The herald., 1898-03-25
his CHECKS DON'T GO
ToMPKINs' PAPER Is BARRED
By THE COSMOS CLUB
PECULIAR ARREST YESTERDAY
]. I. Lewis Jailed o. Account Of =
Check Transaction, Sut He May
Not Be Guilty

j. I. Lewis tempted Dame Fortune and
she threw him down hard. AS result he
was arrested yesterday afternoon on a
warrant charging him with obtaining mon
ey under false pretenses. This charge ID
something Of misnomer and properly
ought to be changed to obtaining chips
under false pretenses. for Lewis alleged
crime was committed In social game OF
poker. The name of VIM. F. Tompkinss
the Southern California agent Of the Mas
sachusetts Life Insurance company is also
brought prominently into the case-to what
extent or by what right remains to be seen.
Some weeks ago Lewis accompanied
friend to the Cosmos club rooms on the
third floor of the Workman building at
29Oh South Spring street and sat In game
of poker. He told w. v. Bennet, the man
who conducts the game. that he had but
little cash but held check for e2S.2S. He
inquired If this was good with the house
and on being informed that 1t would be ac-
cepted he began to play. He did not turn
the check over to the proprietors OF the
place but showed 1t several times In leu
Of chips or cash, in order to make good his
bets during the game. One of the players
saw the check and entered protest
against playing his money against 1t.
Lewis was asked about the paper and said
that 1t was good. 1t had been made out
to him and was signed by Mr.
Tompkins and was drawn on the
Farmers and Merchants bank. In any
event Lewis said he would stand sponsor
for the check; so the game continued ana
when the play ended Lewis received In
cash the balance due him.
The check was given in due season to Mr..
Workman for the rent of the rooms, but II
was returned from the bank marked mo
funds" The Cosmos club then made tho
money good to the landlord, but asked
Lewis what he proposed doing about II.
He said he would settle 1t but failed to do
so and a note was written to Mr.. Tomp~
klns regarding 1t. Mr.. TompkinS said that
Lewis had requested him not to pay 1t, as
he would see to It himself. The matter
rested there for a few days more.
Kennedy heard that T. c. Lynch who
conducts other club rooms on Spring street
near Second held a similar check which had
been rendered him by Lewis and had been
returned the same way. The check held
by the Cosmos club was turned over to
Lynch and he placed them both in the
hands of A. P. Vignes for collection. The
latter called on Lewis several times but
failed to secure the money. Finally he
asked what Lewis proposed to do about
the matter. Lewis is reported to have tod
Vignes to go ahead and do what he pleased.
Vignes asked Lynch how to proceed and
was told to use his own judgment. He ap-
parently did so for the arrest followed.
Lewis explained his side of the case to
a reporter but made several statements
which are at variance with those made by
Lynch and the Cosmos club people. In at
least one point Lewis also told different
stories. This was in regard to the most
vital portion of the transaction-that Of
the reason for the check not being paid.
Lewis said that when he got into the
game at Lynchs place he had $40 in cash
and a check for SIS with him. This check
had been made out to Lewis by Tompkins.
Lewis lost all. including the check. When
he first began to tell of the incident Lewis
stated that he had handled number Of
checks from Tompkins before and had
never had any trouble with them, and
supposed them to have been all right He
said, though that he had been advised to
stop the payment ON the check and had
done so. The reason he had not settled 1t
before was because he had not had the
means. About the Cosmos club. check he
said nothing apparently did not know Of
the two interests having been combined.
Lynch and ]. w. Chalmers of the Cosmos
club both supplied an entirely different
solution for the causes for the checks not
being paid and one which does not place
bo Nom nrderS p1Ven IN tbA
bank by Lewis. In fact they seemed 10
think that Tompkins was accountable.
Mr.. Chalmers said he had understood that
the back of the prosecution and proposed
10 see the affair probed to the bottom.
There was, he had understood-and Mr..
Lynch corroborated him-a number Of SIM
liar checks from Tompkins floating around
the town. Chalmers declined to prosecute
Lewis, but had told Vignes he would testify
to the transaction of the check at the Co.'S
mos club. Lynch said that he had had
nothing to do with the prosecution of Lew
is. The check had been given in gam
bling game anr he stood no chance OF re-
covering from Lewis. Lynch had agreed to
tell Of his experience with one OF Tomp-
kins' checks If the matter was brought
INTO the COuTuS LUZ .luVcSli6o
In view of the statements Of both the
men who are the most interested. appa-
rently in the checks, as they lost their
money on them, the arrest Of Lewis seems
peculiar and indicates that there were 9TH
er strong reasons for 1t. 1t seems likely
that the Farmers and Merchants bank is
desirous of having an explanation of how
two checks of Tompkins' are sent in at
intervals of week or SO when that gentle-
man is reported to have closed his account
at the institution. The bank officials re-
fused to throw any light on the matter
last night and stated that it was an affair
Of the institution and was nobody's busi-
ness.
Lewis was released on depositing bail
for his appearance. Mr.. Tompkins could
not be found last evening and SO no state-
ment could be obtained from him.
An Insane Defense
SAN FRANCISCO. March 24.-Theodors
Park Haines, the man who shot and killed
Lieutenant of Police Burke on Bernal