The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-04-01
NEGRO BISHOP
QUITS WINNIPEG
THE PEccERs DID NOT TAKE
KINDLY TO BISHOP WILLIAMS,
WHO HAS BEEN DOING RELIC
lous WORK IN FARGO, BIS.
MARcK AND MINoT.


The Winnipeg Free Press didn''
like the credentials Of Bishop Will
Jams. the colored man who has been
doing evangelistic work in this state
and had tackled Winnipeg The pa
per also found that Lee was a man
with a record. Lee, II is claimed, was
a former gambler. OF course the man
may have reformed since that time.
The following is the story published
In The Free Press
1T was apparently too hot in Winni-
eg for Bishop Williams, the colored
man who arrived at the end of last
week with the devout purpose of or
ganizing a church among the negro
populace of this city. and he quietly
entrained on the 500 flyer for the
sunny south last evening, not ever.
staying to say goodbye to those Of me
proposed flock whom he had impressed,
with the dignity of his high office.
The Rev ]. H. Lee. Of Fargo who
introduced himself as the general mis-
sionary under Williams in the Apos-
tolic African Methodist Episcopal
church, unfortunately did not have the
price of a ticket and was obliged to
remain in the city until sufficient
funds are Forthcoming from friends
across the line to pay his passage. He
expects to be able to get out by
Thursday.
Lee Is Well Known.
1.-THE pair evidently had the modern
iHoo ~
tive degree. The bishop appears,
from his late record at Fargo, to be an
artist of the first magnitude. He came
to this city attired in the vestments
of his alleged office. and had cultivated
an air of elevated dignity that was
inended to carry weight, and draw
funds for the organization of a con-
gregation. The Rev. Mr.. Lee, alias
Jim Lee, former gambler OF Mime
apolis, st. Paul. Superior and Duluth,
is 40 years of age, coal black in color.
weighs 220 pounds and looks overfed
and prosperous. He is attired in a
natty grey tweed suit. Since arriving
in Winnipeg he has frequented the
colored clubs and mixed 1t up with the
boys.
According to an item which APP
peared in The Free Press yesterday,
Williams fed very hurriedly from Far
go after having been denounced by the
papers there. He went to the North
Dakota city a perfect stranger: an
nounced that he was an organizer for
the African Methodist Episcopal
church. and started out to establish
a mission. He was accompanied by a
young colored woman named Minette,
whom he claimed was his private sec
rotary, and with whom he resided. In
Fargo Williams secured the card of
another mission. had it duplicated and
did a thriving business soliciting funds
until he was denounced as fraud.
An investigation was talked Of, but
was never carried out.
Recognized as Gambler.
Williams came to Winnipeg last
week unaccompanied by his private
secretary, whom he stated had left
him. He sought lodgings at a colored
boarding house on Martha street. and
had only been there few hours when
it is alleged, he made improper pro-
posals to the mattresses. and was
obliged to take his departure and GO
to the Dakota house, on Isabel street
On Saturday he was Joined in Winni.
peg by Lee, and the introduction o.
this man as general missionary i'm.
mediately aroused suspicion as he wal
recognized as former gambler OF tht
western states cities. The coloret
population of the city was thrown int,
excitement over the advent of tn,
bishop and his assistant, but it re
| fused to come across with the fund
| for the church until it was satisfies
as to the genuineness of the proposi
| ton.
Many Compromising Statements.
yesterday afternoon the bishop an,
Lee we're put through the third degre
in one of the down town barber shops
and were so thoroughly tripped up Il
all their statements that it did not re
/ quire a prophet to see that the gam
was up. Williams claimed that he wa
ordained by Bishop j. w. Watkins o.
Sept %, 1908, at Webb City, Kan, an
that he preached throughout Missouri
There were recent arrivals from thes
places present, who failed to remembe
the man or his missionary labors.
was the plan of the bishop to emulat
Booker Washington and secure fund
/ from the white people of Winnipeg a
we'll as the coloreds to establish mis-
sion, and 1t was announced that tn
religious services would commenc
right away. He represented himsr.
to be the overseer OF an orphans HON
at Omaha, Neb. He admitted to thos
present at the gathering yesterda
that he had sustained himself an
paid his travelling expenses on TIL
money collected from the good peopl
OF Fargo.
Lee claimed that he had been con
verted by missionary named Lacey
three months ago, and that he ha
been doing odd jobs since that tim,
He had met williams on Jan. / las
and received his appointment fror
him. He stated that he had preache
at the McCracken mission on From
street, Fargo.
$50 far as can be ascertained, Their
was no money collected in Winnipeg.