BOGUS GENERAL.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13984, 21 November 1917, Page 6

BOGUS GENERAL.

'/ft" *✓< igiisswipwii wmmM &^ssow§3 ■ ?•"' SXDNB^ ; DTSC^oisu BES. f•" :■• , MILITARY HERO'.' GAOLED. V (Cablo-Proßß Aesociatioi"—■ Coyprigtt;) ileccivcd November 20, 10.15 p.m. SYDNEY, November 20. - Frederick John .Bet'cke,. 'the bogus I • irenoralj lias - been sentenced . to two months' imprisonmont; , with liar" labour. / An Interesting Career. An nmaziiig story oof impoaition was repealed , a,t thbe Padtlington Police^' Court, Sydney, ,on the 9th xxi?t.,_ when Frederick John TJstcke, aged tlnr yeight, was charged. With unlawful y •wearing ii military uniform, and With falsely representing himself to bo a re- ; ■; turned soldier, , When arrested-lie was wearing tie uniform of a "lie colours on his tunic disclosed that llfl had the Distinguished Conduct Medal, and the other medals ho. wore were King Edward's Coronation, the Egyp-. tian Campaign 1882-1880, the Third Indian General Service 1897-98, the Naval Long. Service, China 1900, South African War (King's and Queen's), Natal ]flo6, I lie 'lmperial Long Service and Good Conduct, and the Khedive Staff 1882-1889; Betcko appeared in th,o dock ... to day with the uniforiu awl decorations Oil,' Other colours found in Betckc's pos-. session included the Royal Humaue So-/ cicty's life-saving certificate. • Lord French's "Tribute." An honour roll found in 'Bctcke's . house ill Harrow road, Stamnore, was . before the Court, In regard to , this Betcke stated to the police that it was absolutely genuine, and had been sent out by Lord French from tlie -Warj Office. When, however, it was pointed out that it was made, of Australian silky ~ oak, lie admitted that it had been made by a Chinaman at Waterloo. The statement of the police was that the only war experience Betcke ovor had was when he was a trooper in a Xew Zealand force at the South African war. Owing to an injury! to his hip a pension of Is per day was allotted to him by the Imperial Government, and he had been drawing his pension at the Imperial Pensions Office, George street North. • "Military Evenings." For six years lie lind been posing as a military officers, and the pensions ollicc was picked on by him as his official address. When lie promoted him■elf to the rank of liciilciiaiit coloiiel he gave two "'military evenings" in order to bring together sonic influential citizens of the western suburbs. At this time lie was drum-major of the Newtown Band. Finally he assumed tlie rank of a general, He followed his business as an electrician. .His billheads were addressed:— Dinner to General Betcke, D.0.M., E.D. Betcke gave a dinner, in order to unveil the roll of honour. Cards printed as follows were sent out:— . Unveiling tho honour roll of Major-Geneval Sir Charles Betcke !s family. Presentation to BrigadierGeneral Betcke, Wednesday, 28th March, 1917. The toasts as printed were "The King" and "Anzac Day," proposed by the Hon. W, A. Holman, M.L.A., Prcmior of New South Wales, supported by the Hon, D. B, Hall, M.L.A., chairman. How lie explained thoir absence to his 1 guests is not known.- ... ... J Returned Soldier as A.D.O. Betcke's social duties : "became;.-so 1 heavy that lie decided to appoint an ; A.D.C, He picked out a genuino returned Anzac named Kennedy. He saw 1 him riding in a tram. He introduced himself as General Betcke, and offerejl the soldier the appointment indicated. Betcke presented him with official 1 papers marked "Staff Ollicc, Imperial Military Forces." He promoted this 1 soldier to the rank of captain, and gave 1 him a letter, which read:—"l4/10/'l7. 1 To Captain Kennedy, L.C, Dear air,— You are promoted to the rank of honorary captain attached to B Battery, ' 8.F.A., also A.D.C. to General Betcke, 1 D.C.M., K.D., from the 1/10/ '17." Last mouth Betcke attended a mili- : tai'.v procession in aid of recruiting, This procession was 1 organised by the 1 recruiting officers in the western sub- • urbs. Punctually on the time of assembly Betcke arrived in the full regalia of a Brigadiet'-General. Ho licad--1 ed the inarch to the Lcichhardt Town 1 Hall, and later mingled with tho promi- • iient residents present, l Betcke had invitation cards printed 1 in gold lettering, as follow: — General Betcko, D.C.M., K,D,, roquests tl'c pleasure of company I at a military evening, to bo held at 9 Harrow road, Stanmoro, on Saturi day, 12th January, 1918, at 7 p.m, i Captain Kennedy, secretary. ' On tlie reverse is printed, "Military men in uniform to fall in at Nowtown Bridge at (1.45 p.m." Opening a Garden Fete. L On tho evening of his arrest, Novem- / her "rd, Betcke, accompanied by his A.D.C., attended, by the special invitation of the committee the opening of a ' garden fcto at Hurstvillc. Betcke was arrested by the Provost* ' Marshal, Lieutenant E. S. Anderson, Lieutenant Springhall, and Sergeant Gordon Murdoch, of the Garrison.Military Police. When Lieutenant Anderson told Kennedy that Betcke was an impostor, Kennedy replied: "Well, I'm jiggered, T got a big enough shock at< Gnilipoli when a shell buried me, but this is a bigger shock." When charged with the two offences, Betcke pleaded guilty. • , Sergeant. Murdoch stated that Betcke had told him that he was born in New F-' Zealand, and that lie was,tlie adopted son of a full-blooded German, Otto Betcke. '. . Mr Franger (for Betcke): Have you had him examined mentallyi. J ' Witness: No, "Did he ever try to get money by reason of his imposition?— Not so far as I know.. ' , • ~ He was only endeavouring to pose as a hero -May be. But lie got a. job with the Railway. Department on his . representation that he was a returned ' J soldier. ' . ' ' Mr Franger said that. Betcke had a. , wife and two children.' Thore was a ' doubt as to the state of Betcko's mind. "It is the most extraordinary case I ever heard of," concluded tho sqlieitor. ' Sergeant Murdoch said that: Betcke was a very clever electrician. Finally, Mr Payten, 8,M., remanded Betcke for medical observation. " •