The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-14
SEE IS CONVICTED.
Founder of absolute Life'' Found
Guilty of Abduction.

Chicago, July 14.-Evelyn Arthur See,
founder of the absolute life cult, the
chief tenet of which was said to be the
establishment of a perfect race, was
found guilty Of the abduction of Mil
dred Bridges, the 17-year-old disciple
of the cult. The jury was out only As
minutes and is said to have taken but
one ballot. The statute fixes the PEN
atty at from one to ten years in the
penitentiary. The jury also returned
a verdict of guilty of contributing to
juvenile delinquency, which had been
incorporated in the abduction charge.
They were instructed to retire and
return a single verdict. Counsel for See
offered the claim that the return of
two verdicts necessitated a new trial
and made an immediate appeal for a re-
trial of the case.
Sees fiat, the home of absolute life,
named in the cult publications as the
house of the Lord was raided in jan
uary. See was arrested and two girls
Mona Rees, q and Mildred Bridges, II
years old, who had been living in the
apartment, were taken into custody.
Mrs. Felicia Rees and Mrs. Lucille
Bridges, the mothers of the girls, and
followers of See, also were closely ques-
toned
The police investigation resulted in
charges of abduction being brought
against See. Stephen Bridges, Z
wealthy jeweler, father of Mildred
whose wife admitted she had cOntribu-
ted 81 900, $500 and many smaller month
~ sums to Sees support, aided the
police in gaining evidence. He also
began action for divorce from Mrs.
Bridges and suit for alienation of af
fections against See.
See, in apparent fear of public senti-
ment, did not seek bail and remained
in jail until his trial began more than
two weeks ago. While in jail he con-
tinued writing and preaching his doc
trine Of a perfect race to be establish
ed through the new belief.
While See was in jail Mrs. See, who
had separated from her husband several
years before, with the aid of a profess
sional safe breaker visited Sees fat,
raided his safe and obtained many let
tiers from her husband to Mona and Mil
dred as we'll as others from the cult
/ leader to the two mothers. These were
taken in charge by the United States
| government, with view to possible
/ prosecution under the white slave act.
They were loaned to the state for use
/ during the trial.
See refused to take the stand in his
| own defense, the chief witnesses being
the four women whose names had been
/ most frequently mentioned since his ar
rest. The women repudiated an alleg-
ed confession, said to have been made
to the police, that the fiat had been
used for immoral purposes and took
refuge in the language Of absolute life
which to most of those in the court
room proved unintelligible.
Mr.. Bridges was an important wit
ness for the state, testifying that his
daughter had refused to return homt
after being quarantined with scarlet
fever in Sees fat He also testified
that on returning suddenly from out OF
the city, he had found Mrs. Bridges
at the home of the absolute life. He
also said he had permitted his wife tt
make large and regular contributions
TO Sees support.
None of the women were in the court
room when the verdict was rendered.
An appeal for a new trial may alse
bkbe based on the fact that Juror G. F