Wednesday, July 11, 2018

On This Date in Minnesota History: July 11

July 11, 1899 – If the Minneapolis police can locate George Reed, a wealthy stock raiser living near St. Cloud, who dropped out of sight in Minneapolis Saturday night, they will have solved a mystery that is at present causing the great concern.

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When Reed disappeared he had $3,000 cash in his possession, and this fact is causing Mrs. Reed and the police additional worry, and fear that the stockman may have met with foul play.

Officers in Minneapolis, as well as in St. Paul, are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to locate the missing man, but up to present time they have found absolutely no trace of him. He has dropped out of sight as completely as though the earth had opened up and swallowed him.

Mr. and Mrs. Reed came to Minneapolis Saturday morning, and went directly to the home of a friend, where Mrs. Reed still remains while the search for her husband is in progress.
After a short visit with their friends, Mr. Reed started for the city, intending to make arrangements for several carloads of stock he had brought down to the yards. This was about 1 p.m. He said he would be back at 7 p.m. or a little later, so no alarm was felt when he did not arrive at the home of his friend at supper time.


Sunday morning, Mrs. Reed became greatly alarmed at the absence of her husband, and began to make inquiries concerning him. No on, so far as she could find, had seen him, so the search was extended to St. Paul, where Reed had friends. He had not been in that city and no one could be found who had even heard of his presence there.

All day Sunday and Monday the searched was pushed, but without result, and today the Minneapolis police were informed of the disappearance. They promptly communicated with the St. Paul officers, but up to a late hour this evening, no trace of Reed had been found.

It was discovered this morning that the stock sent to the yards by the missing man had not been cared for showing Reed had not been to the yards after he left his friend’s home. He had not called upon the man with whom he had an important business engagement, and as he had left the house with nearly $3,000 in bills in his possession the fears of foul play began to deepen.

Detectives from the Central Station were at once detailed on the case, and they have searched the city from end to end, without finding the lightest trace of the man. He was not in the habit of drinking, nor of making friends with strangers, and the police are, therefore, inclined to believe that he has fallen victim to sharpers, who have put him out of the way for the present.

Mrs. Reed, who is an attractive woman of perhaps 27 years old, told the police today that she was at a loss to account for the disappearance of her husband. Their domestic relations were most happy, she said, and she and Mr. Reed had just completed plans for a pleasure trip. The money that Reed carried in his pocket was intended for use in a business venture, she said, and was to have been deposited in a Minneapolis bank the first thing Monday morning.

She indignantly repelled the suggestion that her husband might have been attracted by some other woman, and declared that she would trust him to the farthest end of the world. He had never shown the slightest sign of weakness in that direction, she added, and their home life was all that anyone could desire.

When it was found that the stock Mr. Reed had brought from St. Cloud had not been cared for, Mrs. Reed gave orders to have the animals attended to at once, and in case Mr. Reed is not found soon the lot will be sold at once by her. She will remain in the city, it is understood, until the fate of her husband is solved.

One of the theories advanced regarding Reed’s disappearance is that his mind became affected by the heat, and that as a result he wandered away. All of the hospitals in the Twin Cities have been searched to see if a stranger answering the description of the missing man has been brought in to any of them, but without result.


The Minneapolis Tribune; “He Cannot Be Found. George Reed, a St. Cloud man, Mysteriously Disappears. He Had a Large Sum of Money When Seen Here.”; July 12, 1899; p. 1.

1Photo taken by Pamela J. Erickson. Released into the public domain July 11, 2018, as long as acknowledgement included.

I searched for an ending to this story, happy or sad, but was unable to find one. If anyone can help me solve the mystery of Reed’s disappearance, please contact me and I will publish it.
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If you are interested in finding out more about your family history in Minnesota, I specialize in researching  genealogical and historical records in Minn. and western Wis., including:
census records,  birth records,  death certificates, obits, grave site photos, ship passenger lists, marriage records and declarations of intent/naturalization records.  I will visit locations to research local history and county records, as well as take photos. Quick turnaround on MNHS records. Both short searches and family history reports available.

                                                         


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