Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-17
WILLIAM !. LEE
WINS HIS RIGHT
TO QUIT ASYLUM
Threatener of ex-Gov. Stokes,
Who Escaped Many Times,
Now Legally Free.
Special to the Evening Star.

Special TO the Evening Star.
TRENTON, Oct. 17.-Another chap
ter has been written in the checl5ered
career of William j. Lee, of this city
and New York, an expert iron esti-
mator, who about a dozen years ago
created a sensational by writing let
ters to former Governor Stokes, the
late Judge Vroom and others, threat
ening their lives for failure to aid in
his discharge from the New Jersey
State Hospital here. What Lee failed
to obtain through his letters he yes
terday secured through the aid of
counsel, William M. Jameson. of this
city, and DIR. Henry A. Cotton, medi-
cal director at the State Hospital
when, upon application made through
habeas corpus proceedings and upon
the testimony of DR.. Cotton that Lee
is now of sane mind and capable of
doing business, Chancellor Walker
ordered him discharged from the in
stitution.
Two unusual features in connection
with the order are that Counselor
Jameson, who secured the discharge
of Lee, was the lawyer who had the
man sent to the hospital in 1902, and
that, although he was formally dis
charged yesterday, Lee has not, until
recently, been confined in the institu-
ton for some years, having been out
of the State and in New York.
His History Rivals Fiction.
The history of Lees escapades
rivals many stories of fiction. After
being incarcerated at the hospital in
1902 he escaped half dozen times,
and when be went to New York on
one of these occasions was adjudged
by c. Pierce Clark, q noted alienist.
as sane, while in his home State of
New Jersey be. was regarded to be
in entirely the opposite mental con-
dition. 1t was upon the advice of his
counsel that he surrendered himself
recently to the authorities of the
State Hospital, preparatory to apply
ing for a discharge.
Another unusual feature about the
case is the fact that Chancellor
Walker, who signed his dismissal or
der from the State Hospital yester-
day, was, when Lee was worrying the
authorities of that institution with
his escapes some years back, the
counsel for the board of managers of
the institution and officially interest
ed in the case.
Lee was first committed to the in
stitution in 1902, and after remaining
there a short time made his first es-
cape and went to the alienist in New
York who gave him a certificate as
to his sanity. Later, however, he re
turned to the hospital here. and in
nineteen days was away again. This
time he had been permitted to leave
for the purpose of attending the flu
neral of his father. Becoming angry
at some stories appearing in the
Trenton papers concerning his release
for the funeral, he refused to return
to the institution at its conclusion
and ordered the driver of his carriage
to take him across the Delaware
river bridge into Pennsylvania. He
was apprehended this time after a
long trip around the East, always
refraining from entering New Jer-
sey, and finally returned to the hos
pital, from which he subsequently
made three more escapes, finally re-
manning in New York permanently.
Attendant offered Him Freedom.
Tt was while there that he wrote
the threatening letters to prominent
officials of this State, and for which
he was taken into custody by the
New York authorities and confined
to Wards Island Insane Asylum. one
of the largest in the country After
some time spent in this place Lee
told the reporters yesterday that an
and told him to walk out.
Several other times he was con-
fined In similar institutions. in New
York State, and finally, exhausting
his money in counsel fees. decided
to study law to the end that he
might secure writ of habeas corpus
himself This he did and several
times made applications to the SUI
prerne Court of New York State i1n-
til finally he was discharged from
the last institution in which he was
held.
Lee admitted here yesterday after
noon in the office of the Chancery
Court, after he had been discharged,
that he had threatened to kill former
Governor Stokes, while the latter
occupied the executive chair, believ-
ing that the governor was not CIV
ing his case the proper attention to
secure his discharge from the State
hospital, although the executive had
taken the matter UP with the then
Encouragement of the State.
Lee stated today that he intends
to go back to New York and engage
in the iron business.