Biography

He was a escaped Canadian convict that fled to America in 1839. In June of 1840, Lett was captured as he attempted to burn down a British steamboat in Oswego, NY. After his capture, he was transported to Auburn for sentencing. During this trip, he escaped, leading WHS to authorize a bounty for his capture. FMS describes this situation in a letter to LMW, "The escape of the convict Lett occasions quite an excitement"