The Princeton union., March 28, 1912, Image 1

About The Princeton union. (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

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I BOY SLAYS_SETTLER
Minneapolis Youth Deliberately Mur-
ders Homesteader Near Mora
and Rifles His Pockets.
Confesses Crime and Coolly Narrates
Details of His Atrocious Deed
to County Authorities.
Eugene Thomas, the 16-year-old
Minneapolis boy arrested for the
murder on Sunday, March 17, of R.
N. Winters, a homesteader, in his
cabin near Mora, and who was taken
to Grasston and placed in jail last
Friday, has confessed to the com
mission of the cold-blooded crime.
To county Attorney J. C. King and
Sheriff Alman of Kanabec county he
told the story of the shooting down of
the unarmed homesteader he also
gave to them the history of his life, in
which he related that he had been a
reader of dime novels and from such
books had received an impulse to be
come a bandit, to go west and to
murder and rob in order to accumu
late wealth
It was not until after photographs
of the cabin in which the settler was
murdered, with the victim lying on the
iioor, had been shown him, that he
consented to tell the story of the
crime He told how the determination
to leave home grew upon him and
how he finally purchased two re
volvers and left Minneapolis. He had
visited with his uncle, near Mora, be
fore, and decided to stop at his place
before proceeding west.
The boy told of a quarrel with his
uncle and his wanderings until he ar
rived at his victim's cabin on March
17. Then he narrated how he de
termined to rob the cabin, how tie
entered it and ransacked the trunk,
how he heard someone approaching
and drew his revolvers. He stated
that presently the door opened, a man
appeared and he fired that he rifled
the homesteader's pockets, left the
cabin and made his way to Mora.
This, and how he went back home to
Minneapolis, was told by the boy
without even a break in his voice.
He showed no sorrow, no remorse.
His story was a calm, connected nar
rative.
Eugene Thomas, who gave himself
jp to the Minneapolis police on
Thursday, March 21, after he had
learned that the authorities were
looking for him, acted upon the ad
vice of Rev. Johnson, and M. C.
Brady, his attorney, both of whom
accompanied him to jail. Circum
stantial evidence, including assertions
that the lad had previously shown a
desire to become an outlaw, was
responsible for the verdict of the
coroner's jury, which was as follows:
'We find that R. N. Winters came to
his death from bullet wounds received
from a weapon in the hands of a per
son believed to be Eugene Thomas."
An autopsy revealed that Winters had
been shot in the head three times.
The boy, according to the Kanabec
authorities, arrived in Mora late on
Thursday, March 14, armed with two
revolvers He remained at the home
of relatives that evening and the next
morning, when urged to return home
by his uncle, flourished his revolvers
and threatened to make use of them if
interfered with. He then backed out
of the house and proceeded north
from Mora along a road passing near
the Winters' cabin. He reappeared in
Mora the following Sunday, much
fatigued, and explained that he had
spent the time since Friday in an
abandoned shack on his uncle's home
stead, eight miles from Wahkon. On
Monday he agreed to return home,
purchased a ticket to Minneapolis and
boarded a tram.
Winters was last seen about 10
o'clock on the morning of March 17,
when he left the home of a neighbor to
walk a mile to his cabin. An hour or
more later, according to the findings
of the Kanabec county investigators,
young Thomas appeared at this
neighbor's home, ate dinner and en
deavored unsuccessfully to hire a rig
to drive to the nearest railroad
station. It was later learned that a
youth answering his description
visited other farm houses along the
road and tried to hire a rig. As an
indirect result of these visits to farm
houses, the investigators brought to
hgnt probably the strongest link in
the chain of circumstantial evidence
that was coiling more and more tight
ly about the wayward Minneapolis
boy.
Upon his arrival at Mora, it was
said, he missed one of his mittens.
He was positive he had left it in one
of the farm houses. He was so
certain of this that he left a letter to
be mailed to one of the housewives
asking that the mitten be forwarded.
The mittenor one just like it in
every waylater was found in the
Winters' cabin near the body of the
slain homesteader.
The tragedy was not discovered
until the following Tuesday. Evi
dence indicated that Winters had been
shot while standing in the doorway of
his home, as he was about to enter,
by someone inside the cabin. Officers
worked on the theory that the mur
derer was ransacking the cabin when
the homesteader, returning from a
neighbor's home, disturbed him.
Yesterday, in district court at Mora,
Thomas pleaded guilty to murder in
the second degree and was sentenced
to the reformatory on the indetermi
nate plan.
County Attorney King of Kanabec
county is entitled to credit for the able
manner in which he handled this case.
Murderers and Burglars Abound
Murderers and burglars continue
their nefarious work in Minneapolis
with impunitythe police appear to
be unequal to the task of capturing
the criminals.
A young woman named Alice
Matthews was attacked and murdered
late on Saturday night on the side
walk within a few feet of her home,
3547 Twentieth avenue S., and, not
withstanding the fact that people
living across the street notified the
police by telephone that a struggle
was in progress, the officers failed to
discover anything amiss. A police
man on a bicycle and another on
horseback were sent out at different
times, in answer to the calls, but their
sphere of investigation did not in
clude the place where the murder was
committed. They kept half a block
away, probably for the reason that
the street where the unfortunate girl
was struggling on the sidewalk in the
throes of death was unlightedthe
"brave" officers of the law were ap
parently afraid to get out from under
the electric light on the corner for
fear that they, too, might come in
contact with the assassin. While a re
ward has been offered for the appre
hension and conviction of the murder
er, that is but small consolation for
the parents who lost their daughter in
so tragic a way.
Another big burglary was added
on Monday to the list committed in
Minneapolis within the past few weeks
and the prepetrators of which have
escaped detection Cracksmen en
tered the Miles theater, directly across
the street from the Radisson hotel,
blew the safe doors off and carried
away a collection of elk teeth valued
at $3,500, besides cash and stamps.
No one heard the explosion although
the police are supno.sed to be on the
beat continually in the downtown dis
trict.
If reform is needed in one Minne
apolis municipal department more
than another it is in the police depart
ment, where cowardice and neglect of
duty seems to be prevalent.
A Woman Scbool Superintendent
J. B. Johnson has resigned the
superintendency of schools of Isanti
county, the resignation to take effect
September 3, and the county board
has appointed Mrs. Minerva B. Hix
son to succeed him. Mrs. Hixson's
father, the late Hon. H. F. Barker,
was at one time superintendent of
schools of Mille Lacs county, and her
aunt, the late Mrs. Olive R. Barker,
was the first woman county superin
tendent of schools the state and
filled the position acceptably in this
county for 16 successive years. Tak
ing into consideration her hereditary
environments, together with the fact
that she is a college graduate, Mrs.
Hixson ought to make a capable su
perintendent.
Don Throw Your Money Away.
If you want to save money go to
Wm. Neely's harness shop for every
thing you need in the horse furnishing
line. All goods guaranteed at this
well-known establishment. Don't let
people cajole you into believing that
a factory-made harness is made by
hand. I carry both factory and
hand-made harness and will show and
explain to you the difference.
Don't miss the reduction sale which
will begin in my store on Saturday
next, March 16, and last two weeks.
During that time a discount of 10 per
cent will be given on all cash pur
chases. Wm. Neely,
13-2tc The Harness Man.
Fifteen Injured in Wreck
A Soo line passenger train, run
ning from Portal, N. D., to Minne
apolis, was wrecked three miles east
of Belgrade, Minn., at 7:45 o'clock
on Tuesday morning and, as a result,
15 persons received injuries. Six of
the seven cars which made up the
train left the track and were either
hurled down a 20-foot embankment or
left at right angle on the steep grade.
The wreck was caused by a broken
rail.
K. C. DUNN, Publisher. Terms $1.00 Per Year. PRINCETON, MILLE LACS COUNTY, MINNESOTA, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1912.
MARCH SETTLEMENT
Apportionment of Taxes for County of
flille Lacs as Computed by the
Auditor and Treasurer.
Settlement Aggregates $30,112.75, of
Which School Districts of the
County Get $12,244.10.
The tax apportionment of the
March settlement aggregates $30,-
112.75. Of this sum $2,197.60 is ap
portioned to the state, $7,009.10 to the
county, and $4,865.11 to the town
funds. To the village of Princeton is
apportioned $1,610.68 and to the vil
lage of Milaca $2,008.97, while the
school district distribution aggregates
$12,244.10 and the farm school tax
$174.23. The details of the distribu
tion are given below.
STATE TAXES
Revenue $1465 98
Scbool
Total
Revenue
Road and bridge
State loan
Special Bonds and Interest
731 62
$2197 60
COUNTY TAXES
Revenue $2975 77
Revenue, (re-surveys) $ 136 61
Revenue, (X of penalty inter
est and cost)
Current School (}A of penalty
interest and cost)
State Loan (countv)
State Loan (ditches)
County Poor
Road and Bridge
Ditch No 1
Ditch No 2
Ditch No 3
Ditch No 4
Ditch No
Ditch No 6
Ditch No 7
Ditch NO 8
County Poor Farm
Total
387 08
387 08
404 58
72 94
739 44
1152 09
25 82
2 45
2 07
123 30
56 97
8 1H
1 69
9 51
533 57
8 7009 10
VILLAGE TAXES
PB1HCETON
S789 37
325 77
353 66
63 70
78 18
S 1610 68
MILACA
Re\enue Road and bridee
btate Loan
Special Bonds and interest
$943 57
211 45
302 40
5 93
645 62
$ 2008 97
ONAMIA
Re\ enue $2 46
S 2 46
FOBESTON
Revenue $ 50
$
&5 97
17 33
22 22
4 05
16 70
10 04
28 57
29 95
45 33
25 90 09
39 70
8 30
7 82
14 01
19 22
50
63622 61
TOWN TAXES
Road
and
Del
Land
Road
33 83
46 42
25 22
57 29
135 98
112 96
54 20
23 18
50 54
35 85
131 52
58 64
34 28
State Rev-
Loan enue Bridge
232 87
261 23
71 as
311 67
162 72
453 94
84 66
364 80
209 49
67 57
85 13
447 13
104 32
Bogus Brook $169 98 81 19
Borgholm 64 33
East feide 38 75 26 04
Greenbush 46 38
Hayland 29 66
Isle Harbor 82 42
Kathio 68 30 17 19
Milo 11 99 73 67
Milaca 42 10 53 05
Onamia 52 75 51 56
Page 49 70 39 54
Princeton 84 74
South Harbor 41 33 28
$466 67 683 05 2856 86 849 91
Total township taxes $4865 11
This total includes $32 69 for building tax in
town of Bogus Brook and $6 08 for special tax
in town of Kathio, and 54 cents bonds and in
terest in Milaca township
SCHOOL DISTRICT TAXES
State
Loan
$630 97
No of
Dist
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13
14 15
16 17
18 19
20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38
39 57
One mill
$166 20
7 17
21 03
14 40
12 18
6 68
11 26
4 25
9 17
10 31
15 19
5 54
68 65
21 64
7 14
12 12
7 30
24 12
2 20
8 82
5 94
10 57
4 78
3 32
13 32
4 87
11 5o
8 65
A 61
8 43
4 50*
4 20
28 84
21 93
6 09
3 71
3 87
4 74
Special $3156 65
81 02
213 33
311 55
156 87
35/54
166 56
44 47
219 02
129 54
205 19
137 59
2440 19
264 35
32 39
177 67
58 62
209 84
28 30
218 Jl
58 37
92 24
94 97
32 02
127 01
87 53
122 80
140 81
67 65
53 32
9b 64
45 88
263 64
480 68
81 55
92 92
71 26
56 51
19 66
17 56
31 55
5 10
4 87
Building
$46 95
2 41
18 65
64 96
17 96
2 51
2 22
Totals $997 75 $591 52 $10389 82 $323 44
Total school district taxes $12 244 10
This total includes bonds and interest in dis
trict 13 of $32 38, in district 15 of $4 38 and in
38 of $5 01
Farm school tax district 13
Total settlement
$174 23
3112 75
Those Who Have Contributed.
Some time ago the Union made an
appeal to the real estate men and
others interested in the upbuilding of
Mille Lacs county for funds to assist
in maintaining the bureau at 39 South
Third Street, Minneapolis, where the
products of the counties affiliated with
the Northern Minnesota Development
association are on display in charge
of the energetic W. R. Mackenzie, and
where every effort is being put forth
to induce newcomers to settle on
northern Minnesota lands. Mille
Lacs county was assessed $100 for the
maintenance of the bureau. That
amount has been raised and for
warded to Mr. Mackenzie and his re
ceipt for the same has been received
by the publisher of the Union, A
small additional sum is needed to pay
V4,^3SiK
Mille Lacs county's membership fees
in the Northern Minnesota Develop
ment association$10.00 contributed
by Mr. W. S. Foster of Milaca, and
$7.50 turned over by Archie Taylor as
treasurer of the Mille Lacs county
branch of the association, is on hand
for that purpose. Ten dollars more
is needed.
The following are the names of the
contributors and the amount con*
tributed by each:
First National Bank, Punceton $10 00
Security State Bapk, Princeton 10 00
Princeton State Bank, Princeton 10 00
McMillan &, Stanley, Princeton 10 00
First National Bank, Milaca 10 00
Osterberg Land Co Milaca 10 00
First State Bank, Onamia 10 00
Soo State Hank Wahkon 10 00
Trask & Gilbert, Minneapolis 10 00
A. E Johnson &, Co Minneapolis 10 00
Total $100 00
Good work is being accomplished
by the Minneapolis bureau. There
are thousands of acres of good farm
ing lands in northern and central
Mille Lacs county awaiting settlers,
and no county offers better induce
ments to settlers than Mille Lacs
county.
A Brutal Crime in Minneapolis.
In a few terse sentences the Minne
apolis Tribune graphically depicts a
beastly brutal crime perpetrated in
that city last Saturday night
"With people around to hear her
despairing cries for help, but no one
ready and willing to render assis
tance, Alice Matthews, 21 years old,
daug ter of Harry Matthews, 3547
Twen ieth avenue south, gave up her
life li te Saturday night in a desperate
attem 3t to save herx
honor. Her dis-
figure 3 and mutilated body was found
in the street, less than half a block
from her home, by a neighbor at 6
o'clock Sunday morning.
"Her lips were swollen from a blow
in the mouth, her neck and throat
were scratched and torn, her clothing
was in tatterseverything bore mute
testimony of the terrible struggle she
had made against her brutal as
sailant, to whom she did not succumb
until life was nearly or quite extinct."
If the perpetrator of the horrible
crime is ever brought to justice, some
thing highly improbable, the extreme
penajjj, that can be indicted upon him
is imprisonment for' life! Hanging
would be too easy a death for such a
brute to die.
Isanti a Dry County
Our sister county of Isanti is the
first in the state to "go dry." Today
no toper can legally slake his thirst
with a glass of foaming lager or
"something stronger" in that county,
for there is not a licensed saloon
within its borders. This is a distinc
tion enjoyed by no other county in
the state.
At the recent election the village of
Isanti went "wet" by two majority,
and it was the only "wet" spot left in
the county, as Cambridge and Bra
ham had voted to remain "dry" by
decisive majorities, and the county
commissioners of Isanti county have
repeatedlv refused to grant license for
the sale of intoxicating liquor. The
village council of Isanti, although the
license people had two majority at the
election, refused to grant a license for
the sale of "liquid damnation," as
they do not want to make their village
the Mecca of all the drunks in the
county. The receipts of the Great
Northern Express company will be
materially increaed in the village of
Isanti this year.
Norman Perkins Dead
Norman Perkins, formerly superin
tendent of the tenth district railway
mail service with headquarters at St.
Paul, died in Washington last week.
The people along this branch of the
Great Northern have reason to re
member Mr. Perkins kindly, for it
was owing to his efforts that a
mail car service was inaugurated on
this line when the passenger train ran
between Sandstone and St. Paul.
For a time, after the completion of the
Cambridge cut-off, we had only a
pouch service on this linethere was
no mail carour congressman and
senators were appealed to in vain, but
the publisher of the Union took the
matter up with Mr. Perkins and a
mail car service was established
Cemetery Association meeting:
The time is at hand for the election
of officers and the consideration of
other business of the association,
therefore on Thursday, April 4, at 3
p. m., at A. Z. Norton's residence, a
meeting will be held for that purpose,
and all interested are asked to attend.
I am thankful for the kind and
liberal support given the association
during the past year, but am sorry to
say I am not in a position to accept
the presidency for the next term, and
suggest that someone be selected for
that office who has a means of con
veyance whereby they can visit the
cemetery frequently to supervise the
work/ Nettie Jaax, President.
TWO COUPLES WED
Charles W. Gerth and flmnie Kron-
strom Married in Saron Swed-
ish Church, Greenbush.
Chas. Weeks of Wyanett Takes Unto
Himself as Wife Pauline flanke
of Princeton Township.
Charles W., son of August Gerth,
and Minnie, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. P. N. Kronstrom, were married
yesterday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock in
Saron Swedish Lutheran chureh,
Greenbush. Rev. August Lundquist,
the pastor, performed the ceremony,
which was attended by many relatives
and friends of the young people. The
church was prettily decorated with
potted plants and cut flowers. Miss
Serena Bjornstad of Minneapolis
played the wedding march.
A gown of white silk crepe duchene
was worn by the bride and she carried
a bouquet of white roses, while the
bridesmaids, Misses Mabel Kron
strom and Ida May Schmidt, were
gowned in white silk mulle and car
ried pink carnations. Dan Gerth and
Sidney Schmidt attended the groom.
A reception at the Kronstrom home
followed the ceremony, and a bounte
ous wedding feast was partaken of by
the many invited guests. Numerous
presents, including several sets of
silverware and articles in cut glass,
were bestowed upon the young people
by their friends.
Mr. and Mrs. Gerth will make their
home with the groom's father. The
Union wishes them a life of un
interrupted happiness.
Weeks-Man ke.
Yesterday afternoon, at the home of
the bride's mother in the town of
Princeton, Miss Pauline Manke was
united in wedlock to Charles Weeks
of Wyanett. Over 50 guests were
present at the nuptial ceremony, which
was performed by Rev. Eugene Ahl of
the Princeton German Lutheran
church. John Weeks and Otto Manke
attended the groom and the brides
maids were Misses Mabel Weeks and
Mary Palk^ _-^
The bride's dress was of blue mes
saline silk and she carried white
roses. The bridesmaids also wore
gowns of a blue material, and carried
pink carnations.
Following the ceremony a wedding
supper was partaken of and the even
ing passed in pleasant sociality.
Many pretty gifts were bestowed upon
the bride and groom, who will shortly
go to housekeepping on a farmthe
old Carmody placewest of the vil
lage.
The Union extends its congratula
tions.
An Excellent Lecture
Dr. Jordan's lecture last evening at
the Methodist church was one of the
best we have ever heard on Napoleon
and was delivered in oratorical man
ner. He described Napoleon as the
master genius of the worldthe little
general who led an army across a
continent and who gave to France law
and order. Dr. Jordan is a lecturer
of the highest typehe holds his
audience with the grip of his person
ality, eloquence and logic. With vivid
imagination he led his audience over
battlefields and plundered cities,
and those who did not hear the doctor
missed the opportunity of their lives.
The subject of Dr. Jordan's lecture
was "A Fallen Meteor," and, in
synoptic form, he said:
Few lives have interested the student
of history like that of Napoleon. A
man who in fifteen short years raised
himself from the low rank of a sub
lieutenant of artillery to the throne of
an emperor: holding in his hand the
power to crown kings and depose
monarchs, to overthrow kingdoms
and establish empires: who, for a
quarter of a century, met upon the
plains of Europe the allied forces of a
continent, rose \,o the very zenith of
human fame and glory, absorbing
the gaze of a world, and then sudden
ly fell and went out on the darkness
of St. Helena.
Alas, he was not a permanent sun,
but a meteor, brilliant, flaming, but
transient.
Born into the opportunities of one
of the most stirring periods of human
history, he seemed the man for the
hour. No nation ever suffered more
than did France no nation more ter
rible in the awful fury and madness
that controlled her, without a head,
without a government, without stabil
ity, without control everything
thrown out into wild disorder and
confusion every party, from mon
archist to anarchist, tried its hand at
government and failed. Danton,
Robespierre and Marat, those blood
hounds of the revolution, throttled the
nation and the people. All seemed
"*?j-rbt -*& 1
wtaESOTA
VOLUME XX&YI. NO. 14
lost, when suddenly Napoleon seized
the reins of government, drove chaos
from the throne, restored law and
order, called back religion to low
altars, extended her empire and cov
ered France with the greatest splendor
since the days of the Roman empire.
He was great, but, alas, he was not
good his blind ambition drove him
from the patriotic mission to which he
was called he trampled upon the im
mutable laws of God, and then he fell.
Another Minneapolis Assassin.
A press dispatch from Brainerd
says that Wm. Pearson of Minne
apolis has confessed to the murder of
George C. Douglas, the Pequot
farmer who resided on the shores of
Pelican lake that he (Pearson) has
written out the grewsome story of how
he crawled up the ladder to the room
where Douglas was seated at a table
and slew him.
George C. Douglas was a man of
culture. He was at one time dean of
the pharmacy department of Iowa uni
versity, and later taught an Indian
school in South Dakota. Illness
made it necessary for him to adopt
outdoor life, and he went to Crow
Wing county and took up a homestead
on Pelican lake, adding to his hold
ings in later years by purchasing
land from the government. His house
was originally designed as a barn,
and the lower floor was used as a
granary. The upper floor was his
room.
Millinery Opening
Millinery opening at Mrs. Belsem's
millinery store Friday and Saturday,
March 29 and 30. I have the most
complete stock of millinery ever
shown in Princeton, carefully selected
from the largest millinery houses of
Milwaukee, Chicago and St. Paul. I
also have re-engaged Miss Mabel
Stoddard as trimmer. She has just
finished one month's study of the
latest styles in hats at Strong,
Warner & Co.'s, St. Paul, and Blum
enfeld, Locher & Brown's, Mil
waukee. Bring in your hats and
have them fixed over in the latest
styles.
ltc Mrs. M. A. Belsemr.
Death of Mrs Andrew Hall
Mrs. AndrewLHall, sister of Thos.
H. Caley of Princeton, died on Mon
day at her residence in Minneapolis
from the effects of cancer, and the
funeral was held on Tuesday. She is
survived by her husband, and also
leaves four sisters and a brother.
Her sisters are Mrs. Henry Mallette,
Princeton Mrs. Wm. Lyons, Mon
rovia, Cal. Mrs. Chas. Burch, Du
luth: and Mrs. Stewart, Granite
Falls. Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Caley
attended the funeral from Princeton,
as did also Mrs. Henry Mallette.
Albert Nagel Dead.
Albert Nagel passed away at his
home in Bogus Brook township on
Friday, March 22, from the effects of
a stroke of apoplexy, aged 57 years.
Funeral services were held at the
family residence by Rev. Ahl of the
Princeton German Lutheran church
on Tuesday, March 26, and the inter
ment was in Oak Knoll cemetery. De
ceased is survived by his wife, four
sons and two daughters. Mr. Nagel
was a man well liked by all who knew
him.
1
Motion Pictures
This week's moving picture shows
at Brands' opera house will be more
attractive than ever. Excellent new
films have just arrived and the sub
jects, including "Mutt and Jeff,"
are screamers. You can't afford to
miss this week's programtomorrow
and Saturday evenings.
Moving picture shows will also be
given at the opera house on Tuesday
and Wednesday evenings of next week.
Bob Atkinson Holds the Record
Fergus Falls town in Otter Tail
county boasts of a town clerk who
has held the office consecutively for 25
years. The town of Milo in Mille
Lacs county has an official who can
beat that record. R. N. Atkinson
has been clerk of that town for 28
years, is clerk today, and can con
tinue to be clerk as long as he cares
to serve.
High School Minstrels.
The high school minstrel entertain
ment will be repeated on Saturday
afternoon at 2:30 in the opera house.
Tickets on sale at Avery's, beginning
Friday morning. The admission will
be as follows: Reserved seats, 25
cents general admission for both
adults and children, 15 cents. All are
invited.
ImproTlngr the Isanti County Court House
The court house at Cambridge is to
be veneered with brick, more vault
room added and a -steam heating
plant installed. All the contemplated
improvements are badly needed.
When the work of renovation is com
pleted the court house will look better
I than when it was first built.
m% *t &*,- rfat^sSFS
-*4*&J