Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-03-14
Travelling Salesman Who Bun
coed Salt Lakers Now Doing
Time in Alabama.
CASHED WORTHLESS CHECKS
Worked Denver and Baltimore With
smooth Game, as Well as Pacific
Coast--In Jail for Year.

There are number of persons in this
city who Will be Interested in learning
that II. Lee Russell has been arrest
ed In Mobile Alabama, and by this time
is serving sentence OF one year and
one day.
H. Lee Russell is well known
throughout this territory and for years
was regarded as reliable travelling
salesman. a few months ago Mr.. Rus
sell came to Salt Lake as was most
usual, and had a number of checks
cashed, also something very usual. The
Colorado Midland Offices cashed one
for $4G50; n leading hotel did the same
and saloon also doled out the same
amount. The checks We're drawn upon
the Southern Trust company OF Los
Angeles, California and signed as u
rule by a c. q. Berg. Being known,
Lee had no trouble in getting the mon
ey.
SAME GAME IN DENVER.
After staying here a few days Lee
went 10 Denver and ceshed a num-
Der of checks-all for S47 so From
Denver he went south At Mobile he
was captured In answer TO u letter
from one of the men Lee "buncoed'
here j. II. Webb, solicitor of Mobile
county. writes
Your letter concerning H Lee Rus
sell has been handed me Russell de-
MES ever having been I'm Salt Lake, but
feel quite sure he is not telling the
truth. Enclosed herewith find a cir.
culer sent out by the Shriners of Balti-
more, with reproduction of check
passed there. which, you will observe,
is for the same amount and probably
identical with the one passed on you,
and is also like the one passed here
except the latter was for a larger
amount"
In continuing, the letter explains that
Lee was permitted to plead guilty TO
getting money under false pretenses
and take q year and day. IT is ex-
planned further, the Salt Bakers can
have Lee brought here upon the expira.
ton of his term-about ten months
If they desire. Just what is to be done
is not decided by the parties Interested.
The reason / let him plead gull $
to the lesser offcnse was because | ala
not think ] would be able to make
out the charge OF forgery, as in order
to do so IL would have been necessary
for me to bring witnesses here from
Los Angeles California, and / had IA
| power to compel their Attendance am
| / have never been able to get wit
nesses 10 come from another state Il
such cases on their own account. Tit
lowest punishment here for forgery
would have been 10 years II the check
was OIL an incorporated bank and two
years If the bank was not incorporat.
ed
CLAIMS TO BE Skinner.
The circular mentioned as having
been issued by the Shliners of Bait :
more is an interesting document as IT
deals in detail with Lee and his meth
A. Tow HlN.nV
stature, smooth face, quick movement,
smooth. rapid and plausible talker;
claims to be member OF the Moham-
med temple, Peoria, Ill"
He cashed a check at the temple IN
Baltimore for $3.50. writing his name
In type writer account of the estate
Margaret H. Russell. The check was
returned marked mo Funds"
HOW LEE WORKED.
How Lee worked IS decidedly interest
ing. The circular reads, "A careful eN-
animation OF the signature 10 the check,
which he said was that of the attorney
engaged in settling up hs mothers
estate. and OF his own endorsement on
the back show similarity OF the ''e''
IN Lee and Berg and indicates he wrote
both
He called up prominent officer or
Boumi Temple by phone and said ha
had been requested by a Shriner IN
Washington, ID. C., to call upon him \
half hour later he MADE his appearance
and after showing u lot OF Conslstory
cards-all apparently lawful-each OF
which recommended him 10 the care
and good viii OF all Scottish Rite Ma
sons. he presented a yellow card from
lMohamned Temple and requested the
gentleman he was visiting to cash his
check. which the latter did to his sor-
row.
is A SMOOTH ONE,
The man is pronounced Il fraud and
has been working the Pacific coast from
Seattle 10 Los Angeles and thence 10
New Orleans. Noble G. r. Hitchcock
OF Mohammed Temple says the fellow
was never a member Of Mohsmmed
Temple and must have forged its 1908
card The man also claimed TO belong
20 the United States navy and appeared
fully conversant with China the 18TH
mus or Panama and spoke about the
differences in the Masonic work he had
witnessed during his travels.
"He Is supposed to have left Balu-
more about the 22nd Of January as
man OF his description was seen on
the Norfolk boat about tho same time
en- route 10 Newport Nows who was
surrounded by an eager crowd OF Ala
sons. VINO were listening 10 his dehcrip-
lions OF Masonic work as done IN CHINA
and elsewhere. Kindly remember he is
glib of tongue and we'll posted
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