The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1911-07-13
INDICTMENT RETURNED AGAINST
ST. LOUIS EDITOR AND
PUBLISHER.
W0MAN'S LEAGUE HEAD
Promoter Of Enterprises and Magazine
Publisher Is Charged With Fraud.
ulent Use Of United States Mails
Asserts Innocence and Declares
That Whole Thing Is Conspiracy.

St Louis, July 12.-E. G. Lewis, un-
I'll recently publisher of "A number of
magazines and promoter of enter
prises was indicted by special grand
jury In the United States district
court today on charges of fraudulent
use of the mails.
The Indictment, containing IL
counts, covers four propositions laid
before the public by Lewis. In which
he IL alleged to have obtained sev-
eral millions dollars by misleading
statements, circulated through the
mails.
1t is charged that Lewis, through
Misrepresentation with intent to de-
fraud sold unsecured notes on the
Woman's Magazine building and the
Woman's National Daily building In
University city, Of which Lewis is
mayor, unsecured notes OF the Uni
versity Heights Realty a. Develop
ment company. operated "A "deben-
ture," and that he misrepresented the
condition of the Lewis Publishing
company In selling stock In the con-
cern.
Years Investigation.
The governments investigation lead
Ing directly to todays Indictment has
been In progress for the last year.
For six months. postoffice inspectors
made an examination of the books of
the different Lewis corporations. More
than so witnesses. women who had
Invested In the enterprises. former
employees of Lewis and government
agents, testified before the grand
| jury.
Lewis recently put his corporations
| In the hands Of trustees with sole
power to handle them for five years.
At the end of that time II is said he
| Will receive them back without In
| debtedness. Certain creditors have at
tackled the trustees in the federal
court by asking that receiver be APP
| pointed
Previous Charges.
Lewis was indicted In 1905 on
| charges of conducting "a scheme 10
defraud through his operation of the
/ Peoples United States bank. one of
his corporations. Other indictments
charged him with defrauding the gov
ernment OF postal funds by sending
through the mails greater number
of sample copies of his publications
than the law permitted He was ac-
quilted Of these charges and all We're
! dismissed later hy the government.
Eugene G. Stinde, one of the grand
Jurors. when the grand jury reported
to Judge Trieber. said he wished to
enter protest against one of the in
dictments 1t was understood he re-
ferred to one Of the Lewis indict-
| ments.
Stinde. before the court could in
terfere. accused the district attorney
of being prejudiced, and talking with
each juror individually. Judge Trieber
replied that Stndes statement was
not proper one and that II mem
ber of the grand jury wanted to make
speech he should hire a hall.
A Ruse, Lewis Claims.
"The investigator of my claims by
congress begins today In Washington
and these federal officials here ar,
trying to head off the investigation b,
returning indictments. They did 1
once before and are trying II again
Il have been trying for six years
To get a congressional investigation
1 In my case, and now on the eve o
the quiz into their acts. the govern
ment inspectors are trying to beat m,
at this end of the line. | will be Will
them at the finish
"The statement OF Juror Stinde II
open court shows that the grand jur.
was not given full rein to do as the
conseiences dictated but We're expect
ed to do as they were told
Wants Publicity.
Declaring 1t was his desire that hi
opponents should be brought to ligh
in his trial and that it was his belle
that the trial would be drawin
card. Lewis announced that he wa
considering an effort to get his tria
set for the week of October %, con
currently with the annual conventio
of the American Women's league, q
which he was founder
Il want everybody to hear every
thing" said Lewis "and / believe
properly advertised my trial woul
draw $4,000 women"
Lewis gave newspaper reporters s
the marshals office typewritte
statement six pages in length, givin
his version of what he termed "th
unremitting warfare of destructio
kept up incessantly by certain postf
officials against the so-called Levi
! enterprises"
J He said that 12O different pham