The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-06-05
Aged Defendant In Wild Cat
Oil Case Declares He Was
Duped BY Young Partners.
Many Measurements Made
CLAIMS TO BE COUSIN
OF CONFEDERATE LEADER
Humor And Pathos Blended As
Old Man Tells Story Of His
Dealings With The Company.
Got Only $3.50 Weekly

FORT WORTH, Texas. June a.
How the advertising" literature of
the General Lee interests was sent
out by the defendants, Charles Sher-
win and H. H. Schwarz, over his
protests, because statements made
in them were untrue and incorrect,
was told from the witness stand to-
day by General" Robert A. Lee,
third defendant in the "oil fraud
trial Of the Lee companies
Il told them that things they had
said in the letters and advertise
ments were not true. yet they sent
it out anyway" the aged defendant
said. He gave his age as 76 years
They held me up to the world as a
miracle geologist,' yet 1 never
claimed to be a geologist, but do
say that l am mineralogist."
The general" was on the stand
the greater part of the day and
when his testimony was concluded
at ABS p. M, the defense rested. The
argument in the case was started
Immediately. 1t will be continued
tomorrow morning, and according to
to the jury about noon. H. H. At
terbury. assistant district attorney,
opened for the government
doodle Bugr Finder.
The testimony of General" Lee,
the aged defendant. presented both
pathos and humor. AS he told how
he protested against untrue litera-
ture being sent to investors and his
suit to make Sherwin and Schwarz
carry out their contract, the court
room was stolidly silent. Then as
he described the workings of his
doodle bug oil finder, which he
took from his pocket, the entire
court room, including attorneys and
the judge, laughed at the aged wit
ness expense. He spoke with en-
phasis as he demonstrated his in
strument, illustrating the various
operations with his hands.
The defendant Lee identified nu-
merous letters and papers he had
signed but of which he never knew
the contents. He testified that in
his contract with Sherwin and
Schwarz he was to allow them to
use his name for furthering the pro-
motion of their companies and was
to sign all letters.
Never Read Letters.
These letters were brought to him
in patches. he said, sometimes 40 or
so at time, with instructions to
put your John Henry on these" In
THIS way, tHe WitnesS saiu, numerous
letters were sent to investors and
stockholders which he never wrote
or was cognizant of the contents.
He testified that he. never heard Of
the Leslie Vincent company Of Chi
cago, but that the contract he knew
of whereby a Chicago company was
to sell stock Of the Lee companies,
has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to
defraud through the mails. He told
of hearing from Miss Alice NJ Kane
of RGxbury, Mass. that she had sent
$4,000 worth of bonds to the company
after General Lees nephew" had
called on her.
II went to Schwarz and hold him
that anybody representing himself to
be my nephew was liar" Lee said,
adding that he had been informed
that the men making these repre-
sensations had been discharged.
The witness called his locating in
strument chemical battery" and
said that 1t would work only with
his system. that his body had pc
culiar magnetic agencies which har-
monised with the battery.
General Lee Mentioned
Tho aged defendant said he was
a cousin of Gen. Robert e. Lee. but
was not sure that the famous gen.
eral had visited his home when he
. (the defendant) was a boy. as al
legged In the pamphlet entitled THE
Honor of the Lees"
He told how. through his contract
with Sherwin & Schwarz, he was to
receive 10 per cent of the oil from
the well of the company, and $3.50
per week, but that he got only the
latter. He told Of bringing suit to
make Sherwin & Schwarz give an
accounting of expenditures and that
they made a s25O,000 bona guarantee
ing to drill eight more oil wells
Only in case they struck oil was he
to receive any profits.
The defendant, Sherwin. was on
the stand part of the morning and
he also admitted that numerous
statements In the companys litera-
ture and letters were untrue.