The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-01
THREATENING TO
LYNCH A F|END,
Friends of Florence Ready
Looking for Wesley
Lewis.
HIS SCHOOLGIRL VICTIM
In All Innocence She Consented
TO Ride With Him as Far
as Ingleside.
MEMBERS OF ONE CHURCH.
Simpson Memorial Congregation Thor.
ough1y Aroused-Police Search
for the Guilty Man.

Wduleu Dy the ponce IOr criminal
assault on Miss Florence Ready, just turn
ing fifteen.
The crime was committed just one week
ago tonight and though Captain Lees with
the assistance of some half dozen of his
best men has been continually on Lewis
trail since that time, be has SO far eyaded
arrest.
The offense with which Lewis is charged
is one of the most revolving in the crimi-
nal calendar. To accom- plish his purpose
the accused man resorted to fraud and
forgery, in which the mother of the vic
tim was innocently made to bring about
her daughters betrayal.
According to direct testimony the accused
set about to accomplish the young girls
ruin. He packed up all his household fur
niture, marked the same to Seattle, and,
telling his wife that he was on business
bent, left the house. The later develop
ments of the case as amply confirmed by
witnesses may be briefly told as follows:
About $3.50 O'Clock last Monday night
Lewis appeared at the home of Mrs.
Ready, $50 Hickory avenue, and informed
her that Captain Goodall of Goodal, Per-
kins d Co. would like to see her daughter.
He had instructions, so he said, to take
her to Captain Goodall, and if Mrs.
Ready would write the principal of the
Lincoln night school, where the young
girl was pupil, he would see to it that she
reached her destination in safety.
Mrs. Ready, having the utmost confidence
in Lewis, or rather the story he told, wrote
the note as desired. About o'clock Lewis
appeared at the school and in short time
the girl, all unconscious of the danger
ahead, was beside him in the buggy, which
he had in waiting.
Instead of driving to Captain Goodall's,
Lewis went rapidly in the direction of
Ingleside. His fair young charge, alarmed
at the course he was taking, protested Wig
orousiy, but the schemer soothed her with
the assurance that it was only pleasant
drive they were taking.
Once at Ingleside, however, his whole
demeanor changed. In the thickest part
of the woods traversed by the public thor
oughfare Lewis brought his horse to a
sudden halt.
Under some pretext the young girl was
induced to leave the buggy, but hardly had
her foot touched the ground before her
companion made known his fell purpose.
Shortly afterwards buggy came rapidly
down the road. Tearing herself from the
grasp of the fend she sought the protec-
ton of her unknown and unwilling res
cuers.
In a voice weak and quiverIng the girl
implored the newcomers to protect her.
AS rapidly as possible she explained what
had occurred, telling. in addition. who she
was and requesting that she be given safe
escort to her home.
In the meantime Lewis stood some dis
lance away. listening intently to all that
was said. When the girl finished telling
her story he fed precipitately. The echo
of his retreat in the shape of breaking
twigs and cracking underground was
plainly audible to the terrorized child and
her panions
About midnight last Monday M. V.
Ready, brother of the girl, appeared at
the Central station in q highly excited
condition. He told Lieutenant Birdsall
that his sister had mysteriously disap-
peared, following this up by relating the
visit of Lewis to his mother earlier in the
evening In the course of the converse
ton MIR. Ready mentioned Captain Good
al's name and how it came about that
Mrs. Ready wrote the note already men
toned.
Lieutenant Birdsall assured his visitor
that the disappearance would be reported
to the Chief OF Police and all vigilance ex-
ercised in finding the missing eirl.
At / o'clock in the morning Mr.. Ready
returned home, and to his joy found that
the young sister had just arrived. His
happiness. however, was turned to grief
and rage when the child had told her
story. Young Ready posted back to the
Central station, and in agonized tones told
the story of Lewis treachery.
He implored the police to watch Lewis
home, as he was sure that he would re-
turn before morning.
In this he was mistaken. Lewis did not
appear at his former residence, nor has he
at any time since then been seen in that
neghborhood.
Night and day has his residence been
under strict surveillance, but so far as can
be learned, the much-wanted man has not
been anywhere near his former home. The
impression prevails in police circles that
he is in hiding in the City, and is only
waiting for the present trouble to quiet
down little before appearing in his &C.
customed haunts.
The news of the horror, told as yet in
whispers. has evoked veritable tempest
of Indignation among the mem bers OF the
Simpson Memorial Church, which the girl
attended. Florence was also a member of
the Sunday school, where her kindly ma
ture and ladylike ways made her general
fayorite.
In the church in a small seat near the
northwestern corner Sunday after Sun
day she was wont to listen to the sermons
and add her voice to the weekly chorus
of prayer and praise.
Toward the opposite side OF the sacred
editice in pew 60 Lewis and his wife oc-
cupied sittings.
Mem bers Of the church display much
reluctance to speak OF the dreadful affair,
ana accounts of the manner in which she
was enticed from school are somewhat
variant. Some say that the girls
mother was led to believe that the wife of
Ex-Governor Perkins desired to see
Florence.
AT all events the hapless mothe. was LED
to contribute, innocent of every thought
OF evil to her innocent child's wronging.
Lewis is not a persona grata among the
church people, though he and his wife
have attended the Sunday services with
some regularity.
1.-The man Lewis is a bad egg, as tho
prison records will show," observed one OF
the pillars of the church last night, after
he had been assured that his name would
not appear.
Lewis aged parents live out at the Mis-
sion and are valued and honored members
OF Grace Methodist Episcopal Church. For
their sake Lewis was given a chance to re-
deem his good name.
HE was made sexton OF this church, a