The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-12
A NOTED FORGERY.
Ono That Is Without a Parallel lie
tlo History o. Crime.
A Clever negro Re MAJ Who Used the
Name or President Grant to Get
Himself Out of the Fen
itentiary.

George Lewis (colored). formerly a
member OF the ninth cavalry. Who had
been serving u long sentence in the
penitentiary for forgery. was arrested
on another charge of the same kind as
he was leaving the prison gate the other
day. after having completed his last
sentence, says a Topeka Kan. CORE
spondcnt of the New York Times.
There was nothing remarkable in this
except that his arrest recalls story Of
forgery that is without parallel in the
history of crime, at least In the west.
Lewis had been a messenger in Wash
ington, detailed on duty at the war de-
partment 1t was while there that he
committed the first forgery that led to
his imprisonment. He had been in
prison less than year when he pro-
cured through the assistance of friends
n blank pardon, such as is used by the
president of the United States. This
he filed out and signed the names Of
President Grant and the then assistant
secretary Of war. Having completed
this work, he struggled it into the pris-
on mail, opportunities for which were
plenty, as he had been detailed as clerk
in the warden's Office. In due time the
friend in Washington to whom it had
been sent telegraphed the warden that
the pardon had that day been transmit
ted, signing the name of the presidents
private secretary to the dispatch.
When the expected pardon was re-
ceivcd by Warden Smith the signatures
We're compared with others known to
be geilui ne. not that there was suspi
cion, but merely as matter of precau-
ton, as had been customary. The par
don was pronounced correct, and Lewis
was called in and informed Of its re-
ceipt and notified that he was free
man. Had he been satisfied with his
freedom he would soon have been at lib
erty. and detection of the forgery might
not have occurred for years.
When the warden told him to prepare
to change his clothes for those of a Cit
izen Lewis asked that he might have
the pardon, in compliance with a mar
ginal note in the paper. This request.
showing knowledge Of the contents
of the document that had not been
shown him, excited the suspicion of the
deputy warden, who desired to know
what he wanted it for The answer
was ready: For purposes OF Identified
ton" He was ordered back to his cell,
and the warden then telegraphed to
President Grant inquiring il the par
don had been issued on such date. In
less than four hours the answer was re-
turned that it had not been issued then,
and that if such document had been
received it was fraudulent.
When confronted with this message
Lewis denied all knowledge of the trans
action for a time, but the dark cell soon
caused him to confess 1t was only
then that another and equally bold
forgery came to light, which was q part
Of his scheme for providing for himself
when free.
He had in some manner secured a
draft on Virginia bank. payable at
one of the Leavenworth national
banks. The amount on the draft was
one dollar, which he skillfully raised 20
twenty thousand dollars. This he sent
L
with an order that two hundred dollars
be paid upon the amount and the bal
ance deposited in n Richmond VA
bank to his credit. The two hundred
dollars was paid and the deposit made
as directed. but it was soon discovered
that the draft had been raised. Lewis
had niscalculated only two or three
days in the time he had arranged for
the pardon to arrive. He had intended.
as soon as released, to take the pardon
with him for purposes Of Identification,
secure the nineteen thousand eight hun
bred dollars, and then leave the United
States
After the complete exposure Of ali
his schemes he was asked to write the
name of Gen. Grant, which he did so
perfectly that the most expert could not
it from the genuine sigma
ture placed beside it. Lewis claimed
that he could reproduce the signatures
Of most of the public men in Washing
ton of that time from memory.
This last arrest was for forgery and
obtaining money under false pretense,
being the utterance of the draft for
twenty thousand dollars. He will pass
the remainder Of his days in the Kan
sas penitentiary, which is used as n
military prison as well as for state con-
victs- His torgerics were committed in