The border vidette. (Nogales, Ariz.) 1894-1934, 1904-02-13
GENERAL LEWIS TALKS.
When Arrested Last tuesday at 81
PaSo lie Told a Times Reporter
Few Things.

When interview ell by the reporter
and asked for his side Of the story,
General Lewis said:
'sThe whole thingis preposterous and
ridiculous" said he. "If l had really
done anything there is it natural that
1 should be going back of my own
free willl OF course not. hen l
was informed that the bank had failed
by telegraph and that President Desart
and Cashier Swain had been placed
under arrest and that warrant had
been sworn out against me charging
US with bank wrecking, I immediately
wired the officers at Nogales that l
would come of my own free will.
81 was sick III bed at the time, but
1 began preparations to come to No
gales and i am on my way there now.
Why they should have had me arrest
ed here 1 cannot understand, but l
suppose that it is the work of some
malicious person, as the whole thing
appears, and 1 think that L can I'D
the end prove it to be-
"If there has been anything wrong
at all in the management of the banks
affairs, which l AIN inclined to doubt,
I am in no wise connected with it, as
I have not been in Nogales since early
last December and that was the first
time in two years. do not know
what the condition of the banks af-
fairs, are pnt have been told that they
are in a very bad way. What its
assets and liabilities are I cannot say.
"rhe bank has been in existence for
over fourteen years and all during
that time it has been perfectly good
and safe I have been conn cted with
it since 1900, when L became inter
ested with it in the capacity which l
held until the time it failed. / was
in Nogales for about two years after
I became connected with the bank
and moved from there in 1902. That
was the last that 1 had to do with
the active management of the banks
affairs.
"From the time that I left the ter
ritory in 1902 1 have not been back
until last December and in all that
time l do not think that L nave ever
seen q statement of the banks affairs.
/ never thought that it was necessary,
as the bank has always been CON
sidered as good as gold, and even last
December when 1 was there there was
not a whisper as to its stability.
Il think that when the matter is
thoroughly investigated it will be
found that the failure is a Legitimate
one and that we who have been pla ced
under this ban are the victims of some
malicious persons or some of the de-
positors who have been too easily and
unnecessarily suspicious. Judge Bar
mes, my attorney, knew that I was
coming. 1 wired to him the day that
1 left New York and L have kept him
informed of my movements ever since.
1t was at my instance that he came
to FL Paso to meet me. l wished to
talk the affair over with him here.
"The warrant on which l am held
is of no account whatever if L wished
to contest my being taken back. If
l did not want to GO and clear myself
of all blame and see the matter in
vestigated L need not go step, as
there is not court in the state that
would extradite me on the evidence
that they have against me. l 60 will
ingly whenever they say So"
MIR. Lewis chief concern last light
seemed to be that ths matter must
get into the papers OF his ultimate
release lie seemed confident, but he
did not like to have his name dragged
through the paperr, as he expressed it.