The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-07-11
FORGED HIS OWN PARDON
Remarkable -Penmanship Of a
Clever Colored Convict.
The Notorious Career of Geo rye
Lewis. He Started by Signing
Forged Orders in the War De.
! partment. How He Raised
Draft of 50 10 $4,000.

The authorities of Leavenworth conn
~, Kan, are eSerting every means ut
their command to capture George Lew
is, tile notorious colorcd forgcr, who is
wanted i'll Topeka for swindling d num-
Der of wholesale merchants out of n
large amount of goods.
Lewis has y remarkable career. is n
man OF superior attainments and has
always been genius for forgery and
conspiracy. He is about ~ Years old.
well educated and cultured in manner.
His parents, in southern France, are
we'll to do, and he received his eluca-
ton In one Of the famous polytechnic
schools of that country. When no was
q boy, his father removed to America,
and shortly after the war located in
Providence. He afterward went TO Vir-
gInla. The fortunes of the elder Lewis
went amiss, and when George was np-
preaching his majority ne was left to
his own resources. He enlisted in tho
Ninth cavalry, and there attracted tho
attention of the officers by his bright
ness OF mind and WAS given important
assignments Of duty, finally becoming IA
messenger In the war department ut
Washington. 1t was whilo in that posi-.
s!on that he committed his first forgery.
He learned the details of the business
system of the war department and be-
came acquainted with the signatures Of
all of the officers. He was IA splendid
penman and began to initiate them. In
this way lie WAS very successful, and no
uttered numerous orders on tho quarter
master of his regiment for supplies,
Which were invariably honored Final
ly he grew boider and was caught. He
was convicted and sentenced to ten
years imprisonment i'll the pcnitcntiary
at Lansing, Kan, which Mt that time
was used for government prisoners.
While i'll prison he WAS given posi-
ton i'll tho warden's office and was
granted many privileges. On account of
his good behavior no was given credit.
and III 1888 had but three more years
TO serve.
1t was mt this time TINT he conceived
and executed - daring plan to secure his
liberty, He wrote to IL friend in Wash
lngton and requested that no be sent
blank letter heads and envelopes from
the war department. These We're SNUG
gled to him i'll the prison.
On one OF these letter heads no wrote
letter to John H. Smith at that time
warden of tho prison, ordering his own
release and forging tho name of the
then secretary Of war with whose sig
nature he had become familiar by hay
ing frequently seen letters from him 20
Warden Smith concerning government
conylcbs. lie sent the letter properly
addressed to Smith in war department
envelope TO friend in Washington,
who dropped it in tho mail 1t was re-
celved by the warden and was about to
be honored when tho wardens susni-
clons were aroused by an unusual post
script requesting him to return the or
der to the department after Lewis had
been released. Tho warden then telo-
graphed the department at Washington,
and learning that the pardon was for
gerry had Lewis taken from his position
IN the wGrden's Office and put to work
i'll the coal mine. Lewis never could
tell the reason why lie added tho post
script At the same time he wrote his
own pardon he prepared way TO get
money for himself. Through friend
he purchased q draft from the Leaven-
worth National bank on bank in
Lynchbmg, Va, for 81. He also pro-
cured blank letter head and envelope
OF the bank. Tho draft he raised 10
$40, 900, and ON the back OF it wrote an
Endorsement showing that $500 had al
ready been paid on the draft and leav-
ing balance due of $40, 500 With a
pen he forged the banks stamp. copy
ing it from stamps on the back Of a
check that came under his observation
in the warden's Office The cashier of
the bank received the draft and said
that no would not have hesitated to
have paid the money, as the draft and
letter bore every indication of having
come directly from the cashier of the
lLeayenworth bank. Orego-
nian.