The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1911-03-24
SIDElLIGHTS ON
CHAPTER HOUSES
GIVER OF CHAPTER HOUSES
HAS INEVITABLE REPUTA-
TON IN BUSINESS.

Postoffce Department Issues Fraud
Order Against Lewis Over Peoples
United States Bank-New York
PAPER Denounces st. Louis Man as
a CRATER.
About two or three weeks ago a
COPY of the Rural New Yorker was
handed the editor Of The Tribune
with the request that we investigate
the business ventures alO1 manipula-
tions of f. G. Lewis, the ST. Louis
publisher, giver of chapter houses
and otherwise philanthropic citizen.
The Investigations made by The Tri-
hume convince US that Lewis is shift
ty individual and his propositions
should be thoroughly investigated be-
fore money is given him.
As the citizens of Caldwell are now
greatly interested in chapter house
for the women of the city, extended
mention of Mr.. Lewis may be inter
esting as we'll as profitable.
In its issue of February II of this
wear the Rural New Yorker has the
following article on Lewis and his
methods:
OTHER PEOPLES MONEY.
Uncle Sam Wants to Know Where it
Has Gone.
So many complaints have poured
into the Department of Justice and
Post Office Department against E. G.
Lewis and his numerous schemes
that these departments have united
in an investigation of the schemes.
The complaints show that Lewis has
been collecting money from country
people from all parts of the country
for nearly 10 years. During that time
he has got money on more than a
dozen different propositions. 1t is
not known how much money Lewis
got on these schemes, but from his
or seven million dollars all told, and
some people estimate that he got in
all nearly double that amount. But
when the old bank was closed up
some of the depositors and stockhold-
ers demanded their money and got
81 per cent of their investment
through the receiver This represent
ed about one-third of the stock The
trick turned by Lewis to get posses
sion of the other two-thirds of the
funds of the bank was probably the
slickest piece of iugglery ever per
formed with bank accounts and cash.
When the receiver took charge in
August, 1905, the officers of the bank
and the Lewis enterprises owed the
bank nearly a million dollars, which
was one of the reasons for closing
the bank and for the issuing of fraud
orders against it. The receiver ad-
vertised the assets of the bank, but
got no bids for the Lewis securities.
In the meantime Lewis wrote hysteri-
cal letters to the stockholders, alleg-
ing that conspiracy had been form
ed by express companies, bankers and
Government officials to destroy the
peoples bank, and that the bank had
been assassinated. He appealed to
them to stand by him in this hour of
trial and assign their stock to him,
that he might be in position to fight
the enemies of the bank-their enc
mies-and pledged his private for
tune, his income and his sacred honor
to pay them in full, dollar for dollar.
In exchange for the stock he would
send them a trustee note or preferred
stock in the publishing company.
About two-thirds of the stockholders
lell to this plea and sent Lewis as
slgnments of their stock. IT amount
ed to about $l,500,000. Lewis printed
up $2,300000 worth of stock in the
Lewis Publishing Co, and gave the
dear people their choice of this or
The trustee notes of his income in ex-
change for the assignments, Lewis
was then able to turn over the as
signed stock to the receiver and take
'~SN'itiSS anu apouN FJbuiNNO III
cash besides. Word went out then
that the assets of the bank were paid
IN full, and that the stockholders got
" per cent of their investment All
ct which was offered as evidence that
the bank was assassinated What
really happended of course was that
Lewis borrowed from the stockhold-
erS their proceeds of the bank, with
out security, and saved himself from
prosecution by making good the
money he got out of the bank, The
STOCK was of course all vapor. 1t
was not even pure water.
Those who accepted notes instead
OF stock Jared no better. These are
Tue notes now three years overdue