Waterbury Democrat., 1902-04-24
GREAT IN HIS LINE.
Hungry Joe' Was for Years King Of
 Confidence Men

aungry Joe Was for Years King or
 Confidence Men.
 Bearing name on his coffin plate nnder which he would never be rec ognized, Joseph Lewis, better known as Hungry Joe," was carried to his grave not long ago. After suffering from Bright's disease for four or five weeks the notorious confidence man died in an apartment house in New York city. Known yariously under the names of Joseph Lewis, George Howard, Francis AIvaney and others, the name under which Hungry Joe" was bapaized he kept carefully guard ed, and even his intimates never knew his family name.
 For quarter of century Hun gry Joe" was one of the most con- spicuous figures in criminal life He was known wherever the English language was spoken, but could take care of himself in the French or Ger man capitals quite as easily. He was a man of wonderful polish, easily made friends of his victims and ap- parently succeeded for many years in duping even the police.
 When former Capt. Alexander Will Hams was in command of the Tender loin he ordered his men to keep Hungry Joe" and other conspicuous .'bunko steerers'' out of the district. He also told ''Joe" to stay away from the district or he would have him locked up every time he was seen. Joe smiled, but the next day he was 11xr VVilTionc birpSc1f in, front of a Broadway theater. When asked what he meant. he said:
 Well, every gentleman must take his constitutional, and no gentleman would walk elsewhere than on Broad way"
 Nothing has ever been learned of Hungry Joe's birthplace or early life, put it was back in the eos that he first began to make himself conspicu- ous in criminal life in New York. His schemes to get money were adroit and we'll executed, and but few whom he marked as victims ever escaped.
 Probably Hungry Joe's most nota- ble victim was Gen. John A. Logan. The old soldier was staying at the Fifth Avenue hotel when sleek and J tiated himself into his favor. He was learnedly discussing questions of international importance when the hotel detective stepped up and warned the general that he was talk ing to the most remarkable conf dence operator in the world, Hungry Joe.
 Gen. Logan was visibly annoyed at the interruption, and in his brusque manner told the detective to attend to 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. Logan's order on the cashier of the hotel for $500 and walked away smiling.
 The late Judge Noah Davis was also one of his early sictims, and Charles Francis Adams fell into his net An other conspicuous victim was Oscar Wilde. Oscar paid for his acquaint- ance with Hungry Joe the sum of S1, ,000 in cash and $1,500 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 squealed on me-" said Joe.
 The downfall of Hungry Joe oc- cured in 1885, He was arrested, charged with snatching a roll of bills from the hands of victim. Rams den, the victim, testified that he was led to the retreat of the 'bunko steerer,'' and that he had taken out his money, when Joe snatched it from his hand and fled. Joe was con- victed and sentenced to four years in state prison. When he was re- leased he went to Baltimore, but his luck had turned and he was soon ar rected again and was sentenced to the Maryland penitentiary, where he remained until 1898.