The Minneapolis journal., 1904-12-31

Today brings to a close a year un-
paralleled in the history of Minneapo-
lis for casualties and tragedies. A re-
view Of the accidents, murders, suicides
and fires furnishes a grim record Of the
darker side Of Minneapolis history for
1904.
The first tragedy of the year was
thS tde ia the d Wed &qldf5 poeR eRd @
Fifth street N. Garfield had. become
infatuated with the woman. Fearing
lover, George Hartsock, saloonkeeper,
he decided to kill her. Calling up
Hartsock on the phone, he asked him
to listen and then, stepping back q few
feet, shot the woman and turned the
revolver on himself with fatal effect.
The remainder of the month was
quiet, save for five suicides and one or
two accidental deaths, and it began
to look as tho the casualty list would
be extremely small.
In February the casualties also ran
low. There were no notable accidents
broke out at 1915 First avenue S, in
| which Mrs. Daniel Rathjeans was IA
tally burned and seven persons injured.
On Feb. u Mrs. R. S. White, a prom
inent society woman fell dead at the
annual breakfast of the Federation of
Women s clubs at the university. This
put a damper on society events for
some time.
March. -. ......
Eearly in March began a terrible
siege of typhoid fever, which the ply
slcians seemed unable to check, and
many lives were sacrificed because of
bad water and still worse atmospheric
condition Among those who lost their
lives in the epidemic was Rev. Father
Danehy, pastor Of St. Stephens Cath
Ollie chrch. He was one Of the promi-
nent churchmen of the state and pop
ular with church workers Of all de-
nominations in the city.
During the latter part Of the month
labor conditions were bad, to which
cause, were traced no less than eight
suicides.
April.
April was marked by a peculiar de-
preston Of spirit among the laboring
classes and floating population. In this
| month there twere eleven attempts at
and five successful suicides, all caused
SO far as Investigation could show, by
the small demand for labor.
On April II Anton Janowitz, a Pole
| living in Northeast Minneapolis, was
murdered in his home by two men who
were rooming there. He had attempted
terfered, slashing him with hatche1
! aud throwing him in the rear yard tt
| die.
good, and while the fire department
kept the fire losses below the average
it was made up by property losses b:
theft. Early in May there began
reign Of petty crime which the polio
seemed unable to check. Houses swer
broken into every day, and belate
pedestrians were held up at nigh,
Three saloons were held up BY armee
tanned about So, 900. The total loss b
theft during the month was abou
$4,000.
Until the end of May the casualt
list for the year was but little NOR
than the average. From that time unit
the end of the year there has been a
almost unceaSing series of terrible AZ
cidents.
Between June 1 and 20 five person
lost their lives by drowning, two b
decapitation on railroad tracks, an
seven took their own lives. In cOnnel
tion with one Of the drowning cases
the most mysterious death of the yea
that of Ruth Teachout, who disal
peared from her home on June 26: Th
police, were notified and a few day
later her purse and UNI brella we1
found on. the river, bank. On June 2
her dead body was taken from til
river in st. Paul. A knotted cord abor
the neck gave strong evidence Of niu
der, and clue after clue that migf
fasten guilt On some one was follewe
mp. hnt without avail. The matter sti
: remains q mystery. .
One Of the violent deaths Of the yea
occurred IL this month when Mrs. /
\ T.. Huuser, 1917 Thirtieth avenue n WE
I burned to death by the explosion, (
I varnish which she was heating on
\ gasolene stove.
July.
July was probably the most disa
\ trous month to the poor of Minneapoli
4 on account Of the small fires whic