Shifting Sands circa 1889

A perennial problem for your intrepid researchers here on Hesch History is the repetition of given names in our ancestors families.  Granted, it helped when we were reading Bohemian/German church books.   However, once the various families arrived in the US and brothers EACH had 10 kids ALL named combos of Peter, John, Mary, Anna, Paul, Mathias, Katherine, Angelica, Nicholas, or Joseph--well then!

For instance, I never met John Peter Sand, of course, so I don't know if he was the deputy sheriff in Little Falls or if he owned a store in New Munich...or lived east of Rice and farmed.  It takes detective work and tons of IMs ☺.
It's also probable that direct Sand descendants already know all this, but it keeps Larry and me off the streets, ya know?

So far on HH, we've tried to figure out who Deputy Sheriff J. P. Sand was.  Yes, we know that Peter and Angelique Sand had a son named John Peter (older brother of Michael, grandma Lizzy's dad), but so did other Sands of the era, and they each had sons named John and Peter, as well.  Argh--what's with that?

Luckily, this John Peter Sand had an interesting job and a wayward wife, so the newspapers of the time help, and some new clippings are conclusive.  Turns out the one we're looking for was born in Luxembourg in May, 1848, tho it showed up as 1846, 1847 or 1848, depending.

Here's the family of Peter and Angelique Sand, newly settled in LeSauk township (Sartell) Mn. in 1865.  John P. there is the guy to watch, ok?



                      In 1875, JP is married to Helena, and they live in Pierz with son....Peter.

Now, by 1880, John and Helen live in Buckman, just north of his brother Michael Sand and family.  They have two more kids now, Angelica and Kate.



Did they have more children?  Did Helen die?  By 1895, JP is married to Magdalena, and there are two more children, Maggie and Frank, 14 and 10.  Now, they live in Little Falls.
This must be about the time JP becomes deputy sheriff.  It's also about the time John Mitchell (and Albert Bulow) enter their lives....

Minneapolis Tribune  Sept 25, 1889
The First in the State.
St Cloud, Sept. 25--[Special]--Probably the first prisoner in the state to be sentenced to the new reformatory at St Cloud was John Mitchell, who was convicted of highway robbery at Little Falls and sentenced by Judge Baxter.  Supt. Meyers hoped to be able to transfer the 75 prisoners from Stillwater to this institution next Friday but it has been found necessary to postpone the transfer for at least one week.  A few minor changes from the architect's plans have been decided necessary and this will delay the work of completion.  The plumbing, which has been a great cause of delay, will be finished by next Sunday.

Minneapolis Tribune  Oct 4, 1889

ELOPED WITH A PRISONER.
Mrs. Sands, the wife of a Deputy Sheriff at Little Falls.
Little Falls, Oct 3--[Special]--Last night, just in time to catch the midnight train West, Mrs. J.P. Sands, wife of the deputy sheriff, liberated John Mitchell, a prisoner, who was, at the last term of court, sentenced to two years, and taking her husband's money, about $100, his pistol, and some other articles, stole away from the jail while the officers slept, and have not since been heard from.  The prisoner was to have been removed soon to St Cloud, and shheriff Rasicot is much discomfited by his escape.  He will tomorrow take personal charge of the jail and guard more closely against such unwarranted love-making hereafter.  Mitchell is 20 and Mrs. Sands 40 years old.  The woman leaves a distressed husband and four small children.

Special to the Globe.
Castleton, N.D., Oct. 4.--Mrs. John P. Sand, wife of the deputy sheriff of Morrison county, who eloped from Little Falls, Minn., Thursday with John Mitchell, a convicted highwayman whom she liberated from jail, was arrested here today.  The woman unblushingly admitted that she was infatuated with Mitchell and had eloped with him.  Mitchell has so far eluded the officers who are in pursuit of him, and is supposed to have crossed into Manitoba.
REWARD FOR MITCHELL'S CAPTURE.
Special to the Globe.
Little Falls, Minn., Oct. 4.--Sheriff Rasicot has offered a reward for the capture of John Mitchell the convicted highwayman, who was set at liberty by the wife of Deputy Sheriff John P. Sand, and eloped with her.  Mrs. Sand has been arrested at Castleton, Dak.  Sheriff Rasicot left for Castleton to-day and will probably return with the woman to-morrow.  Mr. Sand feels the disgrace of his wife very keenly, but would not take any steps to apprehend her.  Mrs. Sand attempted to liberate Albert Bulow, while under sentence of death here last spring.  She seems to be a monomaniac on the subject of liberating prisoners.

Minneapolis Tribune Oct 4, 1889

Love laughs at locksmiths always, and love fairly howled when the wife of Deputy Sheriff J. P. Sands, of Little Falls, succumbed to the witchery of Hiwayman John Mitchell's dark eyes and the supple grace of his manly form.  Jail locks were nothing, and John and the deputy sheriff's wife are now far from Little Falls--also from the three little Sands whom she left behind.  Love laughs also at grey locks, for it is said that Mrs. Sands will never see her 40th birthday again while Mitchell is not yet of age.

 

DID SHE ELOPE?

Mrs. Sands and Her Husband's Prisoner Disappear.
Little Falls, Oct. 3.--Quite a sensation was created here this morning by the discovery of the fact that Mrs, J.P.Sand, wife of the deputy sheriff, had taken her husband's revolver, keys, and $50, and after liberating John Mitchell, sentenced at the late term of the district court to the state reformatory at St. Cloud, eloped with him.  Mrs. Sand was seen to board the midnight train north, and it is supposed that Mitchell took the train from the side opposite.  The sheriff and deputy are in hot pursuit, but will probably not get Mitchell, as he is well acquainted with the Cass county woods.  Mitchell was convicted of highway robbery, and now that he has robbed the jailor of his wife's affections and also his money, he is looked upon as quite a novelty in the way of a crook. Mitchell is twenty years old and the woman is forty.  She left a husband and three children, the oldest about twenty. 

 STRICKEN WITH REMORSE.
Oct 5, 1889
Special to the Globe.
Brainerd, Minn., Oct. 5.--Sheriff Rasicot, of Morrison county, arrived here to-night, enroute for Little Falls, bringing back Mrs. Sand, the runaway wife of Deputy John Sand, who eloped with convict Mitchell.  The woman is very repentant and apparently hopes to receive her husband's pardon.

Winona Daily, October 4, 1889
A reward of $25 is offered by Henry Rasicot, Sheriff of Morrison County, Minnesota, at Little Falls, for the arrest of John Mitchell.  He is of slight build,above medium height, small features, long sharp nose, brown eyes, dark hair and low forehead; smooth shaven.  He was let out of jail by the jailer's wife, who is supposed to have left with him on the midnight train going north.  She is tall and raw-boned; black hair and eyes.  Both speak German.  Mitchell was under sentence to the St Cloud reformatory.

Evidently, JP didn't forgive her.  In 1900, John Sand was a divorced laborer living in a boarding house in Little Falls.  Reputation meant a lot, and Magdalena ruined both of theirs.  We don't know what happened to her, but John Peter Sand died in Little Falls in 1902, at the age of 53, and was buried as a Civil War Vet in Calvary Cemetery.

So now we finally know that deputy sheriff J P Sand was related--he was my great grand uncle--and the John Sand who lived east of Rice was too, since he was the younger brother of J.P. and Michael.

This last clip was published in the Duluth Tribune September 9, 1895.   Peter Sand had died in January (above) and maybe John wondered about his own life.  We don't know what happened after this...

Added August, 2013:  Those last two clips intrigued us--who was this Halwey?  Did they actually run away together...did John abandon his family permanently...? 

  I checked the census for 1895 (thank you Minnesota!), and the two families are a page apart--John Sand on page 3 and the Frank Halweg family on page 4, including their 20 year old daughter, Mary M. Halweg.  John was 35. 

So far, we haven't found more info, but we'll add it here when we do.