"Arrested on Ship for Defalcation - Greek Army Officer Taken Prisoner When Liner Arrives at New York - Accused Alleged Embezzled $500,000" article - Chicago Daily Tribune, December 19, 1910

Published in Chicago Daily Tribune, December 19, 1910

ARRESTED ON SHIP

FOR DEFALCATION

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Greek Army Officer Taken Prisoner

When Liner Arrives at New York.

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WIRELESS PROVES AID.

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Accused Alleged to Have 

Embezzled $500,000 

Hitch in Legal Plans.

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New York., Dec. 18 - [Special.] - Commander Nikolas Simopoulos of the Greek army, said to be implicated with another officer in defalcation of government bonds involving $4,000,000, was made prisoner today on the Greek liner Themistocles, on which he reached this port under an assumed name.

Immigration officials have been on the lookout for the man, but when the vessel was approaching port a wireless was received by Capt. Spiridon Paramythioll, commander of the steamer, transmitted from the Greek minister at Washington.

Say He Embezzled $500,000.

Commander Simopoulos admitted his identity.  He was booked under the name of Spirus Souras.  He was locked up when the steamer came to its pier in Brooklyn.  According to officers of the vessel, he embezzled $500,000.

The skipper of the vessel, acting on instructions handed to him by a representative of the Greek consul on the arrival of the Themistocles, declared to the immigration men he would not surrender his prisoner, as he had been told to take him back with him.  The immigration official, who boarded the steamship at quarantine, insisted, and Simopoulos was brought to the salon and questioned.  He said he was 32(?) years old and was born in Tripoli.  He explained he was on his way to see Kyriakos Bourkas in Milwaukee.

Holds Man on Shipboard.

The captain of the steamer was notified that as Simopoulos was a regular passenger he must be sent to Ellis Island.  The captain did not recede from his position to hold the man on shipboard, as the person was not landed, and was under the Greek flag.  The point will be fought out tomorrow.