The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-20
NO SPY;
HAS KLEPTOMANIA
Willers Blames His Fall on
Impulsive Fascination of
Liberty Bonds.
COURT MARTIAL is ENDED
Army Desertion and Other
Trouble All Are Blamed
on Rowing Desire.

John A. Willers, formerly Captain Of
Company l, Forty-eighth United States
infantry, al the close OF his court mar
tial at Fort Jay yesterday shifted the
responsibility for his desertion from the
Army. the theft of $4,000 in company
funds in December 1918, and his own
story that he was a German spy, onto
his physical condition which he said
bordered on nervous breakdown, and an
uncomfortable impulse of kleptornania.
A feature of the trial was the tes-
tirnoniaI to Willers's abilities as a drill
master, especially with veteran troops.
Lieut.. Col. John l.. Bond said Willers
was an exceptional officer in whipping
troops into shape, and in maintaining
perfect command.
The former Captain said that since
boyhood he had been subject to sudden.
uncomfortable impulses both to rove
and toNsteal. and that in 1905 his par
ents tired of trying to manage MIN
and sent him from their home in Ger
many to the United States. Since then
he had been so busy learning American
customs that his 'kleptomaniac streak
had kept under cover. but he had drifted
the country over working at odd jobs,
and serving enlistments in the army and
coast guard service. buying release from
the later when the impulse gripped him
to "move on
Welded Soon After DesertiOh.
Willers's desertlon followed haunting
dreams" and many sleepless nights, he
testified. After deserving at Camp Sewer
he married a nineteen-y ear-old girl in
Chicago and engaged in a small mail
order business.
One of Willerss pecularities was an
infallbilty at poker, which he played
occasionally in the army Il kept away
from poker games as much as l could"
he said Il felt it was just taking
money away from the other officers.
just seemed to win. / never lost in a
poker game that 1 remember"
Willers said he was excited ana over
wrought whep he told the spy story to
the police. Il have sworn allegiance 10
one Countrywide United States he
said ia.
All went we'll with Willers during the
war. so far as his health was concerned.
He was not sent overseas, but as in
structor was put in charge of troops
being trained for special overseas service
If he had gone over he would have done
as well as the next man, he said. After
the signing of the armistice, however,
with the intensive drill work ended, he
suffered a reaction and worried over his
father and sisters, who We're in Ger
many.
'"The last two weeks l was at Camp
Sewer seemed like one long night" said
the witness IL hardly know what L
did. l had crazy dreams. l could see
my sisters burning up. / was wreck,
and 1 just quit fighting ! just gave up.
Bonds Prove Fascinating.
When asked to explain his alleged theft
and desertion, he said:
1.-TWO men in my company had bought
Liberty bonds think one was 500
bond and the other a $50. When they
came. the first sergeant gave them to
me TO keep for the men. / had no
sooner caught sight of them than |
wanted those bonds. l just had to have
them.
IT went to the bank the next day and
told the cashier to give me all the
Liberty bonds he had. I took them,
gave company funds for them and my
own money, too. I could not resist the
Impulse l had no idea l was going to
leave Camp Sewer when | went for the
bonds. | had no reason TO leave the
army"
Willers denied he had been out of the
country since his arrival in 1905 and
insisted he never had correspondent with
German official In the story he was
alleged to have given the police he was
to- Ia. l,aI haev M h.Rn