On This Date in Minnesota History: July 27

July 27, 1903 – Not yet 21-years-old, three times married and the mother of three children, Minnie King occupied a cell in the Ramsey County jail this evening charged with bigamy. Alongside of her in the cell was one of her children, a boy three years old, from whom she refused to separate when arrested at Bangor, Wis., today by Sheriff Irwin, of Wadena.

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 Only the steel bars and one floor separates her from the man for whom she left her second husband and her children, for he is also under arrest, the couple having been found living together in the town of Bangor, just above La Crosse, in Wis. Urit Burnhard is the man’s name, and up in Aitken County he has a wife and seven children, whom he has not seen since June 17, when he and Mrs. King eloped and went to Wadena, where they were married.

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The parties were neighbors in Aitkin County, living on adjoining farms. Both were married and had large families, but this did not dampen the ardor of their love for each other, so they planned an elopement and went to Wadena, where they secured a marriage license and were wed June 17.

A search for his young wife by Mr. King, led to the discovery that she had eloped with their neighbor, and upon learning that the couple had been married, King swore out a warrant for their arrest, charging them with bigamy. The warrant was sworn out in Wadena County, because the marriage had taken place there, but it was only a few days ago that Sheriff Irwin was able to locate them. He learned that they had taken up their residence at Bangor, and when he went there today he had no trouble in finding them.

With them was the woman’s three-year-old son, whom she had taken with her when she ran away with Burnhard.

Sheriff Irwin arrived in St. Paul with his prisoners this evening and placed them in jail for safe keeping overnight. The following morning he will take them back to Wadena, where they will have to answer a charge of bigamy, which will be prosecuted by both the woman’s husband and Burnhard’s wife, who was left almost destitute to care for their seven little children.

The St. Paul Globe; “Girl Charged With Bigamy Takes Her Baby to Her Cell. Wadena Woman Refused to Be Separated From Her Child at the County Jail—Husband Is Also Arrested.”; July 28, 1903; pp. 1 & 6.

¹http://townmapsusa.com/d/map-of-bangor-wisconsin-wi/bangor_wi

²https://www.discoverhumboldt.com/local/changes-in-speed-limits-for-the-town-of-wadena

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