Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-12-21
MAN WHO HID THE STORY 0f IS PAST
 TEN YEARS, DIES
no,raetic Trouble Leads to Exposure of Esteemed
 Texan

Mercedes, Tex, Lee. ~ iloili- F Lee. for nearly 10 years a sssn,;liar ss figure in the lower Rio la,l lrnonde valley and known to hun ulalsU ;ads of persons in this section, has disappeared: When he left s:aT Santa Maria few weeks ago he assa;led to give a forwarding ad- sanss and it has since been learn od that Lees real name IS Iheo- M aoro K Lake and that he once was u oonoht for an alleged embezzle s.ent sv of S3,O00 from the Security life Insurance company of Blng- ha h,o n,ton N. r., while it's state n. naent at Detroit. In recent years deo as he was known here, had h heen sales manager for the Lee land company, owned by Stuart brothers of Dallas.
 'D That the town Of Iceland was nomed for him and that the local l., land company also bore his name n;ves some idea as to the esteem ;n which he was held. A more eonvincing proof, however, may S Se had in the fact that he was sdvanced s20,000 for development an work by Stuart brothers. Ina h;litv to satisfy o. E. Stuart as to m the use of this sum led to his dismissal last January. untA recentlv he has been acting inde- nendently in real estate transae- lions at and near Santa Maria.
 Domestic Trouble Was Cause. Domestic troubles were the ai- rect cause of Lee being exposed at Lake and bringing to light his career in Michigan Mrs. Lee resided in San Antonio while Lee was operating in the lower Rio Grande valley and he made peri odical visits to her. Finally it is said, these visits became fewer apart and a few months ago she filed suit for divorce, alleg ing assertion. Later she wrote a brother of her plight and asked for financial assistance. The brother wrote Stuart asking if he knew the whereabouts of Lee. alias Theodore F. Lane.
 Stuart started an investigation and was soon in the possession of affidavits, newspaper clippings and signed statements showing that Lee, until 1904, was known as Lake and that he had sudden ly disappeared from Detroit when shortage of $3,OO0 was found In his accounts.
 It is understood that he went to Mexico, shaved off a luxuriant mustache and, after making a rec ord there as an efficient and capa- ble manager for an American concern, returned to the United Estates and took up real estate ac- in this section. His dis Erpearance from Santa Maria
 Zne soon after Stuart began his svestigation into his past.
 Had Hundreds of Friends.
 Possessed of a pleasing person. Rlity and being a convincing and Fcrcible talker, Lee made friends by the hundreds. He was de- dared to have been an expert sales. nan. Clippings from Detroit newspapers, which devoted sever
 Il columns to his disappearance Ehere and the shortage in his ac- Eounts told of the wide swath he had cut in that city in social and business circles. There, too, he made a record as a salesman and n few months showed the Michi- Ban office to the top of the in-
 urance company's list.
 Lee was known here as hust- er and his land sales were numer- us. It is understood that his
 isappearance will in no manner
 fleet the development of the San
 a Maria district All those who
 urchased land thru him are full
 protected and his exit from this
 pcality will not involve personal
 psses.