Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-14
PISTOLS AND DRUGS
Used by a Bold Bandit in Robbing a
Prominent Memphis Banker
In A HOTEL In BROAD DAYLIGHT,
The Victim Forced to Sign a Check and
Kept Close Prisoner.
THEN CHLOROFORMED AND DESERTED

MEMPHIS, Aug. 13.-R. Dudley Frayser,
President of the Security and the Memphis
City banks, secretary of the Memphis City
Railway, principal owner of the Pubic
Lelger, and one of the most prominent and
wealthy citizens of Memphis, was this after
noon Ghloroformed and robbed at the Gayoso
Hotel.
About 6 o'clock this morning gentle-
man registering as "John A. Morris, New
Orleans, was assigned a room at the GayosO,
for which he paid in advance and occupied
at once. During the morning he ordered
bottle of whisky from the bar, and bell
boy secured bottle of camphor for him
from a drugstore. About 2:3O o'clock this
morning Mr.. Frayser, sitting in his private
office at the Memphis City Bank, received
a note, signed John A. Morris, requesting
Mr.. Frayser to call on him at once on bust
ness of importance. Mr.. Frayser was at the
hotel in few minutes, and was ushered
into Mr.. Morris room.
IN THE ROLE OF A LOTTERY MAN.
The latter introduced himself as John A.
Morris, of the Louisiana Lottery Company,
of New Orleans. He said the lottery COM
pany had been antagOnized greatly of late
in that State: that their Investments had
been unfavorable, and lottery property gem
erally was unsafe, and he wished to consult
him in regard to it.
Mr.. Fravser gave him what information
he could in regard to Memphis moneyed In
stitutions, but would give no advice and
turned to go. AT this juncture Mr.. Morris
asked him to have drink. He declined,
saving he did not drink, but Morris in
sisted, and Mr.. Frayser walked across the
roou, to n p-ipdOvv tyhila ATorriS oOaDaH a
satchel.
"Here," said Morris, and as Mr.. Frayser
turned around he was greatly startled to
find two revOlvers, one in each of MIR. Nor
ris' hands staring him in the face. Said
Morris, 81 am a desperate man: | have no
money; my family in New Orleans are in
destitute circumstances, and l must have
So, ,OO6''
When Mr.. Frayser had recovered from
his astonishment he tried to argue with the
not have that much money to
give him. The New Orleans man persisted,
however, and finally Mr.. Frayser agreed to
indorse check for 500.
KEPT PRISONER IN THE HOTEL.
The check was then drawn on the Hiber-
nian National Bank Of New Orleans, and
Mr. Frayser 1ndOrSed II TX. ID. Fraser,
hoping the cashier at his bank would sus-
pect something wrong and refuse to cash it,
as he always indorsed his checks ''R. Dud-
lev Frayser."
A bell boy was at once called by Mr..
Morris and the check sent to the Memphis
City Bank, Mr.. Frayser being kept pris-
oner in the hotel. After the boy had gone
Morris walked over to where Mr.. Frayser
was standing, and clapping a napkin over
his face threw him on the bed, and that is
the last of his adventure Mr.. Frayser can
recall.
Mr.. White, proprietor of the hotel, was
notified about o'clock this evening that
there was something wrong in Morris's
room, as cries of "Murder," "Thieves,"
could be plainly heard issuing from that
room. He called a clerk and they broke
open the door. Mr.. Frayser was found un-
conscious, and the Odor of chloroform was
overpowering. His watch was gone, $50
were gone and Morris was gone. The check
lay on the table unpaid. The bell boy had
taken it to the bank twice at Morris's re-
quest, payment, however, being each time
refused.