The morning call., 1894-04-17
LEWIS THE LIGHT.
His Persecution of Donald
Ross.
Fire Marshal Towe Wants the Crank
Sent Back to the Insane
Asylum.

Fire Marshal Towe is again after Lewis
the Light with sharp stick and this time
he will not stop till he has him committed
to some insane asylum.
Since the recent incendiary fire In the
Irving residence on Haight street, where
Mrs. Donald Ross and her babe lost their
lives. Mr.. Ross has received through the
pos, cruel and inf1ammatory circulars from
l. wis the Light. and written in pencil on
the back of each were quotations from
Scripture which materially helped to pile
up the sorrow Of the grief-S lricken widower.
The circulars come with unfailing reg
ularity to the Grand Opera.1ouse, where
Mr.. Ross is employed as foreman carpenter
for S. C. Murray & Co. making alterations
in the building. From the address on the
envelopes and the tenor of the notes on
the back of the circulars Lewis seemed to
be laboring under the impression that Mr..
Ross was a star actor In the theater.
Among other things be called his attention
to the fate of Secret,ry Tracey's wife In
Washington, and of the late Supervisor
William Montgomery.
Mr.. Ross, in despair. consulted Fire
Marshal Towe. who told him that he
would put an end 20 Lew s. persecution.
He at once consulted Chief Crowley, who
him to see Postoffice Inspector Irwin. The
Chief, Fire Marshal and Mr.. Irwin had a
con nsutation, and after talking the mat
ter over, they reluctantly came to the con-
clusion that his conduct toward Mr. Ross
did not bring him within the pale of the
law.
Nothing daunted the Fire Marshal wrote
to DR.. Hatch of the Agnews Asylum, stat
ing fully the facts in connection with
Lewis and Mr.. Ross, and explaining that
about year ago the same thing occurred
at the burning of the Mission Turn Verein
Hall, when anonymous cards, believed TO
have ema atpd from Lewis, and now in
the Fire Marshsps possession. were sent
to him and other people, that the place
would be destroyed or burned. Lewis was
at that time arrested for distributing in
cendiary circulars, but the courts could do
nothing, although Lewis promised TO be-
have himself in the future. The Fire
Marshal concluded by asking DR.. Ha lch
what he should do to get rid of Lewis, as
he was pest and a constant danger 10 the
community.
Dr. Hatch promptly replied, giving par
ticulars of Lewis past history. He wrote
that Lewis the Light, or Lewis Green
slade. was committed to the asylum from
Los Angeles County on January 5. 1892,
was released on trial on leave of absence
On June and discharged on August 8 on
representations that he was behaving him.
>elf. Previous to that time he had been in
the Stockton Asylum once or twice.
Dr. Hatch expressed himself as satisfied
tha Lewis should be placed in an Insane
asylum and advised the Fire Marshal for
the good of the community that ne be ar
s'ed on the charge Of insanity.
81 am convinced" the doctor wrote, in
conclusion, "that the man is insane and
ought to be in confinement. and IL he
should be committed again to this asylum
shall see that he is not discharged until
| am thoroughly satisfied that he is safe to
be again at liberty.
Acting upon this advice, the Fire Marshal
yesterday went to Judge Hebbard and ex-
plained the circumstances. The Judge
promptly gave instructions that warrant
for Lewis arrest should be issued, and his
examination before the Insanity Commits
sioners was fixed for Tomorrow morning.