The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-20

into northern Idaho and other states
and there exchanged for good com. SO
clcverly executed was the counterfeit
money that it but bore one stamp Of
being bogus and that was in It's weight,
being lighter than the average coin is.
sued from the United States mint, 9th
erwIse it was perfectly true, The de-
nominations of five and ten.dollar
pieces were used, The coin was traced
10 Lee, who resided in small town in
the northern part of the state. and he
passed il in the ncighboring cities.
When run down by the secret service
men, he had just thrown away a sack
containing twenty ten-dollar gold
pieces and one FIVE. dollar piece. His
conviction followed regardless of the
unusual story he told United States
District Attorney Lingenfeltcr just be
| fore hls trial.
Held Father in Fear
Lee claimed in the story or his life
that he hadl been raised cs = youth
without the care of a mother and that
! there was no woman whom nc could
call by that name. Early in bovhood
lac experienced a great fear for his
father and almost held him in terror
/ so great was the power the elder Lee
had ov"r the son. Raised under these
! conditions and without the benefits of
U
became simple in his manner of living
and led the life of one who was more
| at ease with nature than at home with
his parents. Early in lie his father
engaged in mysterious transactions and
the Younger Lee was commissioned to
carry out 4 part of The genera! cam
paign 10 place bad money The toy
knew little Of the industry OF his
father and claims that up until the
time of being arrested he had never
attempted TO distribute The bogus coin
lie married and four children resulted
from the union, all Of whom are alive
and have been dependent upon their
father for a livelihood.
Became Hypnotic Subject,
For manv- vearszi,ss iIas@bcen under
the direct influence OF his father. who
he claims hypnOtized him and forced
him TO do things that he could not
have done If in his normal condition.
Early last summer his father in some
mysterious manner called him TO Mon.
taua. Unable to resist the call. hc
went. HIS father then told him he
must take counterfeit coin TO Idaho
and pass ii. Lee refused. The father
insisted, and finally commanded. call
ing his son a coward and unworthy of
bis fathers love. The result Of this
conference was that Lee took back with
him TO his Idaho home 4 sack Of coun.
tcrteit money. His conscience would
not permit him TO pass it, and for
months he lived in great terror His
father IN the meantime failing TO secure
returns called upon fhe son again 10
pass tho money and threatened him
with bodily injury. Driven at last TO
perform that which be knew was wrong
Lee. while. as he claims. kypno.
tizcd. started 10 pcddlc the gold pieces.
When Lee was in the docket for trial
the district attorney received pitiful
letter from the forsalcn wife. who as
serted that she had but given birth
TO a child. and petitiOning that her
husband be spared TO her. Unable 10
prevent the conviction of Lee. bui in.
stead forced TO convict'hI by the dam
aging evidence. the district attorney
could not interfere with the wheels OF
Justice had he wanted aud Lee was
found guilt aud sentenced TO prison
Since his conviction the elder Lee
and his wife have been arrested on tho
same charge and an additional one of
manufacturing counterfeit money and
their countcrfcitino outfit has been con-
iscatcd They Will stand trial in the
federal court at Helena. II is believed
the Lees have 6oated much of the bad
coin that has been found in the north.
west during the past few years and
became wealthy in the business.