South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-03-30
LAMARDCONFESSES
TO IMPERSONATION
AT GRAND RAPIDS
belgian. Arrested Here. Ad.
mits Never Having Taken
Part I'm World War.

Belgian aviation lieutenant. con-
fesscd yesterday 20 the federal au-
thoritles at Grand Rapids. Mich.
that he never saw service in the
World war or any other war and Is
not entitled % wear the Belgian
army uniform or the large number
of medals with which he had array
cd himself.
The young Belgian came 20 the
attention Of the local authorities
several weeks ago when he appeared
in Mishawaka and collected funds
20 aid other crippled Belgian vet
ferans" lie nceced citizens there
out OF Approximately $1,000, 10 IS
said. a dance was given in his honor
and the proceeds from If turned over
90 his veterans fund"
Following his success nj Misha
vaka. he appeared ni Grand Rapids
UOwagiac Niles and other southern
Michigan cities. He was successful
iu an these cities Tie returned 90
Nishawaks. however. for q second
visit and a Belgian there told the
police OF Lamard's impersonation
and ne was placed under surveil-
lance by the police. a short time
later he was arrested and held at
the request Of the Grand Rapids po-
Ace. II Is said that ne is also wanted
~ the police of Brussels Belgium
Had Denied Guilt.
Up until yesterday Lamard had
professed his innocence and stuck TO
his story that ne had been Eassed
and wounded II times in the World
war. Yesterday however, while
IL p
Atty. Edward J. Bowman. the Bel
gian, with the aid OF an interpreter
told the following tale
Il was born i'm AIacquenoise. Bel
GUM. AS a youth / attended the
government school in that town and
learned the trade of tailoring. When
Belgium entered the war. my class
was too young 90 be called. I tried
TO enlist, hut was refused.
AT first I obtained a job hoeing
potatoes and guarding potatoe hclds
from the ravages Of the wild bOars
Then ] took up the trade % tobac-
Condst which I had learned while "a
prisoner. I knew a special mixture
and my product became known as
the best in town. Ny father was a
maker or wooden shoes. Later
took the military examinations but
was refused. so i never saw military
service.
Came 10 =. :. I'm 1919.
I'm 1919 became tired OF BeIgi-
UNI and proceeded go Bordeaux,
where / took a boat for the United
States and landed i'm Norfolk. Va
There I obtained employment with
\ q fOriSt with whom / remained
: month Then I got a job on a boat.
, sailed TO Holland once but on the
return trip was very sick 10 was
iu Holland. about a year ago. that
first began TO have fainting spells
and I've had them often since They
are not faxed / landed this time
in New Orleans Ny leg hurt and
couldn't work. so I went 90 the fed
crsI board and asked them for help.
They talked with me and then gave
me a paper which has helped me
much since. I lied to them; said /
had seen service. been wounded L
times and gassed thrice. Then 1
came north and went from place to
place. I got a uniform and put on
a lot Of medals and wound stripes.
II sold books on tho war i'm thea
ters and other places The AmerI-
cans made speeches for me and /
collected the money. 7 never wrote
word of untruth about myself.
The Americans wrote all the papers
which fooled their fellow Americas.
Tho medals don't mean anything
and neither do the wound stripes.
] doubt il any soldier who received
so many wounds lived 20 tell the
story
Il have got IA wounds but I didn'
set them in the war once I was
shot accidentally while hunting
another time gun exploded i'm my
hands and another time n child
threw loaded shell at me-"
I Gould Have kept Up Bluff"
Asked If ne was telling the truth.
tile young Belgian replied. Eyes
sir. I did not como here TO he. II
had wanted 10 do that I could have
kept up my bluff I guess Lamard
probably Will be arraigncd in the
district court Grand Rapids. soon
Tor sentence. He SAYS he does not
want 90 return Co Belgium.
During the course OF his travels.
70 is said that Iamard was royalty
entertained hy unsuspccting citizens
az the various cities and towns
where he worked" Tie gave
speeches ON tho war iu broken Eng
-ish and won much admiration and
money from his audiences. lie made
point Of visiting offices OF The
American Legion iu each town
where ne stopped and was accorded
bosptable treatment and financial
AID bv many.
Tamard was arrested by the
Mishawaka police on SATURDAY
March is. and was held iu the jail
until wednesday. March %. when
De was taken 30 Indianapolis by L.
s Marshal Rcsms 90 await trial by
the federal authorities Tie was later
sert to Grand Rapids.
Bishop " hite Interested in