Little Crimes on the Prairie

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https://www.inforum.com/news/the-vault/investigators-hone-in-on-suspect-in-missing-persons-case-rachel-cyriacks

Update on Rachel Cyriacks case- Interviews with Rachel's mom and Eugene Prins' brother Colton and step-dad Jeff. What I think happened to Debbie Vallejo. Not that it matters what I think, but I'm gonna tell you anyways. I think Deb's case is more about forgiveness than whodunit. There's going to be a lot of you who don't agree, that's ok.

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You’d be surprised at small town America and the stories you might hear if you spend some time at a local watering hole. We know, you’re likely on your way to almost anywhere else. Our little home towns with our single stoplights, and noon special diners are rarely the desired destinations for travelers. 

Except for maybe once a year, when any Midwest town worth driving to, has it’s annual celebration. Where I’m from we will celebrate anything in the summer! 

We celebrate water towers, chislic, flowers, outlaws, quarries.. Literally anything… We also have Pow Wows, All kinds of Reunions, Centennials, Sesquicentennials for those fancier towns established before statehood in the Dakotas. 

The highlight of these small town celebrations is people show up… Sons, daughters, cousins and friends come home to visit, because if we don’t celebrate Jesse James, who will??? 

Most of these celebrations are capped with a street dance, and if you’ve never attended one I highly recommend it! If you don’t like drinking and dancing on Main Street to a cover band playing Don’t Stop Believing, I still 10/10 would recommend going just to people watch. Or listen. 

I have heard some of the wildest stories (probably starred in a few as well) at gatherings like these. The story will be told, and you’ll be as confused as a fart in a fan factory. Oh but not for long! There will be a guy who won’t say names, but he’ll tell you all about the “cover-up”... Could be a murder, could be a robbery, could be a story about someone breaking into cars stealing change, maybe poachers… It doesn’t have to be sensational, it just has to be unsolved, or at least without a clearly defined sequence of events. 

It wasn’t until I started listening to Dakota Spotlight this past spring, that I discovered I wasn’t alone! I wasn’t the only one who refused to accept one of these conspiracy theories without a second thought. 

I wasn’t the only one who was irritated hearing a whale of a tale with no facts. I was no longer alone in my search for some damn answers, and mostly, I wasn’t alone in my disappointment. The kind of disappointment you feel when society feels like sandpaper against the grain of your morality. Angry after you hear a story about a teenage girl found dead in the creek on the edge of a town you practically grew up in, but would barely tell you her name. Or when it happened. Yet, somehow, all of them knew with alarming confidence who was responsible, and why… 

It wasn’t until I heard James Wolner tell the story of Viktor Newberry, that I finally felt like I wasn’t the only one pissed off at all these people who seem to know it all, but have never thought to do anything, other than gossip, about it…. This wasn’t poachers, or a change thief. This was a young lady who these people claim was murdered. Why in the hell isn’t anyone raising hell about this?? Alas, across the prairie in Glen Ullin North Dakota the story of Viktor Newberry’s death and the cover up that followed was told to James. Unacceptable without facts, finally someone set out to find some.  

Last spring I was sick of hearing about quid pro quo, conspiracies, cover ups, collusion, but mostly I was sick of hearing about “fake news”...  James so accurately described what I was feeling I had to add a little snippet!

The thing about conspiracies, is that they’re supposed to be secret… If a whole town knows about it, it’s not much of a conspiracy. If the allegations of a cover up were true, and everyone knows about it, aaannnddd nobody does anything about it? That’s not a conspiracy, that’s bullshit. That’s blatant abuse of power, and a bunch of dumbasses who allow it to happen. 

I don’t even think I was through the first episode of Dakota Spotlight before I was emailing James. It felt like I had a kindred spirit up there in North Dakota, and turns out I was right! 

I reached out to James and he’s been an incredible resource, I enjoy collaborating with him on various projects! He’s been so kind to offer help and encouragement, I’ve come to think of him as a friend (even if he is from ND)... Hahaha! Just kidding! North Dakota is great in the summer! 

*I should really get some sound effects to highlight these hilarious jokes*

James’ podcast journey with Dakota Spotlight began much like mine did. Albeit about 3 years apart, but that’s ok, somebody has to know the things. 

He found himself in Glen Ullin, North Dakota for their annual Fall Festival. Somehow he ended up listening to some guy in a bar tell him about a guy named Viktor Newberry, how he was whacked by the Boston Mob and the local police covered up the true nature of his death. 

Well, he wasn’t just going to take the word of some guy who likes to tell stories. So, he started checking it out. Just like anyone else could, but won’t for some reason. They’d rather sit there with their rumors, than actually try to find out some facts. My experience with Debbie Vallejo’s case, and James’ deep dive into the life and death of Viktor Newberry struck every chord in my soul. Not in a weird way, but in a “oh yay, I feel less like a crazy person!” sort of way...  

Let’s see what he’s up to……

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When we talk about the midwest sometimes we forget to mention the weather. The climate in the midwest is pretty much as you might guess, warm in the summer and cold in the winter. 

There’s a phenomenon in the midwest where the weather changes very quickly. I’ve seen the temperature shift almost 100 degrees in 24 hours. In January 1943 in Spearfish, SD the temperature increased 49 degrees in 2 minutes from 4 below zero to a sunny 45 degrees. 2 minutes. 

Let’s not forget the wind…. There’s so much damn wind here, there are wind turbines all over in the southwestern corner of Minnesota and Eastern South Dakota. It seems like it is always windy here.. Chinook winds from the southwest bring warm winds and Alberta Clippers bring the cold arctic wind. 

The I-90 and I-29 corridors in Western MN, Eastern SD, Northern IA is where I’m from. There’s The Buffalo Ridge in Southwest MN, which turns into the Coteau Ridge as it runs north just past the North Dakota border. This is known as the Coteau de Prairies, a flatiron plateau where the wind builds strength before it rolls down the plateau and across the prairie, spinning the wind turbines like a child’s pinwheel.  

We don’t hear enough about the blizzards. The wind is what separates a snowfall from a blizzard. Not a winter storm, but the full on, you better have your shit together, for real or you could die fucking blizzards. 

Since we just had a blizzard I figured I would tell you a story about my mom and one of the worst blizzards on record. 

There’s probably a lot of people listening that don’t know what a blizzard is like. I’m gonna do my best to describe it.. 

Let me paint you a picture, it’s white….. And I slap you in the face with it a hundred times while your extremities freeze and you can’t see. 

The blizzard I’m gonna tell you about started on January 9th, 1975. This particular blizzard had winds sustained at 45-55 mph and gusts up to 80 miles per hour. Yes. 80. Imagine freeway fast snow, ice and debris coming at you as the wind takes your breath away. You can only breathe if you don’t bury your head in your coat or scarf. The wind shapes the drifts that can drastically change the landscape. You can’t tell which way you are going, in the upper midwest if you are stuck you never leave your vehicle to walk somewhere. 

Obviously, that was more important back before cell phones, but still sometimes out here (Yes even now) there’s dead zones. Calls are dropped and texts just sit there half sent.. That’s not where you want to be when the wind picks up and the snow starts flying. 

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The murders of Larissa Dumansky and Piper Streyle

Sioux Falls, SD is the largest city in South Dakota, snuggled near the eastern border with Minnesota and Iowa’s northeast corner.  You can often find it on some list of the Best Places to live. Almost 30% of the state’s population can be found in the Sioux Falls “Metro” Area.  (yes I used airquotes) 

Over 2 decades has passed since the confusion, worry and ultimately the realization of the predator that lurked among South Dakota’s east river metropolis. 

Hunting and studying women from all over the areas in and outside of Sioux Falls. A predator that was insidiously astute, patient and decisive preyed upon unsuspecting women. A creature lived beneath an exterior that was dangerously unnoticeable. 

In August, 1994 Larisa Dumansky disappeared after a long night at work. The night shift at the John Morrell’s meat packing plant was hard work, but Larisa was up for the task. She and her husband Bill immigrated from Ukraine in 1991, determined to create a better life for their growing family. The mother of 2 girls was 6 weeks pregnant. Larisa’s van sat parked in the same spot she parked before walking into work that night. 

The disappearance of the doting mother and loving wife left investigators frustrated, her family devastated and a burgeoning city shaking its head at the lack of leads. Weeks turned into months, and then years as the Dumansky family remained hopeful, although knowing Larisa would never leave her life voluntarily. Larisa’s husband Bill and their children held on to hope, and for 3 years that was all they had. The answers they ultimately received were nothing short of unimaginable.   

In July of 1996 Piper Streyle’s disappearance was the catalyst that set off a chain of events, uncovering the sort of depravity that deserved to be kept in the dark recesses of a foul mind without context or a story to tell. 

But, I’ll tell the story, not to give fame or glory to this depraved man, but to educate. Trust your gut, and if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.  

It was the situation mothers have nightmares about. The paralyzing idea of being taken from your children in a manner that leaves them scarred as witnesses. 

Something so fucking terrifying you can only hope your 2 and 3 year old will be safe long enough for you to endure whatever this is, you’d do anything to get back to them. Hoping only they understand that the only thing that could have taken you is the fear of them being killed or death itself .. Every mother I know would gladly stare death in the face if it meant putting distance between a monster and her children. You pray for your family as it all fades to black and honestly, at this point you’re probably welcoming death after what he’s done to you. 

Sexually Violent Predators most commonly use violence as a means to gain and maintain control of a nonconsenting party. We all know and understand that sexually motivated assaults are difficult to endure, difficult to prove and difficult to prosecute. This is likely why only 230 out of 1000 sexual assaults are reported, out of 1000 sexual assaults 995 perpetrators will walk free.  

Marquis de Sade was a French author and sexual deviant, from whom we derived the word Sadist. He was a pedophile, rapist and a sexual terrorist. He is the father of the modern day sexual sadist. Sexual Sadists make up a small percentage of perpetrators, not all rapists are sadists.   

Sexual sadists get sexual pleasure from the pain, suffering and/ or humiliation of their victims. Of course all predators are terrifying, but there is something about these crimes that I find exceptionally horrifying. I think it’s the pleasure they get from your suffering. They are unlikely to have empathy for you in any capacity, their ultimate satisfaction comes with watching you suffer and then die.  

In July of 1996 Piper and Vance Streyle, with their children Shaina and Nathan lived in rural Canistota, SD. On July 29th after failing to appear at work a coworker named Patty Sinclair called the Streyle residence, where 3 year old Shaina Streyle answered the phone. 

Patty spoke with Shaina who said her mommy and daddy weren’t home, and hung up. Patty called a second time and Shaina was incoherent between her uncontrollable sobs. Patty was able to talk with Shaina enough that the poor girl had calmed down a bit and when she expressed to Patty “She didn’t want her mommy to die!” “I don’t want my daddy to die!” “They’re probably killed”... Patty promptly notified the McCook County Sheriff's Office. McCook County Sheriff Gene Taylor arrived and found the 2 Streyle children in the home alone. 3 year old Shaina’s statements to her father and police are heart wrenching “he took mommy and he took the tent. It’s ok we have another one. He left in a black truck, all black and she (Piper) isn’t coming back.  He is going to kill her.” 3 year old Shaina sobbed uncontrollably at times. It was 2 year old Nathan’s birthday and his birthday present, a little blue tent was taken along with their mother.

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Fate of Fortune - Gaston Means Part #2

If you haven’t listened to Part 1 of Fate of Fortune, please do  before you continue with this episode! It will make so much more sense, I promise! 

Hey there! Welcome to Little Crimes on the Prairie… I don’t think I have any business to blab about today - It’s been like 2 days since Part 1 came out, so no new business today! We get to just dive right back in! So we’ll recap Part 1 a bit… 

We learned a little about James King and his self made millions. I’m not going to say he never took advantage of anyone, but there is a clear cut contrast if you look back at the 20 year old versions of them. When James was 20 he left Vermont for Illinois, both parents already deceased and $270 to build his life on. 

When Gaston was 20 he was gearing up to drop out of the University of North Carolina, and take a job his father got him. Gaston manipulated people and things, James seemed to be honestly familiar with serendipity. 

When James lost his first wife Sarah he remained single for over 10 years and seemed to enjoy himself and everything around him. He eventually met 28 year old Maude Robinson and married her. Although, not exactly chomping at the bit, he first had her sign a prenup. He died in 1905 (I’d like to see his death certificate, even though nothing suspicious about that has been raised) Later, in court to contest James’ will, Maude claimed that the marriage wasn’t consummated until he showed that he added her to his will. Which he did, she was to receive $100,000 upon his death and he’d already given her $200,000. So $300,000 for some 1900’s booty, seems a little steep.  

Northern Trust settled with Maude for a million bucks, and she heads to Europe to waste some of her hard earned money. 

Eventually, Maude’s sister Mazie hired Gaston Means to help look after Maude’s affairs and money. In just 2 years Gaston had lost her fortune in stocks, and decided what everyone needed was a trip to his hometown, for some good ol’ southern hospitality and rabbit huntin’... 

Gaston’s family played host to a grand ol time. Maude even planned a good ol fashioned BBQ wishing to invite the whole town! 

Gaston was sure to get Maude a new pistol, becuse she didn’t care for the one she was using. She’d never had an inclination to hunt anything prior and Maude’s mother Ana testified that Maude was scared of guns and had refused to ever touch one. Not that it really matters, because during some moonlight target practice Maude get’s dead in the most totally believable, not at all predictable gun accident. 

Could happen to anyone in a remote area, shooting targets in the dark, with the person who manages your entire life and has nothing to gain by you totally shooting yourself…. Accidentally, though. Behind the left ear. With a Colt .25. With a palm pressure safety…. Well, the “jury” for the inquest in Concord agreed with Gaston. Immediately following the “inquest” Means, Mazie and the undertaker hightailed it back to Chicago to get her in the ground.    

Word made the rounds to NYC and Chicago about the suspicious circumstances, and Maude was exhumed and re examined by a pathologist. Wouldn’t you know it, he determined her death to be a homicide!  

Murder charge looming in his home county, the world learned about a second will of James King! WHAT?!? Ya don’t say??

This will Gaston claimed to have found in mid August of 1915, and with Maude totally aware of this new will, Gaston set off to have it verified by experts for 2 years!! 

Apparently the Violet King had a literal last minute change of heart. Screw the old men’s home and the rest; it should all go to Maude it said.  

Conveniently, witnessed by Mazie Melvin herself, her husband and the president of Northern Trust (who held James King’s estate in trust) Byron Smith.. Of the 3 witnesses only Mazie was still living. Talk about bad luck huh??

Such luck, such Serendipity to have come across such a valuable document while sorting through some old papers Maude had so carelessly tossed aside. It’s as if she didn’t even know it was there, oh Maude what a silly woman you were… If only she hadn’t been so eager to go shooting targets in the moonlight, with the guy who had her power of attorney and accidentally shot herself in the back of the head, and died.   

The will was not presented to the court despite having found it 2 years earlier. Naturally, Means explained he needed to get the opinions of experts to verify it’s authenticity. 5 experts had verified the document, and Maude’s death couldn’t have happened at a more inopportune time…. They were set to file the newly discovered will in court the very next week!! How inconvenient for Gaston, thankfully for him he had the full support of Maude’s caring sister Maizie, a witness to the signing of the document. 

OOOHHH aannnd there’s more. Gaston also had a contract signed by Maude that assured almost $1 million to Means upon the will’s verification and successful probate. 

So with Maude pushin up daisies, her power of attorney in hand and Mazie nodding her head, Gaston had finally landed his whale. The biggest score of his life was all but in the bag, once that pesky, murdery little ordeal was finally over he would be set. 

No more schlepping around bustin his ass blackmailing and extorting people just to get by. Now he’ll have more free time to extort and blackmail people for sport. Ha! You didn’t think he was planning to retire did ya? Not even close. 

Gaston’s literal home court advantage is where we left off in Part #1. 

Gaston was eventually brought to trial in Maude’s murder, his counsel were prominent members of the NC Bar, including ET Cansler (member of the draft exclusion board for western NC) Frank Armfield and more….  plus his father “The Col.” W.G Means and brother Brandon as “advisors”

The prosecution of this crime was brought by State Solicitor Hayden Clement with the assistance of LC Caldwell, Jake Newell as well as the Cook County Illinois Assistant District Attorney John Dooling. 

The Grand Jury was basically made up of his pals, and they weren’t in any hurry to answer, but had no choice given the evidence, to eventually return an indictment. 

Means was arrested Sept 22nd 1917, and the days leading up to his arrest were full of subpoenas, motions, and a pervasive dislike for the northerners involved with the case in any way. Brandon Means even punched a northern reporter for making a picture of his sister. 

The trial was set in Cabarrus county, to begin on November, 26th 1917. 

This case was in the papers across the country, it was so scandalous and dramatic, with a cast of characters so eccentric it was impossible to ignore. Everything about the case was sensational and with WWI still raging it was a distraction. Jaws dropped when Gaston revealed his work with the Germans and the Burns Agency.

Heads would continue to spin throughout the entire trial, and for years after as you will find….

Maude’s receipts and ledgers presented to the court showed how just over $100,000 remained of her once handsome estate. Trusts dissolved, $25,000 borrowed to Means, there was also a sum borrowed to JB “Buster” Foraker (close friend of Maude’s) widow of former Governor and Senator from Ohio Joseph B Foraker. Also, $9,000 monthly for the 3 neighboring apartments on Park Avenue; one housing the Means family the other 2 Maude and Mazie including household expenses. The defense used this to illustrate Maude’s reckless spending, even though Gaston had wiped out her trusts, stocks and other securities. Means father in law was found to have large funds held in securities with 2 trust companies in Chicago.  

A trunk full of documents were seized as Afton Means was attempting to take them out of Gaston’s Park Avenue Apartment. One can only assume to deliver to the Defense team. One document of particular interest to the Prosecution was a sheet of stationary belonging to Means with Maude’s signature written several times in a row…. Firearms experts disputed each other, and an expert for the defense said bullets are crazy as cotton.. One more of the several testifying for the defense used the N word in open court to explain the thicknesses of foreheads.... 

Means testified in his trial and had an answer for everything. Many years later in 1964 the Raleigh News and Observer quoted Hayden Clement as saying “Gaston Means was the smartest witness I ever examined.” 

Means was repeatedly instructed to speak to the person addressing him, not the jury due to his habit of turning simple answers into speeches and making complex theories regarding Maude’s fate seem factual. 

This mostly went unchecked by Judge E.B Cline, occasionally he reprimanded Means. 

Numerous defense witnesses claimed they had also placed guns in the crotch of the sycamore tree at Blackwelder spring, and none had fallen. One witness for the defense even testified he had turned his ankle on a root while he had his knife in his hand. He claimed he stumbled in such a way that his knife struck him behind the left ear… He also failed to duplicate this alleged scenario in court. 

Gaston and his cohorts were quite comfortable in the courtroom, they laughed and winked at one another as if not concerned about the allegations.  

Reading about it just over 100 years later has me staring in disbelief at what was seemingly normal, re reading article after article.. I can’t possibly be reading this right, but yes it’s absofuckinloutely true and chronicled in thousands of articles in newspapers across the country. I used Newspapers.com for a majority of my research, piecing together the facts from thousands of archived articles. 

In December of 1917 Gaston is acquitted of Maude’s murder after he and his defense basically flipped the bird at the process and court of law. 

Maude may not have been held dear by my family, likely despised, but I can’t help but feel sorry for her. I’m not sure what she deserved, but I don’t think a bullet to the back of the head was it. 

In my opinion either Mazie had a seething hatred for her sister or Gaston was blackmailing her. I honestly can't see any other explanation of her blind devotion to Means. She was almost prosecuted for conspiracy, as Means’ co conspirator. The papers were kind and didn’t flat out say her name, but it was certainly implied. Those closest to Maude (who weren’t trying to rob her blind and kill her) whispered that she was about to cut all ties with Gaston, because she knew the second will was a forgery. They spoke to her character as being mostly honest and good, Gaston’s forgery of her late husband’s will had gone too far. She wouldn’t have any of it, and had already spoken to an attorney in regards to Gaston’s control. If that was true that would be one hell of an inconvenience, and a damn strong motive.  

With the freedom to move on from the murder trial, Mazie and Gaston file the alleged second will of James King in probate court. According to the 1964 article by the Raleigh News and Observer Hayden Clements recounts after Means was acquitted he walked into Clements Office and tried to hire him to represent him in the case of the second will in the Chicago courts. Clements said “You know damn well I know your will is a forgery!” Gaston just laughed and walked out. Ya really can’t make this shit up. 

Northern Trust and the probate court sent notice to all beneficiaries, including Hattie A. Bassett in Rushmore, MN. She was my great great grandmother, widow of Edward H Bassett, a civil war veteran. She was the daughter of Benjamin F King and a niece of James King. She had built a beautiful home near Rushmore, MN; her and Edward had homesteaded the land after the Civil War ended. This grand home was well deserved after years in a sod home, and eventually a small frame house where her family endured the harshest winters and most unforgiving summers. The notice she received regarding the probate of this obvious forgery brought with it a deep anxiety and fear. Understandably so, her inheritance had been placed in trusts for her heirs, and used to expand their homestead and farming operation. The uncertainty of it all being taken away was beyond comprehension. 

Fortunately, this judge wasn’t having any of it, eventually ruling the second will a forgery. Judge Horner noted Maude had never mentioned the will to anyone who wouldn’t directly benefit from it’s authenticity. Judge Horner described Maude’s silence on the second will as “a silence - deep as death. A silence that almost speaks.” Judge Horner also made it known he doubted Maude had ever seen the forged will. He also exonerated Mazie’s and Means’ lawyers from imposing on the court. 

Oh but of course they appealed that decision and it was upheld by Judge Jesse A Baldwin. 

Finally, some 15 years after James King’s death, his estate was exactly where he wanted it to be. In the hands of Northern Trust Company where it still sits today as an endowment of Presbyterian Homes. 

When I think of James C King, I think of a man who lived a genuinely serendipitous life. A man who knew hard work and hard luck, but seemed to find silver linings among the cotton clouds that dotted the endless prairie skies before Chicago grew upward and outward. James King is more than just a great uncle of mine, to me he represents the “American Dream” we all hold so dear. I feel pride when I think of his entrepreneurial spirit and hard work, and I especially feel pride when I think of his generosity. His concern for aged men who may have no one to care for them, and nowhere to go in their old age. 

82 years after his death in 1987, Barbara Brotman wrote an article for the Chicago Tribune that brings me incredible joy to read. I’ll share it with you all, so you can see what James' true legacy is. 

RETIREMENT BECOMES A MANLY ART, TOO

Barbara Brotman

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

''Aces are low, kings are high,'' said John Freeman, shuffling the large- print cards. ''You remember how to play this, Mr. Butler?''

Charles Butler, 86, a retired Illinois Central Railroad supervisor, fixed Freeman, a 20-year-old Northwestern University student making a weekly visit as part of his studies of the aged, with a steely blue gaze beneath his white hair.

''I have played it more than once,'' he informed him.

The whippersnapper reprimanded, the men proceeded to play cards, dealer`s choice. Piles of chips gathered and moved. Freeman dealt. It was a manly scene, even if Ralph Binney had to be assisted in his game by Jane Silverman, activity assistant.

Manly scenes are what the men here like. The James C. King Home in Evanston is a retirement home and nursing facility for men only. It was established as such in 1911 by King, its founder, a Chicago Board of Trade member who left a will creating a trust fund for a home for elderly men.

Serving a population overwhelmingly dominated by women, it is an extreme rarity. Administrator David Benni believes it is the only home for elderly men in the state and one of only a handful in the nation.

So rare are men in such facilities that life in the King Home looks strikingly different from others. At other homes, said activity director Eric Homer, ''I`ve never seen a woman a sitting with a stack of chips in front of her, smoking a cigar.''

Although some of the men said they would enjoy living here even if there were women, others prefer the male atmosphere, which they described as similar to a men`s club.

''I think women would complicate things,'' said Binney, an 85-year-old retired stockbroker. He sat in his wheelchair in the airy solarium and vocally demonstrated his freedom from fear of causing a ladylike blush.

''It`s cold as a whore`s heart in here,'' he grumbled.

-- -- --

''This wouldn`t be the same if ladies were here to live,'' said Francis Oelerich, a retired businessman. For one thing, he said, ''I wouldn`t be here.''

''You don`t have the chattering of female voices,'' said Ray Strout, 86.

''Have you ever eaten in a tearoom restaurant? Did you ever listen to the noise level? We don`t have that here. We have peace.''

''I have all the respect in the world for women,'' said John Giles, 82, a retired engineer, ''but they get to talking and reminiscing. Yak, yak, yak. I`m not used to that.''

The gentlemen here are by no means antisocial. Many are active in outside activities and senior citizens groups that include women. The home has hosted several wedding receptions for residents, who then moved out.

''I love to see women come in to visit,'' said Giles. ''I get tired of smelling men.''

But visits are all most of the men want. Some are widowers who do not care to become involved with another woman. Strout, on the other hand, has three lady friends, but believes that living with women can actually be a social disadvantage.

If a man becomes involved with a woman living in the same facility but later chooses to disengage, he said, word can spread.

''She tells all the other women you`re a skunk,'' Strout said. ''You are ruined.''

He is glad he lives apart from his lady friends. ''Never play around home,'' he advised.

-- -- --

Unlike actual men`s clubs, the James C. King Home has not been accused of discrimination. It is not permitted to admit women under rules of the trust fund established by James C. King.

The male-only restriction ''probably is a marketing deficit,'' said Benni, for there are far more elderly women who are potential residents than elderly men. Ninety percent of most coeducational retirement and nursing homes are women, he said.

Here, activities are of a masculine nature. The King Home has a pool table and a well-equipped workshop instead of stitchery or painting. Bingo is a staple of many retirement homes, but the men here play for money.

It is easier to find friends among the 72 male residents, most of them successful professional people, than among a handful of men at most coeducational homes, said Giles.

Many of the men do not believe they could converse on the same level with women of their generation, most of whom did not pursue careers, said Homer. Discussion tends toward such topics as third-generation nuclear arms and the Vatican`s banking system.

They are conservative men, with an average age of 86. They wear suits or jackets and ties at nearly all times, including exercise sessions.

They are required to wear jackets on the first floor, and last year residents voted down an attempt to lift the restriction during breakfast.

Twice a year, there are the equivalent of college mixers--social events held with the Mather Home, a nearby retirement home and nursing facility for women.

Last year, the women invited the men to a picnic on the Mather Home`s grounds. The men asked the women to a Halloween program of skits performed by an Evanston community organization.

The events are considered great successes by all. ''A lot of the women fuss over the men,'' said Erna Sperber, the Mather Home`s executive director. ''They`re treated like kings.

''There have been instances where individuals have been asked on dates to go for a walk in the evening. They ask me if they should go,'' said Sperber, who sees nothing improper in this. ''I say, `What can possibly happen at...

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Long ago, in a place named Serendippo, a King had the highest of hopes his 3 princes would have the best of everything. However, He couldn’t just simply leave his sons with power and wealth, he must also instill the virtues important to the delicate balance such a position requires. Education being the most important of these virtues. 

The 3 princes excelled academically and the royal tutors were pleased. The King tested his sons and proposed he live in the shadows and relinquish his throne.  Each prince declined, praising the King’s wisdom and ability to rule. While it pleased The King, he felt the princes’ education may have been entirely privileged and sheltered. 

Or maybe he figured they were full of shit, I mean not one wanted to take his throne?  Either way. The King pretended to be angry and cast the Princes away from Serendippo for some real life experience… 

The 3 Princes were indeed wise, but it was their skills in observation that had served them well thus far. The 3 Princes knew how important education was to their father, but they also knew of his desire for perfection. The Princes observed The King’s penchant for vanity and saw how their father could never admit failure or fault. The Prince’s knew if one had accepted the offer of the Throne from The King he would have been insulted, instead they received a free vacation. Simply by attention paid to the world around them. 

After a long voyage, The 3 Princes arrived in a foreign land and became keenly aware and familiar with their environment. Taking it all in; from the dirt beneath their feet to the air above them. They walked and watched, listened and smelled. 

The Princes saw a merchant who said he lost his camel. The Princes asked if the camel was lame, blind in one eye, missing a tooth, carrying honey, butter and a pregnant woman. The hopeful merchant asked where they saw his camel. The Princes said they had not seen the camel or the woman. Thieves! the Merchant charged and brought them before the Emperor.  The Emperor demands to know how they can give such an accurate description despite having never seen the animal. 

Each Prince explained: Grass was eaten from the side of the road that was less green, the camel must be blind in one eye and unable to see the lush grass just steps away... Bits of grass littered the road, the camel had clearly lost some of his meal through the gap from a missing tooth….  3 feet made prints, the fourth made a path; flies on one side and ants on the other could be from none other than a lame camel dripping butter for the ants and honey for the flies. Nearby was a wet patch of dirt near footprints and a handprint. It was urine where a pregnant woman must have used her hand to get back up after relieving herself. Unbelievable! 

Just then the trial was interrupted by a traveler who had found an old lame camel wandering the desert and the pregnant woman nearby. The Emperor spared the Princes and made them his advisors, lavishing them with riches. 

The Princes lived an adventurous life and enjoyed many fortuitous endeavors. Opportunistic observations? Or just damn lucky? 

Serendipity was the word Horace Walpole wrote, in search of a word to describe a fortuitous accident. A description of accidentally finding something amazingly beneficial, while looking for something else completely. Serendipitous fortune. 

Is it just Lucky in Life or Make your own Luck? Coincidence? Fate? Or could it be manifested through clever and acute observations?  

Some may say it’s intuition, and intuition can’t really be separated from general observation. At least not scientifically. 

Observation can be tuned and learned, but can Intuition? Even the best poker players rely on a little luck as well as their observations and acting. 

Reading people isn’t just for cards.  Sometimes it’s a seemingly natural skill that you can find in people with PTSD or past traumatic experiences. In that sense it’s a defense mechanism that can be attributed to hypervigilant personalities. They know the outcome of situations and identify danger quickly based on interruptions in learned behavior patterns.   

Observation is really an entire mental process in which knowledge is produced. The Godfather of Neuroscience, Wilfred Trotter said “ “Knowledge comes from noticing resemblances and recurrences in the events that happen around us,” 

For centuries con men and women have used opportunistic observation to mark their victims. Gaston Bullock Means was one of America’s most notorious confidence men. J Edgar Hoover called him”The most amazing figure in contemporary criminal history”...  I’m gonna tell you the story of how he tried to swindle my great great grandmas rich uncle out of millions and got away with murder. 

INTRO - Welcome to Little Crimes on the Prairie

This podcast is written and produced by Kristi (That’s me). I’m making some gradual changes to the show, so please bear with me as I make those adjustments. Hopefully the only change you notice is a better listening experience. I don’t have a team to produce this podcast, it’s just me and those who choose to participate. It’s a lot of work and I do it because this project is important to me. If you’d like to become a sponsor or just support this podcast, I’m currently working on the website and hopefully that will be updated with sponsorship information soon.

I’m also scrapping Patreon and will be offering exclusive content for members. I’m hoping by the new year we can have these goals complete.  There’s a few other projects I’m working on as well and you’ll hear about them eventually. For now I think that covers the biz and I’ll just get to the story.   

So occasionally, I shake the ol’ family tree and a few nuts fall out… Gaston Means isn’t part of my family tree but he is definitely a nut! The megalomaniac was found hiding among one of the branches in my sequoia of a family tree. In the last episode I talked about Fate, and in this one I told you about Serendipity. They are related in the sense that Fate is predetermined and Serendipity is basically doing what you were already doing and discovering something great... 

They are very different because serendipity can be staged, while fate (the idea of it) is not pliable. Some people are capable of elaborate behind the scenes plotting. They con their way into the good graces of people with money, power, fame or just about anything that seems beneficial to them. 

Con man is short for confidence man, because it takes a great deal of confidence to pull off elaborate schemes. Modern day Catfish are also in the same genre as con men. It’s not fate that brings them to these opportunities as they will try to make you believe. Their skill in observation, human nature, as well as creating chaos and confusion is what gives them the advantage. However, it could be that was their fate all along, to teach people a life lesson in trust. Maybe it’s God’s will that cons lack the conscience and morals of regular society, only to wind up in jail or on the receiving end of revenge for their misdeeds. Free Will or Fate? 

We will never know for sure but we can assume that if it’s too good to be true it usually is. It used to be a lot harder to read people before they started sharing every intimate detail on social media. Today Gaston Means would be like the Wolf of Wallstreet Jordan Bellafort or Catch me if you can - Frank Abagnale… J Edgar Hoover once called Means “The most amazing figure in contemporary criminal history”... He was an associate of Jess Smith and President Harding’s Ohio Gang. He was an extortionist, and blackmailer. He was a forger and a fraud on all fronts. While he may have had some sort of mental illness such as megalomania and other narcissistic traits. I think he was just an asshole who preferred easy money, for most of his life he had never actually been held accountable for anything. 

Well before Gaston Means was born, James Clarke King left his boyhood home in Glover Vermont for the state of Illinois. Just 20 years old in 1850, James didn’t have much to his name except an industrious attitude and a knack for understanding business. He had already lost both parents and that was probably the reason he was determined to succeed in all areas of his life. 7 years after arriving in Illinois, as an unknown Abe Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debated on the political stages throughout the state, and the country ran headlong toward the civil war. James married Sarah Holbrook and eventually the couple found themselves in Chicago. James became involved in the lumber industry as a merchant. It was a fortunate industry to be tethered to when the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 was finally out. 18,000 buildings had been destroyed, 100,000 people were in dire need of lumber to rebuild their homes and businesses. James was able to profit immensely from the tragedy and with his growing fortune found satisfaction in philanthropic efforts. Sarah died in 1886, at the age of 56, they had been married for almost 30 years. 

James stayed busy and continued to grow his empire. He made sound investments in railroads and infrastructure and by 1894 he was the VP of the Chicago City Railway. As he aged the midwest winters became intolerable and he preferred to spend the winter in Pasadena California, enjoying the sunshine. He often admired the beauty of the so-called buds of society. James flattered the young ladies by sending bouquets of violets, this earned him the title of the Violet King. 

In 1901 he had his will filed and provided a sum to a woman named Maude Robinson.

James had amassed an estate worth approximately $4 million dollars (which is equivalent to over $120 million today) he Eventually he had an antenuptial agreement made with Maude for $100,000 and the $200,000 he had provided to her for music training in Paris. They married later that year in Michigan despite the almost 40 year age difference. The record shows this as the first marriage for both, but each had been married before this time. It’s been said that James had devised a plan to “catch” Maude’s first husband “cheating” with a woman who was hired by James. Giving Maude every reason to file for divorce. 

Honestly, that seems like a lot of work for a guy in his late 60’s/ early 70’s. Who in 1901 had the foresight to know that an antenuptial agreement was prudent before marrying Ms. Maude Robinson. It’s just a feeling I get but who really knows for sure?   

Maude found herself in the lap of luxury and when James died on November 1st 1905 she didn’t seem too broken up about her loss. Just one week after her husband’s funeral the papers in Chicago reported that Maude will be contesting the will. The will itself was a masterpiece and clear on the beneficiaries in every aspect. He had no children and left his siblings as well as nieces and nephews a generous sum, and the remaining bulk of his estate to various charitable causes. He wished for a Home for Old Men be built and named after him, and the largest portion of his estate went to the building of and perpetual funding of this. The will even contained a clause that if any beneficiary was to contest his last will they lose the right to bequeath. Maude was not deterred by this and indeed contested the will of her late husband all the way to the Illinois supreme court. 

She eventually settled with the trust company for $600,000 and another $400,000 in a trust. With that behind her she galavanted the globe and indulged herself in whatever she pleased. In 1912 she returned to Chicago after being pursued by a string of gold digging suitors through Europe and back to the US. Maude’s sister Mazie Melvin was exhausted from trying to keep Maude and her affairs in order. In 1915 Gaston Means came along to lend his hand to sort and manage the affairs of this widow. I imagine him sounding much like foghorn leghorn as he sold himself and his brand of “managing” to an unsuspecting Maude. I’m not sure Mazie was as unsuspecting or loyal as Maude blindly believed.    

Gaston Means was born in Concord North Carolina in 1879. The Means family had been prominent in social and political circles for over 100 years. His father, an attorney, had also  been the mayor of Concord for years. Gaston’s mother was an heiress with family ties to Theodore Roosevelt. A tale recounted from Means childhood is the glee he felt after stealing money from his mother and watching the housekeeper be fired over it. A Chubby boyish face and deeply dimpled cheeks. A sneer of entitlement on his lips and eyes dancing with excitement at the thought of easy money. He wished to pursue a career in law but proved lazy and dropped out. A large man, he liked to be seen as strong, masculine and generally a man’s man. His laziness made this mostly an act, but his temper was likely the only time anyone ever saw Gaston’s true nature. Every other facet of his personality or character was manufactured to exude authenticity, honesty and transparency he did not possess.  

Gaston was privileged as a Means and was able to secure positions he did not deserve, doing work he was not qualified to do. 

Now assigned to the Chicago Office. Means was a great salesman by all accounts, even though he often marked up the cost to appear he was giving the customer a deal.

In 1913 He had just married Julie Patterson, long time acquaintance of Maude’s sister Mazie. Julie was the acquaintance that introduced Gaston to Mazie in 1915.    

Her and Gaston were invited to a dinner party and Maude was just over the moon about Gaston, his charming southern accent, lively personality and seemingly endless connections. Maude moved to NYC shortly after and continued to enjoy her freewheeling lifestyle. 

Soon after Gaston claimed he had resigned from his position at Cannon Mills. He had been disrespected and hadn’t received credit for an idea he pitched. Realistically, Cannon Mills fired him for an unwillingness to sell newer products. I’m guessing they were on to a scam he had been running behind the scenes, and dropped him before he did any real damage. Gaston saw NYC as better suited for the family, and his long game. He immediately began working for William Burns detective agency. He was an agent for the German government during WWI during his employment there. However, that was just his day job. He had a better paying gig in mind. 

Before you know it they lived in the same apartment building as Maude and Mazie. Gaston was enlisted to investigate some acquaintances and later managed Maude’s affairs including her finances.

Her power of attorney held by a greedy traitor who no doubt sounded like a cartoon Rooster. 

Seriously You guys!  “Ms. King, Isay Isay, youah affaahs will be looked aftah……”

It’s difficult to summarize Gaston’s level of double dealings and fraudulent schemes. Means was a charlatan of the highest order and in 1917 most of the world would see just how malevolent Gaston Means was. 

Means took the liberty and gambled Maude’s remaining fortune in the stock market and by 1917 Maude was broke, left with just 10% of her inheritance. Through forgery and misrepresentation Means was even able to dissolve Maude’s trusts. 

I’m sure Means had intended on doing well in the stock market, repaying Maude’s capital and keeping any profits for himself. Of course that’s not what happened and Means began to panic. He needed a permanent solution and it didn’t take long to formulate a plan.  

This seemed like the perfect time for a trip! Gaston planned a trip to his hometown for Maude and her family, as well as his wife and child. He planned activities any socialite would totally love, like rabbit hunting. Yeah rabbit hunting, because I’m sure if there’s one thing Maude King was dying to try, it was rabbit hunting.  

August 29th 1917, Gaston waited until after sundown to suggest Maude take her new pistol for a little target practice. I guess it seemed legit to Maude because she, Gaston, his brother Afton and Capn. Bingham drove to an area near a creek called Blackwelder Spring. Upon arriving Afton and Bingham supposedly broke from Gaston and Maude, the pair each claimed they were hunting some rabbits when they heard a shot and Gaston’s yell for help. 

Maude had been shot, and according to Gaston it was Maude who had accidentally shot herself. In his greatest role yet, Gaston dramatically wept as he recounted the series of events leading up to the widow shooting herself. He had placed Maude’s new gun in the crotch of a tree nearby and went to get a drink from the spring. With his back turned Maude had apparently grabbed the gun and dropped it, an unnatural force caused the fatal bullet to be fired. There was an inquiry and a jury was like - sounds like you know your stuff so accident it is. Maude’s body was transported back to Chicago the day after her death, Maude was interred quickly and quietly. 

A resident of Concord, who I haven’t been able to identify sent word to NYC and Chicago. The message was clear, there was something amiss in the death of the widow, investigate immediately the messenger instructed. 

Maude was re examined and a forensic pathologist in Chicago named Burmeister made some interesting discoveries.

Upon examination of Maude’s fatal injury the examiner found that the bullet had entered behind Maude’s left ear and without powder burns or stipling. Her ankle was also broken. It was determined Maude’s death was indeed a homicide. Word was sent to North Carolina’s Attorney General to put out a warrant for Means and indict him on murder charges. The case was passed to Hayden Clement, district solicitor and former classmate of Means, both men tar heels from the University of NC only one had graduated though. 

Concord residents had their mind made up, this witch hunt of their prodigal son by some damn yankees was absurd! It was an accident and the motive made no sense, the defense team argued… Gaston? Kill the goose who laid the golden eggs? Downright preposterous! This doubt creeped throughout the jury pool as if it weren’t already tainted. 

Gaston’s defense team was filled with prominent members of the NC Bar and the prosecution’s motion for a change of venue was nearly laughed out of court. The judge ruled that there was no issue in receiving a fair trial right there in Cabarrus County. So that’s where the trial of Gaston Means was held, in a county where his prominent family had been shaping the policies, laws, and serving in political positions for over 100 years; one of his great grandfathers even served as governor. Quite literally a home court advantage…

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