The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-06-05
WAS cLEvEREST OF CROOKS.
"Hunxry joe" Who Died Recently,
Had Many Eminent Victims.

| IN unXrY yOGs w no DiCu ASCChtbys
Had Many Eminent Victims.
| Bearing a name on his coffin plate Tin.
der which he would never be recOg-
nized, Joseph Lewisi. better known as
Hungry Joe" was carried to the grave
recently i'm New York. The story is told
how after suffering from Bright's dis
ease for four weeks the confidence man
, died i'm an apartment house in New
York.
Known variously under the names
Of Joseph Lewis, George FL. Post.
George Howard, Francis Alvaney. and
others. the name under which Hungry
joe was baptized he kept carefully
guarded. and even his intimates never
knew his family name.
| For a quarter Of century Hungry
joe was one of the most conspicuous
figures i'm criminal life He was known
wherever the English language was
spoken. but could take care of himself
i'm the French or German capitals as
easily. He was man of wonderful
polish. easily made friends of his vic
tins and apparently succeeded for
many years in duping even the police.
Nothing has ever been learned OF
Hungry Joe's" birthplace or early life,
but it was back in the SOS that he first
began to make himself conspicuous in
criminal life i'm New York His schemes
to get money were adroit and well exc
cuted and few whom he marked as vic
tins ever escaped.
Probably Hungry JOe's" most nOta-
BILE victim was Gen. John A. Logan
The old soldier was staying at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel. when sleek and
oily-tOngued young stranger ingrati-
ated himself into his favor. He was
learnedly discussing questions of inter
national importance when tile hotel
detective stepped up and warned the
general that he was talking to the most
remarkable confidence operator in Tho
world, Hungry Joe
! Gen. Logan was visibly annoyed at
the interruption, and in his brusque
manner told the detective TO attend IL
! his own business. as the man with
whom he was conversing was the son
/ of one of his Oldest friends. A few
minutes later Hungry Joe 'cashed
Gen. Logans order OH the cashier of
the hotel for $500 and walked away
smiling.
The late Judge Noah Davis. who tried
Boss Tweed. was also one of the early
victims. and Charles Francis Adams
| fell into his net. Another conspicuous
victim was Oscar Wilde. Oscar paid
for his acquaintance with Hungry
Joe" the sum of $1,000 in cash and
81. 900 in notes. Later he went to Capt.
| Williams and told his tale of woe. and
said that while he probably could not
regain his money he would like to get
the notes. Williams sent for 'Joe" and
told him he would have to give up. and
with good grace the confidence man did
/ So
THAT is the first swell who has ever
sguealed on me-" said Joe.
The downfall of Hungry Joe" oc-
Cured in 1885. says a ST. Louis Post
Dispatch special He was arrested
charged with snatching roll of bills
from the hands of II victim. Joe was
convicted and sentenced to four years
in State prison. When he was r.
! leased he went to Baltimore. hut his
luck had turned and he was soon ar
rested and sentenced to the Maryland
State penitentiary, where he remained
until 1898.
Upon his release he returned 10 this
city and had since been living quietly
I'm west side apartment house. His
last public appearance was in sen
satiOnal raid on a house in Soubrette
row district when he slid down the
/ dumb waiter shaft for FOUR stories to
escape the police.