davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-21

i, 1892, and $40, 900 worth of various
tracts being donated by the owners of
abutting properties. ..zs zssts.# 4
Toward the development Of Columbia
park Thomas lowry donated Columbia
Heights boulevard and $4,000 in cash
for improvements, and toward Hiyata
park Mr.. Lowry has given $4,000 for
improvements.
: The latest donations, those Of Thomas
Lowry and others, in connection with
The Parade and adjoining properties,
introductory chapter Of this narrative.
The twentyone parks and six: parkways
donated to the city represent value of
perhaps $l,500,0O0. In unpaid labor, in
patriotic service in thousands Of ways,
MINNEAPOLIS has been for a half-centnrY
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-21

ties would make great central park
stretching a mile east and west and
nearly half-mile north and south
and this within six or eight blocks OF
the city's main central business dis.
trict. l
Plan Of Consolidation. 49,
This consolidated central park would
consist, first, of the sc acres of Loring
park lying on the east side of Hennepin
between Harmon place and West Fiji
teenth street; second, the 10.5 acres Of
Hiyata park, a half mile west of Hen
nepin, up Kenwood parkway; third, the
Parade, lying between Hiyata park and
Hennepln, 44.5 acres Of which were do
mated or purchased little over a year
ago, and several more blocks recently
donated or in part yet to be acquired.
The two latest acquisitions, which
bring the Parade and Loring park into
close proximity, facing each other on
opposite sides Of Hennepin, are, first,
block 20, Auditors subdivision Of
Groveland, which lies on Hennepin dag
onally across from Loring park at Har-
mon place; and, second, the triangle
adjoining block 20 on Hennepin, i'm
ulCuldGclS LII IiuuG VI GuO Now CdCuCli oil
site of the Immaculate Conception
church. .'.~s'. ~ :&. %..-
The triangle is the gift of the church
and of Archbishop Ireland, and gives an
open way from the Parade into Henne-
pin looking down the avenue toward the
business part of the city. The triangle
in question is the corner of the R. f..
Jones property, on the west side of Hen
nepin, where, the latter takes a sharp
turn toward Loring park and Lowry
hill. This triangle and block 20 adj
joining on the west side of Hennepin
form the key which admits the Parade
10 Hennepinr avenue and. is separated
I from Loring park just across by only
eighty feet. &: = -
Proposed Connecting Archway
All that remains, therefore, in order to
consolidate Loring park, the Parade,
Hiyata park and the adjoining minor
tracts into one great central downtown
park is to bridge Hennepin in some
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-21
THE PA RADE AND THE PARK CIRCUIT

Hennepin avenue.
Z In addition to the park boundary as
thus outlined, three additional blocks
have been acquired as playground adj
joining the Parade at the northwestern
corner. This playground is in harmony
with the views recently expressed by
the new superintendent Of parks,
Theodore Wirth, who evidently believes
that the park system of the city should
be serviceable for it's utility, as well
as a factor in developing the artistic
and natural beauties Of the city.
Park Gifts Of Thomas Lowry.
The new park acquisitions above not
eel are in part the result Of purchase by,
the park board, but largely are the
gifts of Thomas Lowry. Something
over a year ago Mr.. Lowry gave the
city five entire blocks and a number of.
smaller tracts, making up in all consid-
serably more than one-half of the Pa
.rade. w. H. Dunwoody co-operated by
donating block 81 of Groyeland add.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-21

$1,000,000 expended in park improve
!, of large gifts of park properties val
ued at perhaps one-third as much more.
In. all twenty-o one parks and triangles,
embracing in the aggregate SAB acres,
and six parkWays and boulevards, with
an aggregate of 100 acres of donated
property, have been turned over to the
city by patriotic citizens without cash
total park acreage Of 1900 acres ac-
CURED by Minneapolis during the half
century since the first gift by Captain
Edward Murphy to the original town
of Minneapolis, something like $50
acres, if we include the latest gift of
Thomas Lowry now before the park
board for consideration, or fve-twelfths
of civic generosity and patriotism.
F. Among the most notable Of these dona-
tions: are the following:
Murphy park, the first Minneapolis
park, donated by Captain Edward Muir
ply in 1856, consisting of 1888 acres,
located at Twenty avenue s
: and Seven -and-a-half street, and valued
in the present park assets at $4,000.
Franklin Steele square, another of the
daughters of Franklin Steele as a monu-
ment of respect to their father, 1.54
acres, at Portland avenue and Sixteenth
street, valued in the park assets at
$4,000.
Elliott park, located at Eighth street
and Ninth avenue. S, 2.18 acres OF
which were donated by DR.. Jacob S
Elliott, Oct. 81, 1SS3-the first park
gift to the city after the organization 10
present value of the donated property
hpinU listed at 1872 800.
Oak Lake parks, four tracts Located
between Lakeside avenue and Border
avenue, In Oak Lake addition, consist:
ing Of 1.33 acres and valued at about
$4,000; donated Oct. a, 1885, by Sam
ueI @. and Susan D. Gale-the SECOND
park gift after the organization Of Thu
Minneapolis park board.
Stinson boulevard, 1910 acres, OF
/! Oak street and Division street to Elev
enth avenue NE, donated by Jane
| Stinson, Nov. 10, 1886.
Hennepin Avenue boulevard, 17.5l
/ acres, in part donated by score OF
! property owners for the widening o.
4 the avenue, an enterprise begun by the
first park board as early as 1884 anC
contaminated during the next dozel
A years.
If Lake of the Isles park, 154 acres
4 Including Lake .of the Isles and forty
four acres of land, of which thirty-o
4 acres is purchased and the balance do
mated in 1887 by. the following donors
r.. p. Russell, Alfred j. Dean, JOSEPH
Dean, John Green, J.. w McGregor
Miss Margaret Koran. James. McMul
len, Charles B. Peck, Bishop Foss and
4 Elwood S.sCorser.
Lake Harriet, 40s acres, including
a 853 acres of lake and So acres of land
!, all of which was donated. excepting
a 3.25 acres, the assessed value of tn.
s several tracts of land making UP thu
q, parkway be.rS $4,000, not including
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-21
HOW THE MINNEAPOLIS
PARKS HAVE GROWN

Continued from page 10, this section.
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-08-24

the bedroom. and holding the lamp
high above him, he stared into the
room. Tho hu led figure OF Mrs.
Cruc lay on the carpet. Her head was
spashed with blood, and her clothes
were wet. A quilt partly covered her
lower limbs. The woman was quite
dead-and It was murder. The hus.
band ran out of the house.
Presently the family OF Augustus
Woods. the nearest ncGhbors OF the
Crues. were disturbed at their supper
by a percmptory knocking. Woods
hurried to the door and opened It,
Cruc stood on the stoop, bareheadcd
and wild.cycd
Somebody has murdered my wife,"
he shouted Come quick"
Groton became tremendously OK.
cited over the deed and the medical
examiner and the constablcs immcdi
atcly began to make their inyestiga.
lions. They found two bullet holes in
the woman's head and another in her
breast But there were no signs OF n
struggle, and there was no robbery.
Tho officers retained the bullets and
took impressions of the imprlnts in
the snow outside the house. Cruc was
questioned closely, but he proved an
alibi Then the officers surmised that
a tramp committed the deed and
searched the village thoroughly for
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-08-24

Ee served his time. and left the
prison a jail.bird for life. His first
destination was his home. He wished
TO see Clarcmont, oven though he
were a jailbird and his home a
wretched blur on the rural landscape
He found nothing changed. His moth.
or was still suffering patiently; his
brothers and sisters were still pale
and hollow-chceked Everybody there
needed the COmmOncst ncCCSsarics Of
life, so Stoarus Kendall Abbott, the
youth. more scll-rcliant and energetic
than Stearus Kendall Abbott. the
child, went forth to obtain them, not
caring greatly how he obtained them
so long a. he succeeded. He broke
into a small store and was possessing
himself of it's money when the couu.
try constablcs arrived and possessed
him. For his ofrensc he served six
years in Concord prison.
Thence be went into the army for
service agalns; the conrcdcracy Some.
body cheated him out Of his bounty
money, and he deserted in Hartford,
Conn. He was az once confronted by
the problems of feeding and clothing
himself, and he followed his bent.
One day he cspicd a mail bag without
protection. He stolo the United
States property opened It and ap.
propriated its contents. But they
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-08-24
Aa@@mAmnGaMD@ On @ARm
THE SECRET CABINET
BY GIsELA DITTRICK BRITT.

before the glamour Of mystery. shs
could almost see the treasure.
"Pl-e-ase, Jack" When MollIs
Coaxed--
The man drew long breath. With
out word he laid aside coat and vest.
lie turned back the big rug. lie
pushed the buffet ont into the room.
then deliberately and slowly he raised
the Ratchet Mollle handed him.
Crack. Down tumbled 4 square
OF tinted wall,
ooh. Molie!" gasped the girl in
Pink.
Go on" said Mollie, in n low, mex
orable voice. The blue eyes were I'M
relcnting. The Spartans paled into
insigniticancc before this slcnler
young prIestess
Again the Ratchet went Lp-the cash
wideuel
The plaster was all down-the gray
dust was settling over the pretty china
and silver, over the polished tables
and chairs, over the blue and the
pink Paris gowns, over the black and
the golden heads.
One rang the tall cathedral clock.
Down fen tho tools with a cialter upon
the floor. Mol!le gprang forward with
4 startled cry:
"Look!" the whisper sounded hoarse.
ly through the silence. "Oh. look"
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-08-24
Long Career of Crime.

He was used to that sort of life b,
this time; and he was unused to any
other kind, save existence In pow.
erty.stricken home Thereafter one
offcnse succeeded another. He stole
n horse and buggy, and served n re.
sultant sentence OF four years In
Charicstown; ne cmbc2zlcd $3.50 and
returned to CharlcstOwn for two years
more. Later he entered a house in
Manchester. y. H.. and stole Sl7 For
New Hampshire state prison, He was
now - years old, his terms of con.
iincmcnt aggregated % years, and ho
was known as an habltual criminal.
Stcarns Kendall Abbott was in Gro
ton on the 18th Of January, 1850. He
was only a month and n half out Of
Concord prison and presumably was
trying to obtain employment as a
wood carver. This was his trade
his prison taught trade-and he was
capable man. He called at several
houses and explained ia one man that
he wished to secure a job rs wood
carver and to anothcr--and to several
othcrs-that he wished to purchase
some farm property. OF one man
Henry Hewlns-he asked to be direct.
ed to the Crue house.
From house to house Constable
Reed, OF Aver, traced his movements,
until at last he located him in East
Wcare, n. II. The prisoner denied
the crime. He said that he had never
known Mrs. Crue. and had never seen
her. He told the court that he left
Groton during the afternoon OF the
18th and went to Boston, where he
spent several hours in house of Ill.
reputc. But he couldn't corroborate
his statements. Witnesses located
him In the Cruc house; chain of cir.
cumstantial evidence held him firmly
Death Sentence COMMITTED.
lie was sentenced to be hanged, and
from his window in tGe Jail he
watched them building the scaffod.
Wendell Phillips and others became
Interested In his case, and urged Gov.
Long to commute the sentence. At
first tho governor refused, but vixen
one Of the chief witnesses against
Kendall, Jennie Carr, admitted herself
perjurer respecting part of her tes'
timony-respecting a denial OF her
motherhood--Gov. Long reprleyed the
condemned man and ordered that he
spend the remainder of his days in
the state prison.
That was % years ago. Twenty-Five
years ago they wrote the last record
against the name of Stearns Kendall
Abbott-''llfe prisoner for the murder
of Maria l.. Crue. Of Groton." 1t was
the concluding chapter of one of the
most stirring murder stories of west
ern Middlesex county, 1t was also
the aftermath to the prisoners hope
less childhood.
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-08-24

There was glitter Of silver,
CLEAN Of Eold-in the opcning. The
Girl in Pink felt SILVER creep down
her back. her heart throbbed Wildly.
And Mollic was right. Her dreams
were true!
1t was si!ver--hcayy, solid silver
wrapped in soft, old ycllowed paper
that plainly told OF the passing of tho
years
Slowly. revcrently, Moll!e unwrapped
them piece by piece The blue cyes
were luminous. the sweet mouth trem-
ulous.
Now, hurry! See what else there
is-it seems to be small secret cab
met. Oh. Jack, what will Aunt Liza
say! Aren't you glad | dreamed!"
The man with the dust-covered shirt
and begrimed hands pushed her gently
aside.
Get back out OF this mess. Mollie.
and let me see what is here. II must
have been grcat-great grandfather
Claims. He was governor. and his
was the mansion. Jovc! I'd like 10
give the old gentleman n handshake!
Here. take these" he handed her an
other bundle OF silver spoons. a pitch
er. silver sugar and creamer, pair
Of sugar tongs. hnlf-dozen SILVER
plates Of foreign make, two gold-lined
goblets. and queer low dish Of silver
tiiisree.
Suddenly everyone stood still. There
was confusion of voices, a tramplipg
Of heavy feet in the hall, and the mex,
moment the door was flung violently
open. and two brawny policemen stood
on the threshold,
Just keep your place, partner.
Promanadin' amt the ticket just now
The big policeman smiled pleasantly.
The man in the Gust-coyered clothes
grew pale.
Don't lose your temper, old MAJ
sang out n CHEEKY voice from the .'1ll.
They've run me in, too. | thInk-it's
going to be-funny" The Girl in Pink
gave little involuntary cry. The man
in the greatcoat smiled at he7 reassur-
ingly Strange, she had never known
before what Il splcndd-lookiag fellow
he was Any girl might be proud
Perhaps-af,er all Then she retreat
ed toward the library door hastily.
A man. n small man. with n very red
face and angry eyes, had pushed hiJ
way past the two policemen across To
the table where the treasure glittereh
and CLEANED unda" the electric lights.
There 1t is--eYery bit of IT." He
pointed cxCitcdly 10 the heap of silver
stuff, then to the unslghtly hole In
the wall. Don't you see that! What
further proof do you want? | don't
care who he is--a Clailin or anybody
else, or whether he owns the universal
He's a blasted thief-he and his part
ner there. Haven't been watching
him skulkng about the place for shs
last two hours! They knew was
away from home! The thief! Stealing
my silver right out Of" his rage fair
~ choked h.rr, ne could not say more
Mollic caught her breath. For on,
brief momept she looked at the group
before hes. Then, with q queer little
sound curious mixture of laughter
and sobs, she sank helplessly down
upon the floor, little limp. blue ;n.ns
that gasped family:
oh. Jack, Jack, It's--Mr. Crosby
nnd-we've dug - into - his - siivsa
closetl"
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-08-24

Groton.-In this quiet Massachu.
sets village % years ago, there lived
a family named Cruc. Their home was
n small farm house In a particularly
lonely location, three miles from other
habitations
Cruc was tcamster, whose duties
compelled him frequently to 20 to
Aver Junction, several miles away.
Sometimes he left home early In the
morning, and remained Ia his labors
until sunset. His wife was left under
the protection of a dog, who spent n
large part OF the day sleeping near
the kitchen stove.
Mrs Crue was an ordinary New
England housewife. That Is to say
She was purely domestic, worked from
morning till night at household du.
ties, and knew the outside world only
slightly. The dcsolatiOE Of her domi.
Gle was second nature 10 her; she ac-
,ccptcd 1t as her fate. When, day after
day, she was left practically unguard.
ed it never occurred to her to be
frightened
II a yagabond came to her door
whether or not he asked for aims
surllly and peered about as though to
learn of her unprotected state, she
showed no fear, but gave him food and
told him to be off before her husband
came down stairs and detected her
charity Moreover, Mrs Crne, by rea.
son Of her daily domestic exercises,
was strong and hardy enough to feel
sclf-relIant, Invariably she held n
stout broom during her talks with the
occasional Migrants. She believed
thoroughly that this traditional house.
hold weapon would servo her faith.
fully in time or need.
Rumors Of Domestic Troubles.
From time to time there were ru-
mors among people who knew the
Crues. They said the husband did not
pay as much attention to his wife as
he should, and they mentioned other
names. but the wife never answered
impertinent questions. She told curl
GUS people that she minded her own
business and expected her neighbors
to follow her example. Whercupon
they shrugged their shoulders, and
any possible sympathy for her they
might have felt expired.
On the morning of January H. 1880,
the home OF the Crues was surround.
cd with snow. The adjacent woods
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-08-24

Now and then a biting wind swept
across the open stretches, and whirled
the snow off the roof OF the house Be.
times the thin spirals OF smoke rising
from the chimney contrasted with the
brittle snowscape.
Shortly after dinner Crue told his
wife he had to haul some logs to Aver
Junction, and expected to be late for
supper.
Crue harnessed his horses and
drove away over the white road,
around the windy corner of the TIM
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-08-24
Stearns Kendall Abbott.

II the home OF the Crues in Groton
was lonely. the childhood home OF
Stearns Kendall Abbott in Claremont,
y. H., was the merest existence,
There, in 1882 he was added to an
already large family.
1t was a very sordld existence; II
was almost worse than nothing In a
general way the boy knew. as he grew
older that other boys here and there
enjoyed three nOurlshing meals q
day and slept in beds by themselves
and had enough clothing to keep them
warm. Yet It seldom occurred to him
to think much about other boys in this
world, because he was always con.
cerned with the problem of satisfying
his hunger and his craving for warmth.
Later he went to the country school.
He wore ragged clothes, and, Of
course. everybody In the school could
see them and everybody in the town
knew that he was a poverty.stricken
youngstcr. and, therefore, according to
country traditions, looked down on
him and considered him an inferior
species Of the race of small boys.
At the age Of II he went to Lowell
to obtain employment. But he was a
very helpless wGif, who lacked every
lettering influence, who was thorough.
ly cowcd-a hopeless walt whose dos.
tiny was nlne.tenths death or degra.
dalton and one.tenth honest livelihood.
He failed TO get Job at once. He
could furnish no references, and the
factories needed no small boys. He
fell among disreputablo men. who told
him how to make money with ease.
One companion Of the waif from Clare.
mont explained that II he forged an
order for SIS he could secure the
money without any DANCE: and
promptly lose himself In some other
city. The boy was without any an.
swering argument. Indeed the plan
appealed to him, for he lacked many
necessities of life. So he made out
an order on n firm for sl5, for work
done. presented 1t at the cashiers Of.
fee, obtained the money. divided II
with his adviser, and then went to an
eating house and fed heartily. The lad
was suddenly wealthy.
Given State Prison Term.
But the swindled tradespeople gave
the police an excellent description OF
the thief. and the police caught him.
lie could only say that he had needed
the money badly, and had taken the
advice of an older man. He couldn't
tell them. however, that he had never
had a fair chance. Lacking the vocab.
ulary, he could not tell them one
tenth of his sordid childhood. No
body defended him. He went before
the court and received sentence of
so months. Then they took him away.
not to reformatory. but to state
prison.
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-08-24

caught him and sent him to jail for
five more years.
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-08-24

out further Formally turned the knob
and entered. Mrs. Cruc sat in her
kitchen talking with a stranger. The
neighbor excused himself, said he
merely stopped to say word Of greet.
Ing, and then withdrew.
Stranger Opened Door.
Later in the afternoon Miss Jennie
Carr, Z well-linown Groton younG
woman, also called. She knocked on
the door several times. Nobody an
swered. Then she noticed that the
curtains of the front window were
lowered But 1t occurred to her that
Mrs. Cruc might be somewhere in the
the house so she continued to knock.
Presently the knob of the door turned.
the door opened a few inches, and a
man looked out cautiously at her He
was a stranger to her. She asked II
Mrs Crue was at home. He replied
CURLY:
NO, she has gone to town for the
afternoon to make some calls"
Then the door closed without
further ado.
OF the history Of the day, which i'm.
mediately follows, the husband IS the
only authoritative source. He returned
from Aver Junction shortly after sun.
set. Much to his surprise, the house
was quite dark.
Failing to secure an entrance
through any door he went to one Of
the windows and vainly tried to raise
It. lie concluded that his wife had
taken excellent precautions to prevent
the entrance Of strangers. Yet the
drawn curtains, staring him blankly
in the face, made him uneasy. He
walked around the house to the cellar
door. Through the gloom he CROPPED
his way with caution. always sensing
impending disaster. This promonition
grew stronger and stronger as he
mounted the stairs to the kitchen.
Now he proceeded more warlly than
ever, listening for any significant
sound. The house was quite silent,
and at last he struck a match and hur.
ried to the lamp. The light partly re-
assured him.
Then he decided to look into his
wife's room, and with the lamp in one
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-08-24

evidence OF strangers. Everybody
was puzzled over the apparent alb.
sence of any motive.
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-08-24

hand, he crossed the kitchen. On the
floor. in front Of the door to the bed.
room, was a line of discolcration. At
any other time he might not have no.
ticed It, but he still had forebodng,
and was curiously observant. First
he glanced around the room, and then
he stopped and felt of the discolara.
ton. When he raised his hand his
fingers were stained and damp.
Found Wife Murdered.
Quickly he pushed opan the door of
The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-08-24
The StrdnSeCdse Of
,,,A:,STEARNS>,., 81
zASNKFNDALL SW
W ABBOTT N
Vcttn e9

Der land and out OF sight. His wife
watched his departure with phlcg-
matte interest
During the afternoon a nelghbor. on
his way across the country, called to
pay his respects to Mrs. Cruc. He
knocked on the door and then, with
out further Formally, turned the knob
and entered. Mrs. Cruc sat in her
kitchen talking with a stranger, The
neighbor excused himself, said he
merely stopped to say a word of greet.
Ing and then Withdrew.