The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-11
DETECTIVE BALDWIN is HERE.
Denies tlrat The Forger Lewis is Under
Arrest in Madison County.

Denies tllat The Forger Lewis is Under
Arrest in Madison County.
Mr.. w. G. Baldwin. of the Baldwin
Detective Agency Mt Roanoke, was here
yesterday to secure from Governor Rus
sell extradition papers for II. z. Lewis
alias Alfred M. Scales, who is wanted
in Virginia and Texas for forgery.
He says the report that Lewis is un-
der arrest in Madison county is not
true. HE has friends in Madison,
said Mr.. Baldwin last night, ''and they
have started that report to throw of.
ficers off the track. Lewis is now in
Forsyth county, and if | can get the
papers from the Governor that l want
| think j can soon nab him. He is
making his way to Wilmington. and
he's u slick fellow. | called on the
Governor to-day, but he refused to grant
the requisition until he sees the papers
in the case which have not yet arrived
and will not be here for several days.
Il see some of the Richmond papers
say i tried to get requisitlon papers
from the Governor of Virginia. This is
not true. | went to see Governor Tyler
about another matter altogether"
This is one of the most interesting
cases ON record, and Detective Baldwin
tells the following story to the Richmond
Times about the man who stole the dis
tinguished name of A. Nj. Scales, and
whom he is now hunting:
'R. p Lewis came TO Marion, Va,
about four years ago. he was church
member and lawyer.
HE swindled Il Mrs. Noal out of S20C
by representing he was man of means
and got an old woman 81 years old
who was almost blind, to give him an
order for some money he was to collect
The order afterwards turned up as a
chattel mortgage.
1.-TWO women were indicted for a mis-
demeanor. Lewis found it out, rode
fifteen miles. and saw the women and
got them to give him letter to an uncle
who had some property.
HE went to see the uncle and repre-
scented that he was sent by the court to
see him and that if he would give a
bond for $50. they would be released.
THE old man signed what he thought
was the bond. A short while after
wards Lewis tried to sell mortgage on
about $1,000 worth of the old mans
property, which turned out to be the
bond the old man thought he was Civ
ing.
HE swindled several other parties at
Marion. About two years ago he was
arrested and taken to Texas in irons
after fight in the courts. He gave
bond in the sum of $780, and a few
al III 4 Il.
Custain, a prominent lawyer, was his
bondsman. He spent $500 trying to
catch him.
About six months ago he employed
our agency in Roanoke to catch Lewis.
We located him at Keysville, and were
sold out by lot of people who are as
bad If not worse than Lewis. AS soon
as Lewis. alias Scales. was out of Keys
vile, they commenced to attack his
property; one of the deeds of trust was
dated some time in August. The ink
was hardly dry, and the Notary Public,
whose name was signed to same says he
never saw the deed.
"One of the men who was instrument
tai in his escape is accused of setting
fire to Keysyille several months ago.
Another is notorious gambler. another,
i understand, from a reliable source,
sold bis vote for $400. and the matter
was pretty freely ventilated at the time.
'"Ihe statement that his bond,smen
speak well of him. and that he volun-
tarily returned to Texas, is as false as
statements could well be. On February
9Th, his bondsman wired us to catch him
regardless Of expense, and to accept no
compromise, and that he had two letters
trying to compromise.
"A requisition has been asked of the
Governor of Virginia. The influence
that caused him TO leave Texas the
night before his trial was simply the
knowledge that he was guilty and would
be convicted.