George Lewis
Cincinnati Enquirer, Thursday, 3 November 1892, page 6
NEWPORT
Charles Jarvis and George Lewis, the latter a colored bootblack,
were arrested yesterday by Lieutenant Dennis Flynn for engaging in a game of
fisticuffs on Fifth street. They will have a hearing this morning.
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Cincinnati Enquirer, Sunday, 26 March 1893, page 6
NEWPORT
In the Police Court yesterday morning George Lewis, a very fresh young colored lad, was fined $5 and costs. he attempted to clean out the police office on Friday night and it was only with the united efforts of three policemen that he was landed in jail.
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Cincinnati Enquirer, Monday, 15 October 1894, page 7
NEWPORT
A Colored Desperado
The colored church on Columbia street was the scene of another disgraceful fight on Saturday, and as usual, the main cause of the trouble was George Lewis. The latter has just been released from jail, after serving a three months sentence for cutting a man at a festival at the same church. Saturday night Lewis put in an appearance at a small church social and immediately began making a disturbance.
He struck George Smith over the head with a club and when Kane Redmond interfered, he went after him and when he drew a revolver, George made himself scarce. Lewis was arrested and the charge of disorderly conduct placed opposite his name. Redmond was also arrested and the charge of carrying a concealed deadly weapon placed against him.
Redmond is a hard working man and has never been in trouble before. There is a strong rumor out that Lewis was implicated in the Bardsley Sandbagging business on Saturday night, as he was seen with Holiday during the evening. Judge Wolff will attend to him this morning.
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Cincinnati Enquirer, Monday, 30 March 1896, page 6
NEWPORT
George Lewis, a colored bootblack of Newport, was looking for trouble all of Saturday night. Yesterday morning he succeeded in finding it, but with a result he had not anticipated.
Saturday night Lewis quarreled with his father, Nathan Lewis and chastised his aged parent quite severely. He was drunk and insulted any number of people. Encouraged by the success of his bullying tactics Saturday night, Lewis became imbued with the idea that he was a rough and tumble champion and appeared early on the streets of Newport, insulting and abusing everyone he met.
He encountered Spencer Summers, another colored man, at the corner of Fourth and Columbia streets. Sommers was engaged in a conversation with Lewis's father and this appeared to anger the bootblack. He applied several vile epithets to Sommers. Summers paid but little heed to the abuse and walked across the street.
Lewis followed him and Sommers warned him away. This Lewis construed into a threat and a challenge for a fight. He flung his blacking kit aside and attacked Sommers. Lewis struck at Sommers who parried the blow, pulling out a pocketknife, cut Lewis five times, twice in the breast, once on the arm and twice in the right hand. the latter wounds were inflected by Lewis grabbing the knife. They are of minor importance, but the wounds in the breast are considered serious. Both are quite deep and extend diagonally across the breast and abdomen.
Lewis, after being cut, staggered into Ritte's saloon, where his injuries were attended to by Mr. Ritte. Lewis started for his home on Southgate street, about two blocks from the scene of the cutting. Reaching the door he fell in a dead faint and was carried within by his father. Dr. T A Clark was summoned and he rendered the necessary surgical attention, after which advised that Lewis be removed to St Elizabeths in Covington. Menninger's ambulance was called and took him to the hospital. For several hours the hospital attaches were unable to determine the extent of his injuries, owing to his profound intoxication.
Sommers went to the police headquarters and surrendered himself. He was so well known to the authorities that he was permitted to go home and remain there until Officer Benke placed him under arrest. He was locked up and the charge of cutting with intent to kill was placed against his name. Sommers will be arraigned for trial this morning.
He said that Lewis always went armed and that when making the attack, kept one hand in his pocket, as though fingering a weapon. Believing that if he did no cut Lewis first he would himself be cut or shot, he acted as he says in self defense. Sommers spent the night in jail, all bail bond being refused pending the outcome of Lewis' wounds.
Sommers is employed as porter at Ritte's saloon, corner Fourth and Columbia streets, and enjoys an excellent reputation for sobriety and general good demeanor. He is 23 years of age, married and lives at 410 Central avenue. He came from Aberdeen Ohio, almost four years ago.
Lewis has been frequently in trouble. He was severely injured about a year ago by being made the victim of a cruel joke. A saloon keeper set his clothing on fire while he was asleep. He spent six months in the hospital.
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Cincinnati Enquirer, Wednesday, 23 September 1896, page 6
SHOT THROUGH THE HEART
About 8 o'clock yesterday morning Bob Cleary and Joseph W Austin walked out of John James' saloon at corner of York and Southgate streets, Newport. On the sidewalk they met George Lewis, a colored bootblack. Cleary spoke to the colored man, and then engaged in conversation with him. Austin walked a few steps away and then stopped, with his back toward the two men, waiting for Cleary.
Colonel E H Kilpatrick, Judge T P Bodkin, William Lumpkins, Squire Singleton, John Shawan, Colonel O W Root and many others saw the men standing together, but paid no particular attention to them until they heard the sharp crack of a revolver. Then all turned their eyes toward the direction from which the sound came. They saw Lewis falling and Cleary firing a revolver point blank at his heart.
The crowd was paralyzed with horror. Austin appeared to be the first to recovery and spring toward Cleary. He grabbed Cleary by the arm, as though to prevent further use of the weapon, and then followed him into Jones' saloon, where Cleary threw the revolver on the counter and followed by Austin, ran through the sitting room into the rear yard. They scaled a number of board fences and finally appeared on Fourth street directly opposite the One's Fire Engine House. They looked up and down the street and seeing everyone running westward toward York street, they walked east on Fourth, evidently congratulating themselves on having made good their escape.
They had been followed, however, by Adam Lieberth, who called Frank Phillips and Frank Wolff, two of the firemen stationed at the One's and pointed out the two men. There were halted and placed under arrest. And then taken to the station house, despite their indignant protestation that they knew nothing of the shooting. After hearing the case recited by several witnesses, all of whom identified Cleary, Chief of Police Lieberth ordered both men locked up. The revolver with which the shooting was done is a 32-caliber Smith & Wesson and was turned over to County Judge Bennett by Ed Clark, the colored Porter at Jones's saloon. Clark, who is familiarly known as "Hump" told how the revolver came to be left in the saloon, and Judge Bennett ordered that he be held as a witness.
Lewis' body was picked up as soon as the spectators of the crime recovered from their horrible surprise. Death had been instantaneous. The body was removed to White's undertaking establishment, and in the afternoon a post mortem examination was made by Dr. Will Young, assisted by Ray Schoolfield, under the direction of Coroner Tingley. Three bullet wounds were found in the left breast. Dr. Young will make his formal report of the autopsy at the inquest today.
Lewis, the victim of the murder, was the official bootblack at the Newport Courthouse. Two years ago he was comparatively unknown. One night, while asleep in Thomas Weaton's saloon, in Newport, coal oil was poured on his clothes and set fire. He was terribly burned and hovered between life and death for several months. When he recovered he entered suit for damages against Weaton, securing judgment for $600. He was on several occasions arrested for discharging firearms.
About six months ago he was cut in a street brawl in Newport and it was thought that he would die. He recovered and had been out but a few days when he was run over by a street car, escaping with a few bruises. Then he served a jail sentence for attempting to shoot his father, being released from custody quite recently. It has been a frequent prediction that Lewis would meet a violent death, owing to his quarrelsome nature.
Robert Cleary, the murderer, is a white man, 30 years of age, and lives at 1416 Eastern avenue. He is married and has one child, a three year old girl. His wife is employed as a chambermaid at the Hotel Alms. Cleary has been tending bar at Cosgrove's saloon in Newport and from what can be learned from the habitués of the place, Cleary had a quarrel with Lewis at the saloon last Thursday. Lewis contracted to shine Cleary's shoes for a glass of beer, and when offered the beer, refused to accept it and demanded five cents. This was refused him and he left, vowing to kill Cleary at the first opportunity.
Last Sunday Lewis went down York street with an open knife and was heard to threaten the life of Cleary. Cleary was warned to beware of Lewis and to arm himself. This will be the line of Cleary's defense and he has a number of witnesses who will swear that they heard Lewis threaten to kill him and that they regarded his life to be in danger. Cleary has retained Colonel O W Root as his counsel and acting under Colonel Root's instructions, refuses to say anything about his case whatever.
The examining trial will be held by Judge Bennett this morning and it is more than likely that Cleary will waive examination and have the case referred to the grand jury. When Lewis's effects were examined at the police station, the knife that he had been so fond of carrying was found in his shoe blacking kit.
Austin, who is held as an accomplice, is an old Newport boy. He formerly lied on Orchard street, between Tenth and Eleventh. He was married to Miss Kate Vogt of Riverside, about four years ago and is the father of a pretty little boy baby. He is badly broken up over the affair and when seen by an Enquirer reporter, expressed a willingness to tell all he knew.
"I met Cleary in Cincinnati about 6 am" he said, "and he invited me to come over to Newport and have a time. We visited Cosgrove's saloon at Front and Monmouth, John Dunwoodles's saloon on York street and Jones' saloon and drank whiskey at each place. Cleary was pretty drunk and very ill humored." He then described the murder as told above. After the shooting, he said Cleary said to him: "I killed the -- nigger." Austin concluded; "I don't see what made Cleary shoot. He had no provocation at the time for there was no quarrel of any kind."
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Cincinnati Post, Thursday, 18 February 1897, page 6
The trial of Robert Cleary, charged with the murder of George Lewis, a colored bootblack in Newport last summer, is set for trial in the Cambpell Circuit Court for March 1.