On this date in 1922, Joseph Gleason fell ill after enjoying a hearty pork steak dinner at his restaurant and rooming house near the Northern Pacific depot. He had also eaten some candy purchased elsewhere. Blind Joe, who lived with his mother and business partner, Mrs. Skeel, was a well-known figure on the streets of Wahpeton for 23 years.
That night, he staggered as he made his way to bed. Mrs. Skeel assisted him up the stairs, but the next day, he passed away around 2:00 p.m. Newspaper reports and rumors suggested he might have been poisoned by the candy or through other means. A coroner’s inquest was held.
Gleason had a reputation for both dubious business dealings in Wahpeton and charitable work for the blind in Chicago, where he and Mrs. Skeel spent the winters. He was an active member and promoter of the Braille Music Club of Chicago, an organization of blind musicians. The club's president was a prominent society woman married to a Chicago newspaper editor.
Gleason was also linked to bootlegging and houses of ill repute in the N.P. depot neighborhood, where he owned several properties. One of these was the old Continental Hotel, later known as the Sherman House. In 1909, newspapers reported that Gleason had bought the hotel and was converting it into a restaurant and men's rooming house. In 1914, he was arrested for operating a house of ill repute at another property he owned south of the hotel. Earlier, in 1905, he had been charged with a similar offense along with Cora Berry, a notorious woman associated with the house.
The coroner's jury conducted an inquest and autopsy, ultimately dismissing rumors of poisoning. The cause of death was determined to be heart failure due to valvular lesions that had developed over several years. The county official suggested that his heavy evening meal may have contributed to his demise.
Local papers later reported that the Larson Auto Wrecking Company had purchased Blind Joe's hotel building with plans to convert it into a showroom and shop. The contents left inside included furniture, stoves, dishes, miscellaneous articles, a roulette wheel, and provisions for a good meal—though the bread was described as somewhat dry.
Joseph Gleason was buried in the Fairview cemetery, Wahpeton.
Dakota Datebook by Lise Erdrich
Sources:
- The Wahpeton Times, June 12, 1903
- Wahpeton Gazette, April 22, 1904
- City Council Meeting
- The Wahpeton Times, July 3, 1905
- The Wahpeton Times, July 6, 1905
- The Globe Gazette, November 28, 1907
- The Wahpeton Times, April 8, 1909
- The Globe Gazette, April 15, 1909
- The Globe Gazette, June 25, 1914
- The Wahpeton Times, July 2, 1914
- The Globe Gazette, July 2, 1914
- Richland County Farmer, May 20, 1920
- Richland County Farmer, August 5, 1920
- The Richland County Farmer, November 23, 1922
- Wahpeton Globe, November 24, 1922
- Richland County Farmer, January 15, 1925
- Wahpeton Globe, January 18, 1925
- Richland County Farmer Globe, Tuesday, August 11, 1953
