The Critic and record., 1891-05-13


A curiosity IN crime has just been dis
covered at Lansing, Kan. The contrver
of this new thing in an old art is a colorcd
man named George Lewis. Heis native
of the Old Dominion, cavalryman, edu
Gated and an expert penman. He enlisted
in the Regular Army, and was transferred
to duty, as a messenger in the War De-
partment. Some two years ago he COM
mitted forgery, which, being contrary to
good order and military discipline" re-
suited in his being tried and sentenced TO
ten years imprisonment. This the Secre-
tary cut down to five years, and Lewis is
now serving his sentence.
His attempted cnme while in Jail, was
again forgery, and he came within an ace
OF getting 100000 and his liberty by his
scheme.
Being so good peuman he was assigned
to the task of writing letters for the con-
victs. They would sometimes send out
money drafts, usually those of the First
National Bank of Leavenworth on the
Mercantile National Bank of New York.
The story of what followed is told in the
New York SIN and forms one of the most
interesting chapters of crime.
On February 10 last one of the convicts
got draft for 81 and gave il TO Lewis 10
be forwarded in letter. Lewis by some
means obtained materials and raised the
draft for 81 to $4,000. II was a clever
piece of forgery. Lewis sent this draft to
the Fountain Savings Bank of Richmond,
of which II. T. Hill is cashier. He sent
the draft for deposit TO his own order. He
also sent Mr.. Hill letter dated Harkness,
Kansas. This letter stated that the draft
which had been forwarded represented the
price received by Lewis for ranch in
Kansas. He said that he had sold the
ranch to an English nobleman, Lord
Randlet through the nobleman's agent,
John II. Scott. Lewis enclosed letter
from Scott dated Trafalgar square, Char
ing Cross, London, january 20 1891.
This letter notified Lewis that his princi-
pal, Lord Randlet had decided to pur
chase the ranch, and enclosed draft for
$50, 600 for the same. This left it to be in
ferred tn at Lewis had deposited the Eng
lish draft at Leavenworth for collection
and bought draft on New York with
the proceeds. Lewis's letter and the Scott
enclosure were typewritten.
Lewis sent TO the Richmond bank
another letter signed by Scott, in which
| il was SAID that Lord Randlet would soon
| leave England in his yacht and Join Lewis
| in San Francisco. This letter of Lewis
| requested Cashier Hill to have the draft
| for $50, eco on the Mercantile Bank certi-
| iied-that is, Cashier Hill was to write or
telegraph to the Mercantile National
| Bank people here in New York and ask
| il the Draft OF the First National Bank of
| IearenwoFIh for $4,000 was all right.
| Cashier Schenck Of the Mercantile looked
| over the Fist Nationals account and saw
| that The leavenwortb bank had a balance
| Of $4,000 and he notified Hill that the
l.eavenwortl banks draft for $4,000 was
| all right and would be honored. II was
| forwarded and paid.
BY this time it was approaching March
| l. Right here steps in an accomplice of
Lewis, a negro, who is known in the Lam
sing penitentiary as Sam Bryant, bat who
| has had various aliases, such as Sam
| Reeves and Sam Cox. He had also been
a soldier. He was sentenced from Shaw
nee County, Kansas, Tor robbery, and his
term of five years expired on March l..
After his release Bryant went to D0d-
worth S Co., printers, at Leavenwortb,
presented an order purpOrting to come
from Captain Hilliers, U. S. A., and n
letter head of the Judge Advocate Gen
erals office. The letter ordered twenty
five copies of the engraved letter head TO
be printed as nearly fac simile as possible.
Bryant left the work of receiving the
forged letter heads TO an accomplice, who
has not yet been discovered. This accom-
plice took them To Lewis, alias Captain
Hilliers, in the jail. Bryant reached
Richmond, and on a check of Lewis Sc.
cured $3.50 of the 500, 600 and went on ia
Washington TO put through the last chap.
ter of Lewis swindle.
Warden Chase received on one of the
letter-heads of the Adiutant- General
Office of the War Department an order on
hlm signed William Reeves. Warden
Chase took Reeves to be a clerk in the
War Department. The order appeared tc
he certified by the Assistant Secretary ot
War, and it notified Chase that Lewis hac
been pardoned and directed his release
1t is needless TO say that the order haC
been forged by Lewis on one of the spuri
GUS letter-heads delivered to him in jai
by the second accomplice and by Lewi
sent to Bryant in Washington. All tina
Bryant had to do was to send it back t
Chase in a War Department envelope
BY way of preparing Chase's mind, Levi
had already written to himself lette
from Reeves saying that Lewis friend
in Washington were working for his par
don, and that no doubt in few days
happy decision would be reached. Tha
letter he had forwarded to Bryant TO
transmission back to him.
The letter was read by the warden, n
all convicts' letters are, and two day
later Chase received a telegram from
Washington, saying that a pardon ha
been made out for Lewis and was on it
way. This telegram was signed Reeves.
. BY the next mail came the forged officia
announcement of Lewis pardon. Jus
here the plot broke down. Lewis was
little bit too smart. In an appendix /
the official letter was q request that th
1 warden should hand the document over
Lewis, so that Lewis might use it I
identify himself at the War Department
and get any back pay due him. Warde
, Chase wrote to the Department that
did not like to hand over the pardon
, Lewis, as it was his only voucher for til
conVicts release.
/ He asked the War Department to su!
Q gest some other means of helping Lew
to receive proper identification. Til
| officials wrote back to Chase that no pa
= don had been issued for Lewis. The il
was up. Chase searched Lewis cell an
r found the twenty-three unused lett,
heads.
. Lewis freedom of communication wit
/ the outside world, it may be presume
4 was considerably abridged after tia
d The $40, ,750 lay untouched in the savinl
C bank in Richmond. May 4 was settlir
day between the Leavenworth bank al
! the Mercantile National. The bank
I.eavenworth was debted with $4,000 tC
), much. Telegraphic inquiries and answe
- passed and the SO, 750 was recovered
T. The Mercantile from the savings banks
a Richmond. From Lewis Sl30 more w
/ recovered. Bryant got away with h
/. little bit of money.