The Detroit times., 1910-11-26
DETRO|TERs FAIL
T0GET HUME WEST
Baltimore Authorities Refuse To
Give Up Bail Jumper-Prisoner
Refuses To Talk To Mcdonnell.

Chief OF Detectives James Melon
nell returned Saturday morning from
Baltimore. where, together with Pros
ecuting Attorney Van Zile and David
Nederlander. he journeyed in an ef-
fort to bring back Hume II. 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 a 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
Ire care TO see Nederlander. the man
who lost a $4,000 bail bond through
Vests sudden departure from De-
troit
There is law In Maryland that a
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.
West was in bed and the Balti-
more police declare he was feigning
illness. The officers decided there
was 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 to have the visitors come to
him. When the captain came to see
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 working around Washing
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
a unique one. 1t was done through a
clerk in a store where West went to
purchase some checks. The clerk was
suspicious, despite the fact that West
was CARRIED as a 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 It, The officer consid-
cred that a good way out OF the diff
ficulty and SO he escorted the two 10
the cardinals home. 1t 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 $3.50 diamond ring. Ii was
purchased in a leading jewelry store
in Baltimore with bogus check.