The Sentinel=record., 1911-08-27
LEE MAKES
 CONFESSION
ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE KILL. ED FATHER, MOTHER AND
 BROTHER WITH AN AXE.
Relates Details of Horrible Crime to Officers at Evansville--Refusal of Money for Wedding
 Given as Cause.

Evansville, Ind, Aug 26. -William Lee, 22 years old, confessed late to- day that ne murdered his father, Rich lard Lee, his mother and younger brother Clarence, and then set fire to the house in the hope of eoneealing the crime, at Bonneville, Ind, early Thursday morning.
 In verbal and written statements to Sheriff David in tihe jail here, Lee said his motive was anger because his parents would not consent to his marriage with Nina Taylor. of New burg, which he had planned for Thurs ld day evening, and would not give him money with which 10 begin house. keeping. When the confession was made public officers started with Lee in an automobile for the state lreformatory at JaffersonviRe to pre- vent mob violence.
 | Lee mad made a statement that he had killed his father in self de- fensel with an axe after the father had murdered his wife and younger son, but Sheriff Davis all day pressed the restless prisoner for the true story" and this afternoon Leie wrote a haltlngly worded confession and afterwards amplified it by a descrip tion of the horrible butcnery.
 Lee said that Wednesday night he lcalled on his fiance and they talked lof the arrangements for their we'd lding. He had sl0O in the bank but Ihad spent 1t. He knew his parents had $50 in the house. He returned home late at night and his mother |reprimanded him. he said. He told Iher he was determined to marry the following day and she answered that he should not, that he must stay at home.
 Going to his own room, Lee says he brooded until hel was out of his mind
 | Suddenly ne rushed into the room where his father, mother and brother lslept.
 q grabbed an axe by the door" he said, "and struck for my father, but hit my mother. My brother raised up and I hit him. Then my father. who had seen outside, ran in aiis started 10 grab me by the throat. fi,3. t.s, T r. r-u T un badly didn't know what was doing. What scared me was that my father had threatened my life and was an gry at what my mother had said."
 Lee said he lit a match 10 see what he had done and then dropped the flaming stick on the bed where his mothers body lay.
 The flames blinded me-" he went lon, and I jumped into my room, put lon my pants and ran to alarm the lneighbors. wouldn't have done this thing for anything If had had Iany sense at all.
 The fire in the Lee home was enf before the bodies, the skull of each lcrushed had been more than scorch- led and William Lee stolidly helped carry them out to thel lawn, insisting he did not know how his parents and brother came to their deaths.
 Lee has been an idler since boyhood Iacoording to the testimony at the lccioner's inquest, which closed today at Bonneville.
 Lees father appeared to fear him land supplied him with money. even Igsying him fourth share of the pro ceeds of the sale of some property re- cenIly.
 Evidence produced today refuted Lees statement that ne rushed from the house immediately after he had lstarted the fire. A basin, stained with blood, in which he had washed his hands. was found. Long gray hairs, Supposedly his mothers clung 10 the sides of it. Hidden behind door was basket filled with dishes, knives land forks and kitchen utensils. which. lit is believed he had packed with the Idea that he would escape the conse- luuences of the murders and soon have Inis own home The lives of his fath- Ter and brother were insured for S700 land this would have come 10 him or their death and that of his mother.