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Archie S. Kreiling author page

10 pre-Shortz crosswords by Archie S. Kreiling (1909-1974)

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107/11/19434/9/1950
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Pre‑WS
10
Archie S. Kreiling
View these same grids with comments from:
David Steinberg (7)
Alternate name for this constructor:
Archie Kreiling

NOTE: This bio covers both Archie Kreiling and Willard Jordan.


A 1959 profile of Margaret Farrar in The New Yorker noted that "a good many puzzles…come from inmates of penitentiaries, who presumably have plenty of time on their hands." While it is unknown just how many Times constructors in that era were inmates, two were Willard N. Jordan and Archie S. Kreiling. From prison between 1942 and 1954, Jordan had 39 known puzzles in the Times, including the first pangram. Kreiling had at least 10 puzzles in the Times. Not only were they both prisoners, they were inmates at the same prison at the same time. Both were prisoners at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio in the 1940s. Each also was eventually transferred to the London Prison Farm, a facility for prisoners on good behavior, located near London, Ohio (though it is unknown how long, if at all, they overlapped at London). While it seems a virtual certainty that they knew each other, there is no known evidence of their relationship.

Jordan and Kreiling had similar paths to prison. Each was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1930s for killings committed in the course of much lesser offenses. In 1931, Jordan shot and killed a police officer who was attempting to arrest him for stealing five automobile tires; Kreiling killed a night watchman in 1937 during a burglary of a dry cleaning company. In both cases, the juries recommended "mercy," which meant Jordan and Kreiling each avoided the death penalty and instead received life sentences. Jordan died in prison in 1955, while Kreiling was eventually paroled in 1960.

On the topic of prisoner-constructors, Will Shortz noted in 2017 that, notwithstanding that old joke about inmates having time on their hands, he has rarely received submissions from prisoners. The first one he accepted was from Lonnie Burton in 2017. Eugene Maleska, in his 1984 book Across and Down, said that he received puzzle submissions from inmates, but did not indicate whether he accepted any.

Willard Newton Jordan was born in Columbia Station, Ohio in 1901. His father, Robert Jordan, was a grocer and his mother, Estella (Reisinger) Jordan, was a home maker. In 1932, he was convicted of first-degree murder for the killing of Columbus patrolman Leslie Green. Green and other officers were attempting to arrest Jordan for stealing five tires when Jordan fired multiple shots, killing Green. He was sentenced to life in prison. He died in prison in 1955 at the age of 54.

Archibald Sylvester Kreiling was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1909, the son of Olin Kreiling, a streetcar conductor, and Agnes (Ruche) Kreiling, a homemaker. In 1937, he was convicted of first-degree murder for killing Joseph Kristy, a night watchman, during a burglary at a dry cleaning plant. In 1960, after 23 years in prison, the governor of Ohio reduced his conviction from first-degree murder to second-degree, making him eligible for parole. He was paroled later that year. He died in 1974 at the age of 65.

Sun 4/9/1950 WORDS AND MEANINGS
CHAMOISDUNGEONCELESTE
HELOISEENOUNCEALEXIUS
AREOLETNOVENASROTATES
PONSROANAGAHOOPMUSE
TICTENNISBOWLESADD
ENOCHASINROBEANTAE
RENOIRSOMALILANDSLEYS
LEARNEVADAREAR
DESERTERSAVESBERNBURG
EMUSEPIARESMAYOSREL
FAKEDUSTERSGULFSSAVO
ANAMBIEREMATSUONES
SUREALBENRELEASETINS
SENARILSHERSMALLAGE
ALOMANCYSAPIDORDAINED
ACTACREMESDEBT
WALSHNEWORLEANSREEDED
REESEARTYERALLAURA
AMANACRESSPORTSREM
NINERANATOMPEARBACS
GLISTENTRILOBETORONTO
LINSEEDHANOVERHOUSTON
EAGERLYENTREESSPACERS
Sun 4/10/1949 SIDELIGHTS ON LITERATURE
HARPSBASTARCROSSSAP
EMESAASCOLIHUTCHINSON
WESTINGHOUSEANTOINETTE
ILELAGOONSENNETSEROW
TINKZARPPLANERRIME
TATEAGEWEISERAPADAS
PAREFENNELPROSPECT
DARTLERINGSMARTHA
ELIANTHONYMOLESLARK
LADSEWINGFOOTPADSLEI
ABILAONTARIANSRATTLIN
WABASHROASTMAYING
AMUTTERSTUTTERERBRASS
RANAREOLETSSERICOREL
ENDSSLAINPISANIOIRE
UNHARDGRANITREATY
REGREETSDEACONGATA
ELLEYETEMNESARTSNAS
SPEWBEBOGSALIITOLA
TENONBELUTEACCLOYWAG
ENCOURAGESLINCOLNSHIRE
DOODLEBUGSESTATEEOSIN
REYPANAYYEASTSREECE
Sun 8/22/1948 VOCABULARY TEST
SHERMANWENONAHMALABAR
HEROINEABILENEOLIVINE
ELEMENTPELLETSGONERIL
ROCNETHERAMASSINGESE
TITOEELIOLEOMAN
OSONEDALENAGATEBRETT
KERSEYROBINSONVALISES
RAMSOCEANSNEE
GROMYKOINHALEABDULLAH
RIVEANTSORETREYALA
EVERYTAMILSTHORPERCY
SINGEABETSRERUNANDES
HEMENGANSBANISHMANSE
ARACUREHADFEARPETE
MANACLEDMARISTRUSTRED
MAEHAYCAPEDNA
CAMELOTIDEATIONTYGART
AREELHONESETNASSICES
SCARPRODECUBETE
TANALOPECIAANTICSTOT
EDESSANRAMPAGETAILORS
RISKINGEMPIRESENTENTE
SATINESRESIDESSEERESS
Sun 9/28/1947 OF PLACES AND PEOPLE
HAGANAHALEMANESCAPE
AMERICANOTATEGEARED
MENTORSTRAILSYELLOW
ALESETOWAHATAPSONA
LIVSEREANENTSTIR
AALSERRANTRYSATED
OAKSPONGESACROSS
SALINAUTESANOA
SHELLABARGERSMITHSON
HERERELIESSPELTOTO
OLIDLAOSBORNMUIR
TVASCANSBETETAEROS
SELFWARDMARSEILLAISE
LARDTOLAAVULSE
CECILESHOTTONACE
ATONEBURNSIDEERST
LISTMARESDOLLHAP
LETNORMAWINNIERENE
ANABASIDEATEMATOAKA
INIOMESERVESEVOLVER
SENSESEDGERSSEALERS
Sun 6/1/1947 NAMES IN THE NEWS
SCOUTSMANCHURIABRINGS
TRUMANADULATIONAURIOL
ROTULALEDOANDIBEAGLE
AALSPELLEDSKIMPEDRAY
UTAHSHEANAOSBIDE
SISELSTIRLEGATEBONAR
SATEENDECORATEBOWERS
POEMEBONITERANI
AMAPOOPANDESKENNEBEC
MACDONALDROSBOSKYELA
ARTELSARRASMELTSTRES
TIREDSCALDCASASMARAT
ITEMSOAKSCHEERSERENE
VASSAUTEMHOTORMENTOR
ELSEWISEBAIRNVEERARS
LINEWAYLAIDYAKS
CONANTCAROLINERANGER
ALONGBOLEROOPTSTORNE
MINDGONDORALBATA
OVAAUSTEREABRADESTED
TIGERSOMARSATIRIMINI
ENODALRASMUSSENOLEATE
SENORATREATISESTOWNED
Sun 2/23/1947 GLOBAL GLEANINGS
MILANOAFFINESATBASSI
ELINORPLENARTRAVELLER
SOFIANOPOULOSRECOLLECT
AITHILLSASEATOLLERI
SLEWSEESAWTIMEAVES
ORANTEAGRETNATEETH
LONDOSTOOROOKOO
CAMEROUNWILSONLEONTES
ONEAMETRADESHUNTSPA
ONASASNIERESFACTMAIN
TATTEDINCANNAZIWALLS
BIASATIKOMAOORDO
TENTSGRAYFURORENGAGE
ALEELAINRETRUDESERIN
ALSLAICBALTISSTAISO
SESSIONTABLESGEODISTS
ANNLANIERCURCAS
THORNMORTARHUEMALM
ROUTGAUBWARRENRYOT
ABTMETROIVAARIONTRA
CASTANEDAMEDITERRANEAN
TREASURERAGENORTHILLS
STARKSSDMADEROHALLEY
Sun 9/10/1944 GLOBAL GLEANINGS
BRIDGESREDAPISCHASED
LORIENTADELAIDEHARUNA
AMELITAPETERSONADONAI
TANROTASADALTARALBS
ANITALESIONAIMSILE
NICETRUMANALANDESTES
TASSHELENGUANIMET
TROCARFASCIVINEGAR
TAMALURMELEEVIAMONO
SNORTERCANEAHELMSUDA
TAROTSFINDSGARLICMEN
CITEBONUSBOSNAHAIR
ERNDULLESPLATESOREST
LEISNELLREADEEMPEROR
BOGADAYTANKSALIISNY
ANOTHERDUNNESTERNE
AIRPUTTYSHACKDATO
SCANTTHESESHOUTSIVAN
WADSAARREPAWNSTERE
ALOPGRASPNIDTAMPNAN
TARAWASARDINIACOLOGNE
HINTERABERDEENTAILETS
ESSEDSLETIDRYANTEROS
Sun 4/23/1944 HINTS FROM THE HEADLINES
BERATILOUISIADEIDEALS
ALESANAIRACOBRAZAYDIN
WINANTPLANNEARVIENNE
ESTKASSELLILIESONE
ATECUEDEGGNESSRUER
NARRATEDARARASATAUNT
OWLSBRUTUSGRIST
NORWAYCALPESAUAPLOME
EPEESTENETNULLSSEVER
WELDLARKSSTREPORDELE
CRYSERESACHESPILGRIM
AAARRASARIESARGUETO
STIMSONASTORBRAIDCOL
TIRESTANTONFIENDCAPO
LOIREONTALTESTOBEFOG
ENSIGNSETAALOESORELY
CEIBAITALONSTOA
SPARTAICEMENSHERLOCK
SCANREAMRASSTUNSRI
CANSARGONFOUNTSTUS
ARDENTEGISCOMAELAEIS
MCAFEERENOUVIERREBASE
PELTEDSNAPPIESTSWALES
Sun 10/24/1943 NAMES MAKE NEWS
GUSTAVPAWLDARETEDDER
ANICHEULIOADENUNIATE
RICHENLITVINOFFNIMROD
ATIMUDHENSLIVIDNID
NELLSACHETSGUESSDELE
DRYADHEARTFEELSLADEN
RETORTSGRANDPIT
EHSLIMESCHARTPLAUDIT
LEHIRESCOONSTAORMINA
BRADLEYKURSKDARTSRIP
ARNOLDCARETJAMESTEAS
GEEBENESBONESROC
MARSFORDSTOYEDDENTAL
UDISUNNYLAICSMESSINA
SALAMAUATERSEHOWEONS
STAMENSCRANERENEWNET
BAGPAIRSDELAYED
TYLERREGENTINEDDORPS
REARWEALSCANONICROOT
ABUPITRIPARACADTRE
MADRIDSARACOGLULICATA
PLEASEORELTAILLOOTED
SARNENNILESTEMSNEERY
Sun 7/11/1943 WITH CLUES FROM THE NEWS
HAINANPRENTISSMESSINA
ORNATEYAMAMOTOAVIATES
REAPERCLUBSAWREDRAWS
NEROVANESSATEENSALEE
ELMMETISPIERRESWART
SALADUNHORSETAA
ASPIRESSTAINNECKTIE
CLARETBAIRDDAVIESHOE
HIRESSALLEARNOLDHULL
IVANDANTECRADLEDANES
MEMLANGBANKETWELD
ENURINGJERRIESJEFFERS
SOAKBALAAMFORTREE
ASHURDEMENTSCUSEABBE
POIXREJECTJOASHBLOAT
EIRBEEASTROLESWEALTH
SLUSHEDCOHENGRANTEE
PODTARIANAHIEMS
TAMERINLETSKERNSHTS
AGENANTESTALIPOTAIRT
PARSONSGUMMOSTAPPLEY
ETIENNEAMCHITKAIRIDAL
RETREATREVERSALLYSATE
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