The daily gazette., 1883-08-11
LEES VILLAINY.
How the Great :{ascaI Hired y Poor Boy
and Then Cheated Him Out of His
Wages
LheH Haven Conn, Morning Newa.l

and Then Cheated Him Out Of nj
Wages
Lhe~ Haven Conn, Morning News.
When the Morning NcWs began its expos
oil Nelson j. Lee, the temperance hypocrit,
and montebank, it was cognnizant of man
things his record here fragrant with BIZ
contemplate methods. Other evidences OF
his baseness exhibited in New Haven hav,
come to light since, But his croWning impo
sition was not made plain until he had
swindled an orphan and robbed widow
This he did.
Citizens of New Haven know 'Little Will
lie Johnson," the boy singer whose marvel
ous vocal powers have made him popular
iaVorite at public entertainments. He has
appeared frequently at the meeting of Good
SamaritaDs. When Lee came TO New Haven
ne heard the young singer and was no' long
PIN discovering the value such prodigy
would be in attracting and holding the at
| tention OF crowd. And SO 1t came that
when Lee was obliged to leave New Haven
ne went to the widowed mother of Willie
johnson aud by fair promises got her to al
low the lad toaccompany him to Bridgeport.
he contracted to provide the boy with the
comforts OF a Christian home and to pay
him weekly salary of So. Willie went.
The Christian home was provided.
A Bridgeport lady, interested in the tenn
perance cause, and charmed with the ability
and manners of The little fellow gladly well
coined him to her house, and made him
virtually member of her own family,
This was a charity to Nelson j. Lee. The
hypocrltieal apostle "provided a home"
without the expInse of penny. But the
20 week.-Mrs. likewise cost him nothing
or nearly nothing. Lee calmly ommitted to
pay it, Upan one pretense and ano, her he
TAfTt fNtf from, ln.r =.
to week the payment OF the boys wages.
Willie demonstrated, but his plea was in
vain. He explained to the pompous smooth
tongued knave that the lack OF money was
causing suffering at home. The little fell
low had counted upon his salary of So a week
as support for his widowed mother, needy
and without other assistance. Lee shrugged
his shoulders, made more promises, dis
missed the subject and paid no money. Tne
mother and her little ones at home might
starve. II mattered not to the vain. lying
demagogue so long as he could sport in the
public eye, feast and be followed
Willie johnson was in Bridgeport eleven
weeks. During all this time Nelson j. Lee
paid him just Sl2, and finally the boy was
sent home without another penny. Lee
owed him and still owes him S54, out of the
S66 he had earned.
But Willie johnson Jared as did others
who trusted in Lee and worked for him.
Lee has left Bridgeport as he left Taunton,
Mass, as he left New Haven, as he left
every place whose unhappy lot it was to
shelter him-with bills unpaid. In this city
he swindled Mrs. Mary Horton, 35 Wooster
Place, out of board bill, cheated j. j.
kternan, the printer, and jumped bills else
where as was found convenient. But the
theft from Little Willie johnson and his
widowed mother was degree worse than
the others.
To day Willie goes with the people of the
Church of the Mes iah on the excursion to
Roton Point. Big-hearted Frank Hermance
is taking an interest in the little fellow and
will see to it that he does not come home
empty handed. Mrs. Mary johnson, ,Wnie's
mother, Is a worthy woman. She lives at
IA East Graad street. She is u victim Of
misfortune, and finds it an extremely diff
cult task to give such support as she desires
to her nine children. Willie, baby vet in
years, manfully strives to cheer ami assist
her, but his heart wa almost broken hy tn
contemplate swindle perpetrated 10y Scala
wag Lee, in Withholding tic hari-earnet!
mo ey by which he had hoped to tighten
his mothers burden.