The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-06-22
WOMAN BURGLAR
PUZZLES POLICE
She'd Sooner Die or Go to Prison
Than Reveal Her
Name.
Trinity M. E. Church Robbery
Charged to Her Thru Cir
cumstantial Evidence.

81 never robbed anything but
churches, and always chose them be-
cause I thought God was there. I
thought he would see me and forgive
all, fol. God knows needed the
money"
Strong, who lies in hospital cot at the
central police station, charged with rob-
bling the Highland Park Presbyterian
church. She says she never robbed
dwellings or stores.
Since her arrest, the frail little wom-
an has come to realize the seriousness
Of her position, but altho she has talked
freely, she has divulged nothing that
will give the detectives a clue to her
true name.
Hunger, she says, drove her to bur-
glary. Estranged from her family be-
cause Of misunderstanding, she for
sock her friends and struck out in the
world alone. Work didn It come freely
and night after night she tramped the
streets and then went to sleep without
food. Some of these nights were spent
in Lakewood cemetery, where some Of
her relatives are buried and where no
one cared to modest her.
Tempted and Fell.
Finally the temptation to become a.
burglar came to her. She saw good
clothes, plenty to eat and place to
sleep. She yielded, and, her first job
being a success, she tried others. She
never obtained much from the churches,
she said, but just about enough to keep
4 her alive.
i Her burglars tools, which have
caused so much comment, were picked
UP here and there, and the keys found
in her grip were taken from lodging
houses, where she stayed at different
times.
4 With all her trouble and tho now a
wreck, she declares that in order to
protect her relatives she will take what.
ever punishment is meted out. Her in.
: timation Of suicide has caused Matron
Sarah Schaeffer to have her attended
constantly by woman for fear If left
alone she might do away with herself
!: Some of the detectives believe the
woman is professional burglar and
others that she is a woman Of culture
but possessed Of mania. The most
puzz1ing thing about it all is the evi
dence of thoro education. She clever
4 ly eludes all questions that tend to re-
veal her secret. ss.ss4 -
Throngs Of curious persons visited the
woman g ward at the station today
but were refused admittance when they
said they were not friends. Of al
those who called yesterday and today
none knew her or came to give help
ing hand.
Another Church Robbed.
Deep scars in door of the Trinity
and Taylor street, and key to that
door may convict the prisoner on more
serious charge than attempted burglary
p Trinity church was broken into ani
robbed last week in exactly the same
, way, as Miss Strong broke, into, tn.
Highland Park Presbyterian churcl
! On tie study door in Trinity churcl
were several deep holes that had bee,
. . of attack failing. the burglar ha'
: opened the door with a key. The "iimo
N.Y. found in the Strong woman
grip exactly fits into the holes in tn
! keys found in her possession was on
. that exactly fitted the study door.
). The burglar obtained about So i
small coins from Trinity church an
fully So in small change was found O.
Miss StrOng's person. The Trinit
burglar entered thru the basement, a
! did the woman when she entered tn
l Highland Park church.
The North Side library was ais
robbed last week and the burglar OK
tanned So in small change. Entranc
was gained thru the basement window
= and the till opened with q jimmy. N
marks, however, were made that woul
connect the fair prisoner with tn
crime, altho the police believe she di
the job.
Too III to Appear.
! The prisoner is today nervou
wreck. Because Of her illness her e1
l. Il animation, which was to have been hel
Il today, was continued until June 3d.
4 Her condition is SO serious that eve
u an attorney is not allowed to visit he,
4 This morning she startled Matro
= Sarah Schaeffer by exclaiming:
u HI'll die first! They re not going t
!, find out my true name and bring di,
p grace to my family I will take poiso
H. or go to prison before will tell m
:: name or send for friends.''
y Then, after her excitement had sui
u sided, she said that she was well COZ
e nected in the twin cities, and that he
: exposure would 'break more than on
: heart.
:. Detectives are scurrying all over tow
trying to identify her. Tt is the MOI
!. fascinating case they have had to e1
ercise their wits on in years.