young man might justly be proud, and then to have forgotten all this. to have assumed the uniform of an officer in the United States army fraudu- lently, to have used that uniform to obtain money under false pretenses, and to have aspired to social glory under circumstances which have re- suited in his arrest and arraignment here by the department of justice, are the successive chapters, according to officials of that department, in the life of Clarence J. Cooper, alias Lieut.. A. F. Mays, Jr., who is now in the county jail awaiting trial
 Cooper was arrested by Fred A. Weage, deputy United States mar shal, and agents of the department of justice, on Wednesday afternoon, just after he had left a cafe with a num- Der of men and women friends The
 
 he was wearing the uniform of an officer in the United States army un- lawfully. although a charge of obtain ing money by false pretenses has been lodged against him by the West ern Union Telegraph company.
 Confesses to Officials.
 Taken to the office of the depart ment of justice. he was confronted with the evidence against him which had been gathered by Deputy Weage and the agents of the department, and, according to the officials, after a gen. eral denial of the allegations brought against him. he confessed to the truth of the charges against him and ex- plained his activities in detail.
 His story, according to the officials is that of an intelligent, well-appear- Ing young fellow who has carried out his designs with courage and fineSSe < Cooper, or Lieut.. Mays, as he is said to be known to scores of new ac- quaintances here, came to Arizona a month and a half ago from Cali fornia. and has been living in Phoenix for about three weeks His history, as uncovered by the arresting officers, begins in 1917, when he entered the United States army as a private in the 23rd regiment of infantry. This unit was sent to France early in the war and was brigaded with the famous second division. Cooper served with distinction at the Marne. at the Meuse- Argonne battle, and at that of Chateau Thierry, and rose rapidly from the rank of private to that of second lieu tenant. Returning to the United States at the end of the war. he was sent ito Camp Kearney. San Diego, Calif.. where he was discharged. He was wearing then the extra insignia to which he was entitled-a wound chev- ron and three gold stripes for service Fin France. At this point his adven- lures in civil life are said to have started.
 Made Friends Easily.
 Officials of the department of jus tice do not know. they say, when h' first assumed the uniform and insig- mia of a first lieutenant unlawfully. but 1t was before coming to Arizona, fol Cooper has told them that he wore ii In San Diego and Los Angeles. Bu1 three weeks ago he arrived in Phoe- uix. and his history since then. ac cording to the officials, has becom well known.
 Suspicion first was directed agains him. officials say. after Cooper, under the name of Lieut.. A. F. Mays Jr., hat been longer in Phoenix with less ap- parent business here than is usua with officers connected with any branch of the army or navy. He wa: presumably living well. it is said, an