The New York herald., 1922-06-11
MAJOR TRUEP POSED
AS A LORD in j. S.
Served Term in California
Prison for Flssry of
Stolen Mo-ley Orders.
SOLDIER OF FORTUNE
Had Been African Sheep
Rancher, Aviator and
a Prize Fighter.
BRITISH ARE INsIsTENT
Protest Commitment to Prison
of Slayer of Young a
Woman.
BRITISH ARE INsIsTENT

SAN FRANCISCO, June 10.-Major
Ronald True. whose reprieve from the
gallows for murder has brought a
storm of protest from the British
press, claimed to be Lord de Freyne,
s.epson of Lord Glen Falloch of Scot
land, when he served fifteen months
Federal sentence in the Alameda
county Jail in 1915 for forging stolen
money orders. So
British newspapers freely intimated
tEat True was the son Of one Of the
most noted gentlewomen of the Eng
lish nobility, but True's identity has
been withheld by the British authori-
ties. He was tried for the murder of
Gertrude Yates in London three weeks
ago and saved from hanging by COM
mitment to hospital for the criminal
insane.
The facts of his conviction and SEN
tence in Alameda, across the bay from
San francisco. we're brought to light by
William MADEIRA. post office inspector,
who traced True lin his flight from the
Pacific coast to New Orleans, where
ha was arrested for the theft and
forgery of money orders. Comparison.
of photographs Of Ahe English felon
with those of True taken here COM
pleted. the Identification.
At the time OF his conviction here he
claimed right to the title of Honorable
Arthur Reginald French, otherwise Lord
dc Freyne. of French Park, County
Roscomnon. ireland.
He was an adventurer and born
soldier ofHfortune, according to the Of
ficer who trailed him from San Fran
cisco to New Orleans.
''Hes had been army officer, sheep
rancher in Africa, Aviator in Brazil,
member of the Royal Canadian police.
and while in San Francisco tried his
hand at prize fighting MADEIRA said.
''Ie was sought for passing a forged
s92 money order on San Francisco
hotel"
When he quit San Francisco, MADEIRA
said True left in his room belt such
Mounted Police, from which the Fed
e,-al officer said True had deserted just
before coming to San Francisco.
On his discharge after his fifteen
months sentence here he left for Hong
kong early in 1915 with the intention of
enlsting in the British army.
LONDON, June lU.-Ine Outcry against
the reprieve Of Major Ronald True. who
was committed to an institution for the
criminal insane after having been con-
victed of the murder of Gertrude Yates.
continues to-day unabated. According
10 the Evening Standard. an attempt
probably will be made to raise the ques-
tion in Parliament when II convenes on
Monday
The champions of Home Secretary
Shorts act of clemency say that under
the law he had no alternative. The law
provides that in case prisoner is sem
fenced to death, if there is reason to be-
lieve him TO be insane the Secretary OF
State shall appoint experts to inquire
into the prisoners mental condition.
A Home Office official said that
Secretary Short acted on the reports of
two prison physicians, who. after OBJ
serving True for two months. reported
he was Insane. MIR. Short accord
ingly appointed three medical experts to
examine the prisoner, all of whom
agreed he was insane.