The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-08-21
Former Minnesota Girl in The Tolls
in New York.
Miss Mabel Preece Has Carried on
Work Extensively.
Is the Adopted Daughter Of Prominent
Minneapolis People.
They Cut Her Off Several Years Ago .
Her Marriage.
From Tuesdays Daily.

Mrs. Mabel Singley, formerly Miss
Mabel Preece, who is known pretty well
throughout Minnesota, is under arrest in
New York on charge of forgery in
which two young men, one of them her
husband, are implicated, but according
to the press reports the woman seems to
have been the most clever of the trio.
Her husband gave the name of Jack
Parker and the other young man give his
name as James Reed. The trio worked
off checks in number of stores.
1t is said that neither of the young
men, are in general, the mental equal of
the young woman, and that she acknow
lodges. with frank naivete, that she is
their superior in every way. The tale
of their arrest would support this idea,
as it was the young men who at last fell
into the clutches of the law.
The extent of the trio's speculations
is not vet known, but it is believed to
have been very large. The story of their
final downfall and arrest is as follows:
Complaints of the forgeries first reach
ed the police several weeks ago from
some of the leading New York banks. A
week ago Thursday the detectives first
struck the trail. Their tip came from
Schumann's jewelry store, 937 Broadway,
where "Mr. and Mrs. Parker" had Sc
lected a pair of diamond earrings worth
$40 for which they rendered check
of $5lO
They said they would not take the
earrings that day, and with sublime as
surance, which for once failed of its
purpose, insisted that the jewelry people
first send the check to the bank to have
it verified. The bank was suspicious, in
vestigation proved the worthlessness OF
the check, and detectives were sent to
watch the jewelry store.
Parker sent messenger boy with
note for the earrings and change. The
bow was given a box of sawdust, and
the detectives followed him to the place
at which Parker had said he would meet
him. But Parker was wise, and had per-
haps been watching the store, and failed
to appear.
Nothing more was heard unail last
Thursday, when the men went to Rog-
ers. Peet & Co.'S and tried to buy
clothing with check. Here they were
arrested. but the police soon found that
they were not the principals in the deals.
They caught Mrs. Singley, Tor Parker),
when she called at the Jail to see her
alleged husband.
They found that they had caught
most clever operator and astute crook.
She had been living in barbaric luxury
at the Waldorf Astoria on worthless
checks.
She said, claim the police, that she had
been arrested before in Chicago and in
Buffalo, N Y. The police say she told
them that her real name was Mabel
Preece, and that her father was L. ).
Preece of Minneapolis.
T.. j. Preece, the gentleman referred to
was formerly in the wholesale grocery
business inWinona, but now resides lnM1n-
neapolis. In an interview he said moth
ing whatever would be done by him or
Mrs. Preece in the matter, as all rela-
lions between them and their adopted
daughter ended about three years ago.
1--WE adopted Mabel said Mr.. Preece
swhen she was a little child. She was
not related to our family, but my wife
and I took a fancy to her. She lived
with us until she was nearly eighteen,
attending school for time in st. Paul.
eve then sent her to an eastern
school. and shortly after, when she was
barely eighteen, we received word that
she had run away from the school with
this man Singley, of whom we had never
heard. and had become his wife.
'Our relations practically ceased from
that moment 1t is nearly five years
since she has been in Minneapolis, and she
was not well known here, having been
away somewhere at school since she at
tanned young womanhood. She is now
about twenty-one.
$50 far as | know she is still living
with Singley, but she may not be. we
objected strenuously to the marriage; SO
much so that when we heard OF 1T, we
ceased to communicate with Mabel, and
what has happened to her since we have
not heard"