St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-19
DR.. TOWSKYS MANY SINS.
New Chapters in the Story of the
Crooked Mans Life.
TRIED TO POISON HIS WIFE
After a Friendly Fire Had Helped Him
to a Profit on a Stock
of Goods.

New stories of the life and adventures
of DR.. ZawistOsky, who figured in st.
Paul and Minneapolis as DR.. TOwske,
the latest cOmingfrom Pine City. Ac-
cOrding to the neighbOrs who knew him
there and took the trouble to learn
something of his exploits, John A. q.
ZawiStosky, a PruSSian POlander, was
living in Indianapolis, Ind, in 1879,
and, as far as is known, was an
honorable citizen and member of
the Knights and Ladies of Honor. Leav
ing that city, he went to Chicago, en-
gagged in business and became a member
of several secret societies, one of which
was the Knights of Pythias. Each So
ciety guaranteed him life insurance,
aggregating about $4,000. He was mar
ried. He entered into a conspiracy
with his wife to defraud the in
himself with the ill-gOtten gains.
His scheme was to leave his clothes near
the water in such amanner as to appear
that he had committed suicide. He
left letter with his wife, stating that
he intended taking short cut home and
specifying where his body would be
found. He disappeared. A few weeks
after fiOater was found which
his wife claimed to have identified
and went through with the accustomed
routine of mourning. In proper time
she made the necessary demands for the
insurance money due on her defunct
spouse. 1t was refused. She brought
suit in the courts and the courts decreed
that her beloved Zawistosky was dead,
and that the companies should pay the
several sums specified in their policies.
The companies offered rewOrd for
the defunct ZawiStOwsky and deferred
the payment OF the judgment of the
courts. Delays are dangerous. This
delay was dangerous to law istOwky's
scheme. ZawiStOwSky didn't commit
suicide. He dressed himself in his Sun
day clothes, came to Minneapolis under
the name of TOwsky, married worthy
young lady of Chaska, MIMI, and went
into business
IN THE FLOUR CITY.
He inspected the Minneapolis side
walks, and finding slight defect, went
out one dark, rainy night and fell
through and damaged his Polandic
corporosity to the alleged amount of
$1,000. The city reduced his figure
to $1,000 and paid him in law
full currency as ordered by twelve
good and true men. He then went to
Pine City, established furniture store,
became an active member of the Luth-
Clall ClIuIC I'll dIu SCCluCu W NC vi luc
high road to prosperity. He had his
wife's and his own life carefully
insured, so that in case of the demise
of one the other would be well provided
for. With the future secure, he placed
high insurance on his stock in trade
and when the policies were well in
hand, the friendly fire came to his aid,
consumed whole uninsured business
block and gave him several hundreds
| profit. He moved to another block,
bought new stock, insured it for three
times its value, but this time
through the interference of Detective
Henry j. Ruth. his policies were can
celed. He then commenced to eX-
pertinent with pOisons. Many a noble
canine pet mySteriOusly disappeared
victims of his devilish experiments.
About this time he learned of the favor
able Judgment of the courts in favor of
his first wife, and, having his hand well
in on the dogs, commenced to try the
POISON ON WIFE
No. 2. She miStruSted him, feared him,
and refused to drink his medicated beer.
That fear and refusal is the reason why
she is living now, an hOnored member
of society. He left Pine City some
time in 1884 and located in St.
Paul. This time it was DR.. Au-
gust Towsky, homeopathic physician.
After trying unSucceSSfully several
times to poison his wife, he tried the ac-
cidental Shooting dodge and was nearly
successful. The readers of the GLOBE
are familiar with the details of the
shooting and TOwSky's trial, conviction
and sentence to Saltwater penitentiary.
His record of crime was continuous for
ten years