Huntsville gazette., 1889-02-02
HUNGRY JOE"
Checkered Career Of This Famous
~ Bunko Steerer.
The Prince OF Confidence Men Began His
Criminal Life With the Notorious Gar
rity Boys-Queer Stories Told by
His Friends.

Hungry Joe," who was sentenced
to term of nine years in the peniten-
tiary at Baltimore recently, was the
prince of confidence operators. and
until late years one of the most sue
cessful bunkO men that ever infested
the large cities of this country and
Europe. Among his victims We're
shrewd and wealthy businessmen,
titled foreigners, statesmen, eminent
lawyers, and even that esthetic genius,
Oscar Wilde. A more plausible yet
impudent rascal never existed. For
nearly twenty years he has preyed
upon unsuspecting humanity, and dur
ing all that time he has openly defied
the law. Although arrested innumer-
able times he has had the good luck to
almost always escape punishment for
his crimes, and until now he has never
but once been humiliated by conviction
in a court of justice.
Hungry Joe" was born and
brought up in Chicago. His real name
is Joseph Lewis, but he has as many
aliases as he has hairs in his head. In
some cities he is known only as Francis
j. Alvany, and in others as Henry F.
Post, but to the police and criminal
classes he has for many years passed
as Hungry joe" No one seems to
know just how or when he got his
nickname. Probably some of the old
time gamblers gave it to him because
OF his enormous and fastidious appe-
tite. His friends say he can eat more
and oftener than any one they ever
saw.
A story that has been told about him
many times is that he once got broke
In Baltimore and walked into one of
the swell restaurants of the town and
requested the proprietor to serve the
best dinner he could give him.
Hungry Joe," as usual, was dressed
in the height of fashion and impressed
the caterer as being a great nabob. A
sumptuous dinner, comprising the rar-
est and choicest delicacies Of the sea-
son, was ordered by the proprietor and
served in a private room on the finest
china that the establishment afforded,
together with four different kinds of
wine. For two hours Hungry Joe"
ieasted, and when he could eat no
more he politely bowed to the pro-
prietor. said he hoped some time to re-
pay the courtesy, and started toward
the door. The restaurant man angrily
intercepted him, but the gentlemanly
bunko-steerer cheekily explained:
''Why, my dear sir, what is the
matterp Ihave no money, and was
hungry. applied to you for succor
and humbled myself to the extent of
begging you for the best dinner you
could give. You nobly responded to
my appeal for aid by giving me a
banquet that any King might feel
honored to have placed before him.
Don't, 1 beg of you, spoil my happiness
and the high opinion have formed of
your great, generous heart by resort
ing to harsh threats and acts of vio-
lence."
"Who are youp" asked the irate
proprietor.
:. Hungry joe"
The caterer, realizing that he had
been made victim of one of the
slickest confidence men in the country,
concluded to make the best of it and
finally he told "Hungry Joe" that he
would forgive him If he would play
the same game on rival restaurateur
up the street.
"What's the name?" asked "Hun-
cry Joe"
The restaurant man gave the name
and number of his rival.
''Name another" said Hungry
Joe," bursting into a fit of laughter.
1.-The fact is, I sprung it on him this
morning, and he gave me five dollars
extra to catch you"
Joe received but little schooling,
and for that reason his polished man.
ners and apparent familiarity with al
most every topic is q marvel to those
who knew him as boy. How he ever
acquired his genteel bearing and his
extensive knowledge of things, per-
sons, and events puzzles his friends.
He is equally at home lounging about
the corridors of big hotels, the count
ing-room of some great mercantile or
banking house, the ballroom at some
fashionable watering-place, the gam