The Detroit times., 1910-11-28
OETRO|TERs FAIL
T0GET HUME WEST
Baltimore Authorities Refuse To
Give Up Bail Jumper-Prisoner
Refuses To Talk To Mcdonnell.

Ch.ef or Detectives James Melon
nell returned Saturday morning from
Baltimore. where, together with Pros
ecuting Attorney Van Zile and David
Nederlander, he journeyed In an Of
fort TO bring back Hume IL. West,
former Detroit society man and en-
bezzler. who jumped his bail bond OF
$4,000, while awaiting sentence here.
Capt. McDonnell's trip was fruit
less, insofar as its real object. the
bringing back of West, Is concerned.
However. he learned whole lot about
that persons operations since he
skipped out OF Detroit about three
years ago.
West had no desire TO see the cap
tain or the prosecutor. Neither did
he care TO see Nederlander, the man
who lost $4,000 bail bond through
Vests sudden departure from De-
troit
There Is law in Maryland that
prisoner Is not required to see visi-
tors unless he wishes to do SO. West
stood upon his constitutional right
and fatty refused to see his former
Detroit friends.
NSSI was Dcu 1uu TIC poitT
more police declare he was feigning
illness. The officers decided there
WAS a way by which the Detroit men
could see West and that was for pur-
poses of identification. He was order
ed to get out OF bed and dress up.
Then he changed his mind about
seeing the folks from back home. He
decided 10 have the visitors come TO
~ u 81 Tot, 20
West. the prisoner refused to talk.
He wouldn't even talk to Neder-
lander The latter naturally became
much enraged and expressed his con-
tempt of West in no uncertain terms.
Even this failed TO move him.
The Detroiters argued in vain for
the return of their man. but the east
ern authorities refused absolutely TO
give him up.
There is no telling how much
crookedness West has been engaged
in since he has left Detroit" said
Capt Mcdonnell, Saturday. There
| Is no question but that he has be.
come one OF the cleverest crooks In
the country. 1t will never be known
probably just how much he laid down
in worthless checks.
he WAS WOIklUS
! ton right under the noses OF the po-
! lice and yet they couldn't land him.
he was that clever
| He was actually buying government
! bonds with bad checks.
Vests capture in Baltimore was
unique one. Ii was done through
clerk in store where West went To
! purchase some checks The clerk was
suspicious, despite the fact that West
was CARRIED as priest. The clerk fol-
! lowed West into street car. Final
| ly an officer got on the car and the
clerk demanded Vests arrest
The officer refused to arrest the
supposed priest. The clerk then de-
clared he would strike the priest and
get into fight with him, so the Of
! ficer would have to arrest him.
West became highly indignant and
| declared that he would go to Cardinal
Gibbons about 1t. The officer consid-
cred that good way out of the diff
| fculty and So he escorted the two To
| the cardinals home. II was then that
| Cardinal Gibbons branded West as
a fake and imposter."
The captain said that Vests wife
undoubtedly knows something of the
| mans methods in finance. Mrs. West
! arrived in Baltimore the same day the
| Detroit visitors did. On her finger.
! she wore a $3.50 diamond ring. II was
purchased In a leading jewelry store
! i'm Baltimore with bogus check.