St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-22
Mrs. Eliza Polls Seems to
Have Been q Clever Adj
ventures,
Aud to Have Done Up Mime
apolis Parties for Consid-
cradle Amounts.
The Mother Of the Babe Found
In the River Is Said to Be-
Known.
Did William Lang Have a Dou-
bic ?--More saltwater
Candidates.

the story of the sensational escape of
Mrs. Eliza Polls last December. She
was in charge of the sheriff of Houston
county, who was bringing her to Min
neapOiis. She slammed illness-pre-
tended she was about to become a
mother. In the kindness of his heart
ne allowed her to stop at Winona. They
put up at the Ludwig house there. The
sheriff left her room unguarded for a
few minutes. When he returned she
was gone. But, as Rudyard Kipling
would say, that Is another story.
Mrs. Polls. if stories be true, is an
adventures. smooth as the best. Al
though sixty years old she does better
in the adventures line than many a
woman scores of years younger and i'm
measurably her superior in personal at
fractions. She is wanted in Mjnneapo-
lis. There are several persons in Min
neapoliS who have been swindled by
Mrs. Polls. They are, however, peo-
pie who are able to bear the loss. 1t is
presumed that they prefer to conceal
their gullibility by refusing TO prose-
cute. But Mrs. Polls has one enemy in
MlnneapOliS-an unrelenting, implaca-
bic enemy. Through her his financial
ruin was accomplished. He has
sworn to bring her to justice. Even
now he is doing his utmost to
throw around her the tolls of the
law. His name is Louis A. Meister
and he is proprietor of the Americana
house, Second avenue north and FirStE
street. MIR. MeiSter says Mrs. Pallisiss
now at Lansing, 10. He has tried to
get requisitiOm for her arrest, but has
failed so far. He says the county COM
miSSioners will not authorize the incur
ring of the expense: that they are timid
III such matters since the Heilpern
affair. 1t is probable that the woman
has not been put before the county at
torney in the proper light. If an in
dictment were returned against her
there would be no choice in the matter.
Mr.. Meister's grievance against Mrs.
PalliS occurred in another state. how
ever. That may be the reason for his
failure. Two of
The Minneapolis Parties
who were swindled by Mrs. Pallis are,
it is said, John Igel. who lives at Wash
lngton avenue and Fifteenth avenue
north, and S. Z. Olsen. Mr. MeiSter
thinks of nothing but the wrongs he has
suffered at the hands of Mrs. PaIis.
His enmity to her has led him to investi-
gate the other cases. This is his story
of how Igel was relieved of $1,000.
Mrs. PalliS came to Minneapolis year
ago last December. She went first to
the German Catholic church in North
Minneapolis. In La Crosse, whence she
came to Minneapolis, she was Meth
odist and through her attendance at
church profted several thousand dol
lars worth. After mass, soon after her
arrival here, she approached the priest.
Father" said she, Il was here at
this church several years ago. My poe
textbook containing all the money | had
was stolen. l was poor woman. The
loss OF that money meant abject poverty
TO me. Some member of this church.
l do not remember his name, but lie was
an old settler here-made my loss good.
L have grown rich since then. | want
to find that good man and repay him.
Have you any idea who it was?"
The priest said no. He knew none of
the circumstances, but he spoke of John
lgel as benevolent man who would be
likely to do a deed of mercy like that.
Straight 10 Ige's house went Mrs.
Pallis. She called for him.
"Ah, nc" said she, peering into his
face. and smiling III half-religiOus, dis
appointed way: you are not the man.
Mr.. Igel wanted to know what man.
Then came the story of the lost pocket
Look. of her search for her unknown
benefactOr and Of her reference to Mr..
Igel from the priest. Her mention of
the priest lulled whatever suspicious
the Igel family might have been dis
posed to entertain. From that moment
she was the friend of the whole house
hold, almost one Of the family. To tell
how she WOrmed herself into their con-
tdence would take too long. She did
it with cOnSummate art.
She had title deeds, abstracts of title
to valuable property, letters of credit.
ali going to show that she was wealthy.
These were exhibited in
A GuiIeIeSs Fashion
rs she became more intimate with the
! family. They never suspected that the
| documents were forged. Well, she won
| them all-tirst the feminine portion of
! the household, then the master. A we'll
| conned story of hypothetical sOn-in-
| law in Dakota who needed money, and
of disagreement with the bank at
| Lansing. To-, won $1,000 from John
lgel. He was to get, as security,
mortgage on property in Lansing. She
| got the money and departed.
Mr.. Igel's daughter was about to be
married. Mrs. Polls had won the girls
! heart with praise and presents, and had
invited her to visit Lansing on her we'd
ding journey. promising to give her a
grand reception. a few days after Mrs.
Polls departure from Minneapolis.
letter came to the Igels, telling them
that the daughter must not come to
Lansing. Diphtheria was raging in the
city. She had two cases in her own
house. The prevalence of the dread
disease had prevented her from exc
cutting the promised mortgage. 1t
! sounded we'll. But Mr. MeiSter CHANGED
to come to Minneapolis about that time.
He was not on the trail of Mrs. Polls.
| Through mutual friends he heard of the
| transaction with Igel. He warned lgei
of the wOman'S character, and sent him
to Lansing to investigate. Mr.. lgel
went. and found that there had not been
a case of diphtheria in the town; that
Mrs. Polls had no children, and could
not have two cases of the disease in her
house; that Mrs. Polls had no property :;
that his g, 600 was gone.
Mr.. MelSter says that 5. Z. Olson was
caught b. Mrs. Polls for S640.
She Worked Him
through a clerk of his who used to
know her IN La Crosse when she was
supposed TO be a wealthy woman.
Mr.. Meister says that the Pallis
woman was instrumental in beating
him Out of between SO, 900 and $4,000
WOItn OF property III La crosse. she
was used by enemies of his. He kept
the Burlington house in La Crosse.
Through erecting buildings on some of
his property he incurred considerable
debt. He tried to raise money in Mil
waukee. The men who sought to get his
property thwarted him. They were IN
f1uential men and could do it. He cast
about for another source from which to
get the money. Mrs. Polls appeared.
sent to him by the schemers who wanted
his property. She showed certificates of
deposit and deeds amounting to nearly
100000 Her terms for a loan were
large He went to Lansing, To-, where
she lived. He was shown the property
by her. He was not lending her money,
so he did not examine records. He
| .,crrnad 70 hn,.ror.- from hnr rrhan he