A "BRIGADIER-GENERAL" FROM NEW ZEALAND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1017, 9 November 1917, Page 5

A "BRIGADIER-GENERAL" FROM NEW ZEALAND.

ELECTRICIAN POSES AS MILITARY OFFICER. HIE ARREST IN SYDNEY. (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Pan Passe Association.) Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. Received November 9, 9.10 a.in. SYDNEY, Nov. 9. A most amazing imposition was revealed by the arrest of Frederick John Beteke, charged with unlawfully wearing a military uniform. He appeared in Court in the lull uniform of a brig-adier-general with many decorations. The police gave evidence that the only war experience Beteke over had was as a trooper in the Now Zealand forces in South .Africa, when, owing to an injury to his hip, th<> Imperial Government allotted him one shilling per day pension. I Beteke told the police he was horn in New Zealand and was tho adopted son of a full-blooded German, Otto Beteke. For the past six years he had been posing as a military officer. He first promoted himself to lieut.colonel. He gave military evenings to influential citizens in the western suburbs, and finally assumed the rank of general. Ho appointed a returned soldier whom he met in the train his A.D.C., and presented him with official papers promoting him captain. Beteke headed the recruiting procession in Leichhardt in full regalia and 1 mingled with the best in social circles. His downfall came when he was attending a garden fete at Hnrstville, where , he was arrested. He pleaded guilty. _ \ Accused, who followed the calling of an electrician, was remanded for medical observation, owing to doubts as to his sanity..