Minna Craucher

Minna Craucher (23 August 1891 – 8 March 1932) was the false name of Maria Vilhelmiina Lindell, a Finnish socialite and spy.

[3] Maria did not have a permanent address and was a habitual thief, as a result she ended up dealing with the authorities several times, even being jailed for unpaid fines.

Accused of several thefts, Maria Lindell was imprisoned for the second time on 24 October 1914,[3] and gave birth to a boy while serving her sentence.

This prison period led to further changes: afterwards Maria Lindell became known as "Madame Minna Craucher" in various phases of her life.

[3] Thanks to the "Madame Craucher" identity created with the help of her lively imagination and attraction, she probably appeared in the high society of Helsinki in the early spring of 1925.

Props used to substantiate her claims included a Willys Knight convertible from Stockmann paid with a down payment and a driver with a purported "Russian prince" in the background.

[5] Together with journalist Ensio Svanberg, Craucher co-founded the "Entertainment and Travel Directory", a magazine that later became known as Seura (meaning "The Society") which was published in 1926–1929.

The authors of the magazine included Kersti Bergroth, Pentti Haanpää, Martti Merenmaa, Elina Vaara, Väinö Nuorteva, and Mika Waltari, among others.

[6] Craucher's salon was a popular gathering place for Tulenkantajat ("The Flame Bearers")[1] and other young writers of the time because of her generous service and her fascinating persona.

The materials were stunning: oriental rugs all the way to the walls, brass tobacco tables and a large number of cushions to sit on.

Possibly, Craucher's statement to Olavi Runolinna, economist and supporter of the Lapua Movement, about the threat of "changing sides" caused the unstable and drunk Runolinna to shoot Craucher to death in her apartment on 8 March 1932;[3][8][10] initially, in a murder investigation conducted by the police, Martti Wallenius was considered the main suspect.