The Minneapolis Star of the late 1920s was full of sex, crime, fatal accidents and breathless reports on the lives of the rich and famous. The paper was fueled by a fat classifieds section, reams of legal notices and page after page of ads offering treatments for abdominal gas, bowel difficulties and piles.

This report on an unusual confrontation at the Charles S. Pillsbury home on Lake Minnetonka landed on Page One. It’s unclear whether the paper spelled Miss Pillsbury’s first name correctly. A Time magazine report on her wedding the following year spelled it “Katherine”; her husband’s New York Times obituary 61 years later spelled it “Katharine.” Perhaps one of her descendants can write to me and set the record straight.
 

KATHERINE PILLSBURY
CAPTURES AND SCOLDS
LAKE HOME PROWLERS

 
Two Lads Surprised as Girl Stops in From Skating Party
 
HOPES THEY WON’T BE SENT TO PRISON
 
House Found Ransacked; One of Pair Reported On Probation
 
When Miss Katherine Pillsbury, daughter of Charles S. Pillsbury, vice president of the Pillsbury Flour Mills company, captured two youthful prowlers in the Pillsbury home at Ferndale, Lake Minnetonka, she gave the two a severe scolding and then expressed the hope they “wouldn’t have to go to jail.”
 
  Dear old Dad
But the two lads, who had hidden in the basement of the home when they heard Miss Pillsbury open the front door, had ransacked the house quite thoroughly and had gathered up several articles of jewelry. So A.D. Cruickshank, constable at Wayzata, refused to release them. Today they are held in the county jail.
 
Had Attended Party.
 
Miss Pillsbury, prominent in Junior league and other younger society circles, had attended a skating party at the lake home of Edwin H. Brown at Ferndale. After the skating, members of the party started back to Minneapolis. They stopped a moment at the Pillsbury home while Katherine went inside to secure some small articles to bring into the city. As she unlocked the door and stepped inside she heard a noise in the basement. The electric current had been turned off so Katherine went back outside and summoned O. Christian, caretaker, and members of the pary.
 
Christian, followed closely by Miss Pillsbury and the party guests, went to the head of the basement stairs.
 
“Come on up, we’ve got you,” he shouted.
 
A moment later there was a scuffle of feet and two prowlers, who had entered the house by prying open a window, came up the steps. Then Cruikshank was summoned.
 
Lectures Boys
 
“I’m certainly surprised,” Miss Pillsbury told the two youths, who looked up shamefacedly at the skating party guests. “You boys should be ashamed of yourselves, breaking into houses like this. Now you’re caught. This should be a lesson to you and I hope you’ll not have to go to prison.”
 
An examination of the house showed drawers in several rooms had been opened and ransacked, many articles being tossed at random onto the floor. A gold watch and chain and a cigar lighter belonging to Mr. Pillsbury were found in the pockets of one of the boys, who said they were 14 and 15 years old, respectively.
 
Cruikshank took the lads to Wayzata and today brought them to the county jail. One is said to be on probation.
 
  A well-groomed Miss Pillsbury astride a well-groomed horse.