The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-19

young and not too scrupulous men of
title as "stool pigeons" just as Hooley
did. They helped him to get victims into
the meshes of his gilded nets.
His office was in Cork street, in the
heart of the West End of London. 1t was
fitted up like the office of a respectable
solicitor. Gray-haired clerks who looked
solid enough to be the managers of the
Bank of England, sat in the front room
and gave an air of responsibility to the
establishment.
Inside sat the money lender apparently
a kindly, warm-hearted man. He was
plump, well dressed and wore the air of
a righteous banker.
Lewis made it his business to know the
condition of every estate in England. He
knew the chances of collecting his loans
and could figure out to a fraction OF
second whether 10 charge man 40 per
cent. or a thousand per cent His tar
iff it is understood, was never less than
40 per cent. year.
Employed Friend of Prince.
Among his dummies or stool pig
eons,' or "hand-shakers," were the Mar
quis of Clanncaide, head of a fine Irish
family. and Sir Frederick tombstone,
chum of the Prince of Wales. They found
pecuniarily embarrassed youths and
"steered' them to the forty per cent"
shop.
Lord Rosslyn, brother of the Countess
of Warwick and of the Duchess of Suth-
erland, borrowed $3.50 from Lewis. In
return he gave notes for 5000, due in
three months. The case came to the
courts, which cut the claim down to
5000.
Lord William Nevil, one of his agents,
was sentenced to five years imprison-
ment for securing by fraud the indorse-
ment of Spender Clay, a rich young
guardsman, to promissory notes for $780,
655. Lord William Nevill told Clay that
he was signing family papers as w4t-
ness. Lewis lost the money on these
notes, but he charged enough interest to
recoup himself under such emergencies.
Wife's Social Ambition.
The wife OF Lewis had social ambitions.
He made his clients, who were thorough
ly in his clutches, invite him to country
houses. Some of these houses he gobbled
up in the course of business, such as the
beautiful villa of the Dowager Countess
Cowley, near Maidenhead.
When Lewis went to Monte Carlo he
always took with him 100000 to loan
to clients. He "chummed" with the
Prince of Wales on the Riviera, and the
Prince often said he was "deyilish good
fellow" He was a familiar also of the
impecunious and profane Duke of Cam
bridge.
A long list Of noblemen attributed their
ruin TO Lewis but it is doubtful whether
morally they ranked higher than himself.
Among these lambs whom he sheared
were the Marquis of Donegal, the Mar
quis of Huntley, the Marquis Townsend,
the Earl of Rosslyn, Earl 'Poulett, the
Earl of Buchan, the Earl of Perth and
Melfort, the Earl of Munster, the Earl of
Hardwicke. Lords Athlumncy Headley,
Hill, Thurlow, Halden and Churchill.
Mortgage ON a Castle.
The late Duke of Manchester mortgag-
ed Kimbolton Castle for 100000 10 Sam
Lewis How much money he received is
not known, but 1t is certain that 1t was
nothing like 100000. The mortgage was
paid off by the exertions Of the duchess.
Lord Churchill, head OF one branch of
the Marlborough family. lost the magnih-
cent estate. Cornbury Park, in Oxford
shire. to Lewis on a loan transaction.
Lewis transferred the place. one of the
finest in the country. to another financial
worthy, Ernest Terah Hooley.
Viscount Hill mortgaged Hawkstone
Hnll, near Shrewsbury, to Lewis for
sl,1750 O0. His son clapped another mort
gage Of $4,000 on It to the same lender.
The King OF Portugal, II Is believed,
pawned his royal crown TO Sam Lewis.
The money lender did business also with
the Klng OF tho Boleians.
Il Is likely that the Administrators OF
Sam Iewis'a estate will hnd many inter-
esting promissory notes In his safe, ths