The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-17
'WILDGIRL GROWN UP
Mabel Preece Is Under Arrest for
Forgery in New
York.
Her Earlier Escapades Gave Her
Foster Parents Here
Much Sorrow.

MdUcA IISSCS, WHO OoCe1IuS W1o0Ay |
known in Minneapolis during the years
1896 and 1897 because Of her penchant
for society and newspaper notoriety has
reappeared in New York, where she Is
under arrest for forgery
According to the press dispatches, Miss
Preece, who is now Mrs. Mabel Singley,
has long been the principal Of trio Of
bad check operators who have been work
ing among the larger retail stores in New
York city. Her accompl1ces were two
young men who went by the name OF
| James Parker and James Reed, and all
three were arrested Saturday after vainly
attempting to get cash on worthless
checks presented at Schunlann's jewelry
store, 9s7 Broadway, and at Rogers, Peet
| & Co.
| When unprecedented at the Waldorf
Astoria hotel the young woman admitted
her guilt and stated that she had been
| arrested for similar ofrenses in Chicago
and Buffalo
| Mabel Preece, or Mabel Singley, was
adopted when she was child by Mr.. and
Mrs r. j. Preece Of Minneapolis. Mr..
Preece is of Preece & Durham, brokers',
at 9 Third street N, and Mrs. Preece Is
supervisor Of physical culture in the pub
| lie schools
| Because OF the girls tendency to oc-
| cupy too large a portion Of the publ1c's
| attention, she was sent to an eastern
boarding school when she was 10. and ran
! away from there with man named sing
ley. This man seems to exert most evil
| influence over the girl for despite all the
efforts Of her foster parents, both before
and after her marriage, she seemed de-
termined to go wrong.
Probably Mabel Preece will be best re-
membered in Minneapolis for her adven-
lures at the St. Louis hotel, Lake Mime
tonka, during the season Of 1897 and for
her subsequent appearance as the heroine
of newspaper syndicate story in which
she was represented having escaped
from convent.
| Admits She's Perplexed.
| A New York Dispatch to-day says Mrs.
Parker was locked up on Saturday night
in the police station. She is blond, tall
and slender, with fine eyes and an attrac-
tive figure. She dresses we'll and her face
wears an expression Of innocence which
bellies her. She safd .,... w.. -. -..-
1.-The whole family appears to be in
volved in trouble. It's lucky Jim and I
have no children or suppose they'd have
them under arrest, too. Well, I'm In
trouble now, guess, and these detectives
are kind enough to tell me that they
have enough against me to keep me here
all my life. On the whole, I don't know
just where am coming out of all this.
There's nothing in my life that need
to conceal and I'll tell you all about my
| sell SAduly. LII Tie HISL pldCe, L an AAle1i
ried; was married to Jim Parker. whom
they have down at police headquarters
, now, on June %, 1899 in the Little Church
Around the Corner by the Rev. DR..
! Houghton. I was only II years old then
and had been here but a year.
II was graduated at 16 from the WISH
tation academy in st. Paul, and l came
here to go to the Ursuline convent to pre-
pare to be nun. I was there about year
! and was a novice, when met Jim, anc
! decided to marry him and not be a nun
: Jim has had a little trouble, now and then
: but he's a fine fellow. The life he lee
: was free and easy one and took to it
= That's all there Is to 1t.
Says She Is Writer: -
"As for myself, have done quite a goot
deal Of writing. I have written for al
!, of the magazines, usually under the nam.
e Of Mabel Singerley, and have illustrated
e my own stories If they send me ava!
8 that is how I'm going to pass the time
$ writing stories for the magazines ant
drawing pictures to go with them.
I've always been handy with pen ant
can duplicate a signature that I've onl.
seen once, ten days after seeing il"
Mrs. Parker, like her husband is ad
dicted to the use of drugs. On Saturda
" night she became nervous because sh
Y had been several hours without any, tina
: she was allowed to send out for morphine
IS After she took that she felt better.
V The police have learned that Parke
e came originally from Pittsburg, where h
is we'll known to the police. "Diamon
- Liz the Chicago crook, whose picture wa
found in Mrs. Parker's room, Is the woma
on whose account the jealous son Of
Chicago police official shot and killed
10 man there several years ago.