A BOGUS HERO

North Otago Times, Issue 13236, 6 March 1915, Page 5

A BOGUS HERO

CRIMINAL AUDACITY LIGHTLY . PUNISHED, ."■-:/■'

SYDNEY, Feb. ,211,

Arllmr William Coleman, alias Edmuni William Lews Ward, 'aged .14 yearS, who • was ; at' one time in''Now 'Zealand, has inndo himself conspicuous by liis rare audacity, amongst-Ilid consitl'iraWe number of persons who have lately pinetisod deceit and fraud in the )iiett'i:ded I'haiaeter of warritfrs of the Empire. Coleman, or Ward, drifted into the town'of Albnry, on the Vic-torian-New South Wales border. He gave himself out to be engineer-corn-inandpr of our new but already famous worship Sydney. • He was enthusiastically welcomed, at the leading club in the pJr.ee, handsomely treated by the citizens, and generally had a splendid time. A nautical officer's uniform which'he- wore helped liim to sustain his.iblo->of-.lioro. :■ lie was. then taken jn Matu to>n patriotic gathering of lads whom he addressed in a speech, giving an account, of the sinking of the Gerninn.. warship Emden with, a r grcnt wealth of picturesque detail, ..The■lads were deeply stirred l , ami. cheered > the "hero" frantically. .But the police became suspicions, and Cojeiiian,, alias Waid, was haled before ''a magistrate on the, charge of having wrongfully worn a colourable imitsltion of a naval officer's uniform., He.pleaded guilty, but said; that the uniform was siicliias merchant service men wore, and that, he got.it when he was an engineer in,the service of the Union Steam pauy Of Now Zealand.',, A police,,ollicer toltl.the Court that: tho man hail a. .quite substantial) criminal .record dating: back to ].<)o4,'.w)ieu he,; was convicted in Lbn;.,, donrof/. 1 having ijnpcrsop.tcd) a .-■policema.n, anti including fraufy-jiorjunyand false pretences <im,England and se.w. 'Zftalawl,.^He, ttMvflne'aV.flve.pfiunds ), \^ s ;W¥t '^UH