Strongwood Read online

  Other Books by Larry Millett

  Published by the University of Minnesota Press

  —

  Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon

  Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders

  Sherlock Holmes and the Rune Stone Mystery

  Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Alliance

  The Disappearance of Sherlock Holmes

  The Magic Bullet

  Copyright 2014 by Larry Millett

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Published by the University of Minnesota Press

  111 Third Avenue South, Suite 290

  Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520

  http://www.upress.umn.edu

  ISBN 978-1-4529-4127-1

  The University of Minnesota is an equal-opportunity educator and employer.

  To Lexy, a wonderful daughter and a great reader

  Contents

  Author’s Introduction

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Author’s Introduction

  On the damp, gloomy evening of November 9, 1903, a young man and a young woman met in an office building in downtown Minneapolis for what turned out to be a lethal encounter. The woman was Adelaide Strongwood, age twenty-one, and when she left the building the man she had met there, twenty-six-year-old Michael Masterson, lay dead on the floor, blood pouring from a bullet wound to his chest. Strongwood was arrested and later indicted by a grand jury on a charge of first-degree murder, all the while proclaiming that she had acted in self-defense.

  Her case became a sensation, especially because she was both very beautiful and exceptionally well spoken. The Minneapolis Tribune, then the city’s largest morning newspaper, immediately took to Strongwood’s defense. In December, a few weeks before she went on trial, the newspaper published a series of seven articles by Strongwood in which she described her background, her relationship with Masterson, and the events that ultimately led to his death at her hands. It is hard to imagine any newspaper today offering a criminal defendant such an opportunity for self-justification, but the Tribune went even further by contributing five hundred dollars to the cost of her defense.

  Rival dailies, such as the Minneapolis Journal, depicted Strongwood in a far less flattering light. Her widely disparate treatment in the press reflected the degree to which her case divided the city along class lines. Strongwood came from a working-class background while Masterson hailed from a wealthy and influential family of industrialists. The fact that much of Strongwood’s legal defense hinged on painting the worst possible portrait of Masterson as a cruel and dissolute playboy only served to exacerbate those sharp divisions.

  By the time Strongwood’s trial began in Hennepin County District Court on January 11, 1904, all of Minneapolis–St. Paul and much of the nation seemed to be following the case. The stakes could not have been higher for Strongwood, since capital punishment was still a possibility (it would not be outlawed in Minnesota until 1911). Her trial, which lasted just over three weeks, drew tremendous publicity, and not only in the Twin Cities. Newspapers from as far away as New York City, Chicago, and Denver had correspondents on the scene, as did several national magazines. Yet the case, like so many others that once blazed across the front pages of newspapers, is now all but forgotten.

  I first stumbled across the case while researching one of my historic mysteries featuring Sherlock Holmes and Shadwell Rafferty. To my surprise, I discovered that Rafferty, and to a lesser extent Holmes, had become entangled in the Strongwood affair, which was—and still is, to my way of thinking—a fascinating story. I began gathering information about the case and was able over a period of several years to amass a rich collection of documents, including books, newspaper and magazine articles, letters, and even copies of private journals, all preserved by various historical societies.

  The case, I soon came to realize, was populated by a large and formidable cast of characters, beginning with Strongwood and including a rich mix of people from both the high and low ends of Minneapolis society at the dawn of the twentieth century. Many were described in considerable detail and pictured (in the form of engraved drawings) in a now hard-to-find book titled The Trial of Adelaide Strongwood, Including an Introduction to the Case, a Description of the Principals, and Select Testimony. Published in 1904 by the Tribune as a sort of instant potboiler, the book features lengthy excerpts of trial testimony obtained directly from a stenographer hired by the newspaper, and it remains the single most important source of information about the case.

  My first thought was to write a fictionalized account of the Strongwood affair, but I found the historic record so compelling that I decided instead to let the documents, including the trial testimony, speak for themselves. I have pieced them together, much like a collage, in a way that I hope will convey a sense of the enduring mystery at the heart of the case.

  Readers should be aware that I have been very selective in editing the trial testimony, eliminating some witnesses entirely and abridging the testimony of others in order to move the story along. Addie Strongwood was the chief witness at the trial, but I found it necessary to substantially edit even her testimony in order to focus on key moments in both her direct and cross-examinations. In addition, I deleted the attorneys’ opening statements, which were not especially enlightening, and substantially abridged their closing arguments. I also skipped over many of the objections and legal arguments made during the trial. The presiding judge’s rulings and statements from the bench were edited as well. My goal was to create a sleek, compelling version of what was, in actuality, a long trial with a good deal of repetitive testimony and highly technical legal maneuvering.

  All the documents and excerpts from trial testimony in my account are identified in short headings preceding them. I also inserted explanatory footnotes when appropriate to help readers better understand references in the documents to now-obscure people, places, or events. A line in the section break indicates where I edited documents.

  The jury’s verdict, rendered on February 5, 1904, came as a surprise to many. I invite you now to read on and see whether it will be a surprise to you as well.

  Larry Millett

  St. Paul, 2014

  One

  Excerpts from the introduction to The Trial of Adelaide Strongwood

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  Few criminal trials in recent memory have produced as great a sensation in the Northwest as that of Adelaide Strongwood, who stood accused of murdering Michael Masterson, scion of one of the wealthiest manufacturers in Minneapolis. Miss Strongwood’s trial, held before Judge Charles Elliott in the Hennepin County District Court in January and February 1904, became a spectacle avidly followed by almost every resident of the city. The many shocking details that emerged during the three-week-long trial, culminating in the dramatic testimony of Miss Strongwood herself, are still the source of discussion, as is the verdict ultimately rendered by the jury of twelve men good and true. It is the belief of the publishers of this book that the question of whether justice was indeed done in this case is best left to the reader, who will now have before him all of the relevant information needed to reach a well-considered judgment.

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  Miss Adelaide, or as she preferred to be called, “Addie,” Strongwood, aged twenty-two at the time of her trial, is a character who needs little
introduction. Remarkably well spoken, calm of manner, and possessing startling physical beauty, she was at all times the center of attention in Judge Elliott’s courtroom. Usually dressed in a fall suit consisting of an A-line skirt and tailored jacket over a high-neck blouse with a silk jabot, she never failed to present a fashionable yet dignified appearance. Her piercing blue eyes, which suggested great presence of mind, drew much comment from courtroom observers, as did her luxuriant black hair, which was invariably pinned up in back so that only a few loose tendrils curled at her finely formed face. Despite her humble beginnings, she carried herself at all times with a regal air, and not even the faintest shadow of doubt ever seemed to trouble her visage. Only once during her hours on the witness stand did she succumb to the tears that come so easily to many members of her sex.

  From the very beginning, Miss Strongwood proclaimed her innocence by reason of self-defense, and even penned her own account of the events leading up to Mr. Masterson’s death. This document, handwritten by Miss Strongwood during her confinement in the Hennepin County jail, appeared in the Tribune in seven parts, beginning on December 14, 1903. It is a measure of Miss Strongwood’s certainty of mind, perhaps the sovereign feature of her character, that her attorney advised against such an account on the grounds that her words could become impeachable at trial. Her response to this concern, as later reported in the Tribune, was characteristically direct: “You cannot,” she said, “impeach the truth.”

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  Both of the lawyers in the case—Mr. Frederick H. Boardman for the prosecution and Mr. J. Winston Phelps for the defense—are well known to the citizens of Minneapolis. A Canadian by birth, Mr. Boardman settled in Minneapolis in 1878 and quickly earned a sterling reputation as a practitioner of the law. He was elected to the position of Hennepin County attorney in 1900, and in that capacity he became a champion of the people when he successfully prosecuted the gang of thieves and charlatans led by Dr. Ames.1 A compact, elegant man with sharp gray eyes and a fine brushy mustache, Mr. Boardman is known for his courtly manners, probing intellect, and subtle sense of humor. Unfailingly courteous, even toward the most hostile of witnesses, he is nonetheless a tenacious advocate in the courtroom who has sent many a miscreant to prison.

  Mr. Phelps is equally renowned for his efforts at the bar. Tall and gaunt, like a figure from one of El Greco’s paintings, he is fond of flamboyant attire and is considered one of the great “talkers” of the city. He is no popinjay, however, for beneath his colorful plumage lurks a fierce bird of prey. Witnesses have been known to tremble before the force of his cross-examinations, and his skills in this regard were amply displayed during Miss Strongwood’s long trial.2 The presiding judge, the Honorable Charles B. Elliott, was appointed to the municipal court bench in Minneapolis in 1890 at the tender age of twenty-nine. He was elevated to the district court only four years later, and despite his youth he is now regarded as one of the “wise old men” of the bench by virtue of his profound knowledge of the law and his calm but firm judicial demeanor.3

  The trial was held in the stately courtroom on the third floor of the new Municipal Building.4 With its beamed ceiling, arched windows, and frescoed arabesques, this noble room provided a dignified setting for what proved to be a dramatic and fiercely contested trial.

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  The twelve men “good and true” who served as jurors in the case were as follows: Samuel Ahern, janitorial supervisor, Richfield Township; C. M. Calvin, architectural draftsman, Minneapolis; Col. J. R. Camp, U.S. Army, retired, and now a well-known writer of boys’ stories, Edina Village; Marion Carroll, government worker, Minneapolis; Alexander Deane, university professor, Minneapolis; K. R. Greshwalk, thespian, Richfield Township; Corey James, skate-shop proprietor, Minneapolis; J. M. Lucey, illustrator, Minneapolis; Henry Mallander, lens grinder, Robbinsdale; David Persons, jobber, St. Louis Park; Matthew Edwards, mapmaker, St. Anthony Village; S. M. Singham, merchant, Minneapolis; and Andrew Vogel, advertising salesman, Minneapolis. Col. Camp was the jury’s foreman.

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  List of Major Exhibits

  Prosecution

  1. .41-caliber Remington Model 95 double derringer

  2. Coroner’s report and findings re the autopsy of Mr. Michael P. Masterson, November 12, 1903

  3. Partial photograph of a woman, found in Mr. Michael Masterson’s left hand, November 9, 1903

  4. Affidavit of Miss Lorna Smithers, office manager at Masterson, DeLaittre and Sons, Minneapolis, November 23, 1903

  5. Letter from Mr. Michael Masterson to Mr. Philip Masterson, September 18, 1903

  6. Letter from defendant to Mr. and Mrs. Philip Masterson, September 15, 1903

  7. Seven articles written by the defendant for the Minneapolis Tribune, December 14–20, 1903

  8. Help-wanted advertisements in the Chicago Tribune, May 3, 1903

  9. Job application form filled out by the defendant at Masterson, DeLaittre and Sons, Minneapolis, July 15, 1903

  10. Note handed by the defendant to Mrs. Philip Masterson, October 24, 1903

  11. Report by Inspector Donald Gordon, Minneapolis Police Department, re a search of Mr. Michael Masterson’s apartment, November 11, 1903

  12. Letter from the defendant to Mr. and Mrs. Philip Masterson, November 2, 1903

  13. Affidavit of Miss Ellen Morse, friend of Mr. Michael Masterson, December 16, 1903

  14. Merchandise delivery receipt from John S. Bradstreet and Company, Minneapolis, September 8, 1903

  15. Report on examination of bullets found at scene of Mr. Michael Masterson’s death, by Mr. J. W. Smithington, ballistics expert, November 25, 1903

  16. Sheet of paper with words “I, Adelaide Strongwood” and a Waterman Ideal fountain pen, both found by police in room 413 of the Windom Block, November 9, 1903

  17. List of items found in Mr. Michael Masterson’s pockets, as prepared by Inspector Robert McCall of the Minneapolis Police Department, November 9, 1903

  18. Affidavit of Miss Emily Litton, clerk at the Robertson Secretarial Agency, January 28, 1904

  Defense

  1. Letter from Mr. Michael Masterson to Mr. Theodore Masterson, August 14, 1903

  2. Report by Inspector Donald Gordon, Minneapolis Police Department, re an interview with Herbert Speed, pawnshop owner, November 14, 1903

  3. Time card of Miss Greta Hauser, office worker at Masterson, DeLaittre and Sons, Minneapolis, August 10, 1903

  4. Affidavit of Mrs. Jackie Lee, brothel owner, Minneapolis, December 8, 1903

  5. Article in the Minneapolis Journal re a cotillion at the George Partridge residence, April 12, 1903

  6. Affidavit of Dr. Richard Forsyth, veterinarian who treated Mr. Michael Masterson’s cat, January 5, 1904

  7. Article in the Minneapolis Times re Mrs. Violet Cutter, midwife, November 27, 1901

  8. St. Paul Police Department records re Mr. Frank Kendall, 1898–1903

  9. St. Paul Police Department records re Mr. Joseph Mugliano, 1896–1903

  10. Note re “Muggy” found by police in Mr. Michael Masterson’s coat pocket, November 9, 1903

  11. Ledger sheet from records of Minneapolis Police Chief Frederick Ames, July 16, 1902

  List of Witnesses in Order of Testimony

  Prosecution

  * Mr. Olaf Wangstad, elevator repairman5

  Patrolman Michael Sweeney, Minneapolis Police Department

  * Inspector Robert McCall, Minneapolis Police Department

  Dr. Randolph Porter, Hennepin County coroner

  * Miss Marie Dornquist, housemaid for Mr. and Mrs. George Van Dusen

  * Miss Lorna Smithers, office supervisor, Masterson, DeLaittre and Sons

  * Miss Greta Hauser, office worker, Masterson, DeLaittre and Sons

  * Miss Emma Crosby, friend of Michael Masterson

  * Mr.
Herbert Speed, pawnshop proprietor

  * Mr. Earl Duggers, Pinkerton detective

  * Mrs. Philip (Bernice) Masterson, mother of Michael Masterson

  Mr. Ernest Coxhead, chauffeur for Mr. and Mrs. Philip Masterson

  * Miss Constance McBride, housemaid for Mr. and Mrs. Philip Masterson

  Mrs. Hilda Jacobson, rooming house proprietor

  * Mr. Daniel Wellington, clerk, John S. Bradstreet and Company

  * Mrs. Violet Cutter, midwife

  * Mr. Jonathan Jakes, friend of Michael Masterson

  * Mr. Frank Kendall, billiard hall proprietor

  * Mr. Joseph Mugliano, barber

  Defense

  * Inspector Donald Gordon, Minneapolis Police Department

  * Mr. Samuel Marks, cigar shop proprietor

  * Miss Adelaide Strongwood, defendant

  Part One of “An Account of My Life and the Incident for Which I Have Been Unjustly Accused of Murder,” by Addie Strongwood, Minneapolis Tribune, December 14, 1903

  I will begin by stating that I did not murder Michael Masterson in cold blood, as the calumnies of the press would have it, and that I am in every way a woman wronged. If there does indeed abide in this world some measure of justice—a dubious proposition, I am beginning to believe—then it is not I who should be standing trial before the people of Hennepin County but those who in their low viciousness and cruel cunning abetted in the crimes against me. I feel upon me the heavy weight of falsehood, as did the prophet Isaiah: “None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.”

  The truth is that I loved Michael, more than the world will ever know. I gave him my heart, which is the greatest thing a woman has to give, and I gave it to him so completely that I will never be able to give it in that way again. Yet instead of love from Michael I was met only with treachery on that fateful day in room 413 of the Windom Block.6