The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-10-08
NOTORIOUS CROOK
CAUGHT IN NEW YORK
Lewis Mcdowell Arrested
Here Two Years Ago.
TRIED TO SWINDLE JEWELLERS
Captured After Exciting Chase and
Desperate Resistance-Escaped on
His Way to Penitentiary.

A dispatch from New York announces
the arrest of Albert L. Brown. known in
Washington as Lewis C. Mcdowell. in
other cities of the United States by
aliases too numerous to mention. and,
all in all, one of the most desperate and
shrewdest criminals in the United States.
Brown 's-forte was the impersonation of
sons of prominent men and his ability
in that to obtain money. jewels and
other valuables. 1t was this game that
brought about his arrest in New York
yesterday.
He entered the store of a, prominent
Fifth Avenue furrier and. picking out
$4,000 opera cloak. said he was J. Pier
pont Morgan. jr., and requested that the
bill for the cloak be sent to Mr.. Nor
gan's Wall Street office. This aroused
the suspicion of the clerks and his ar
rest followed. His record was imme-
diately looked up and 1t was found that
he has worked the same game in several
! of the large cities in the country.
Senator Hanna'S Son.
In Washington he was known as Lewis
Mcdowell. and 1t was while trying to
pass of as the son of Senator Mark A.
Hanna that he fell into the hands of
the Washington authorities. The ex-
ploit in this city is we'll remembered and
happened in July. 1901. Dressed in the
clothes of the latest fashion and wearing
a light English sack suit, the crook en-
tered the store of Castelberg. in Penn
sylvania Avenue northwest and picked
out pair Of diamond earrings valued at
81 .O0O He told the unsuspicious clerk
! who was waiting on him to charge the
valuables to Dan r. Hanna, the son of
the Ohio Senator. The clerk refused to
do so and said the jewels would be sent
to the Senator's home
Mcdowell blandly gave his address as
Fl Lafayette Place. and went TO several
other Jewelry stores. where he unsuc-
eessfully tried the same trick. After Nc
DowelI left the last store he started rap
idly down Pennsylvania Avenue. At the
crossing OF Ninth Street clerk who had
been sent out to shadow him called TO
Crossing Policeman Elliott. Catch that
man, at the same time fourishing his
hands in the direction of Mcdowell
Desperate Struggle
The crook ran from here to Seventh
and c Streets, chased by "a mob of men
and boys. and also Detectives Weldon,
Muller, Parham, and Bauer. desper-
ate struggle ensued. and Mcdowell. after
being subdued, was placed in No. 1 po-
lice station and charged with carrying
concealed weapons and assaulting with
intent to kill. Shortly after his arrest
here Mcdowell was turned over to the
st. Louis authorities to answer several
serious charges.
On February q. 1901, Mcdowell was
arrested in Cincinnati for the St Louis
authorities. He was taken 20 the latter
city and faced the charge of procuring
$500 worth of jewels. and was given a
sentence of three years
Mcdowell. with several other crimi-
nails, was being transported to the pen
itentiary. when he, together with Frank
Mathusic, alias Milwaukee Dutch, an
ether famous crook, escaped by jumping
out of the car window and vts not heard
of until his arrest in Washington in
July, 1901.