The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-09-13
PEABA PElBINA DAKOTA FRIDAY sEpTEMBER 1896
FRAKER is CAUGHT,

FRAKER Is CAUGHT,]
"a
TAB KANSAS INSURANCE. sWlNDLER
FINALLY RUN TO EARTH,
After q Search Lasting Two Years
He Is Arrested Near Tower, Minu..
where He Had Been Living In the
Woods.
Duluth, Minn., Sept. 4. - George
Frnker Of Topeka, Kan, the man who
was supposed to have been drowned
In the Missouri river two years ago,
was captured In the woods near Tow.
er, Mimi, yesterday.
Frakers life was insured for SIS, 600,
and the heirs brought suit In the Kan
sas courts to recover. The case went
to the supreme court aud was one Of
the most famous insurance cases of
the country. The insurance companies
were defeated in the final decision, 1t
being rendered last month.
The case Is one Of great interest be-
cause of reward of $4,000 which
was offered for his capture. Fraker is
q physician, and up to the latter part
of 1893 was physician to the st. Elmo
hotel, the leading hotel in Excelsior
Springs, q famous health resort near
Kansas City. Together with seven or
eight companions the doctor went fish,
Ing on the Missouri river one day, and
after dark, while In company of Geo.
Harvey, James Triplet and Jake
Crowley, a negro, he disappeared and
was seen no more. These three parties
afterwarl swOre positively that they
witnessed his drowning while rowing
in leaky boat, but after a strict
search his body could not be recov-
cred. Some three or four months pre-
vious to this lie began loading UP with
life insurance, taking $4,000 in the
Kansas Mutual Life of Topeka, $15,-
600 In the Hartford Life and Annuity,
$4,000 in the Providence Savings Life
Of New York and $4,000 In the Be-
nevolent Society of New York, a total
Of $;5S,OOO. -.
Immediately after his disappearance
the insurance companies held con-
ference and discovered that while the
doctors income wns only about 1,8OO
year his premiums amounted to ST.
600 annually. Besides this. George
Harvey and James Triplet, who sworc
to having witnessed Fraker's death,
We're men of bad character. Harvey
being arrested only the other day in
Eastern Missouri on a charge of hav-
ing committed burglary in New Mex
leo. Triplet was we'll known char
acter in the Indian territory, and was
said to have been drowned n short
time ago.
Before going OH his fishing ex-
cursion. Fralser Ind drawn aii his
money from the bank. saying that he
was about going to California to bring
home the orphan children Of his de-
ceased uncle. Forty-tllOusand (ollnrs
of the insurance money was payable
to his brother-in-law in trust for these
children. After n thorough jnvcstiga-
tiOn all the companies except the
Equitable refused to pay the claims,
whereup0n James Il. Lincoln. the cX-
ecutor of the will. brought suit in the
district court at Liberty. NO., which
was afterward transferred to the
United States circuit court ut Kansas
City. Robert r. Herrick was appoint
ed Jointly to conduct the case for the
companies and was assisted by emf
nent legal talent. In the latter part
OF 1894, after an intensely sensational
trial, lasting two weeks, the jury. act
Ing under positive Instructions of the
court, returned q verdict for the de-
fense.
a new trial was granted OH technical
points, but In February, 1885, judg-
Ment was given for the full amount
and stay Of execution granted for
six months. until Aug. ~, 1895. On
that date the full amount was paid
to the executor AMI the companies
withdrew their offer of $4,000 re-
ward.
Herrick obtained clue in the latter
pnrt Of 1894, which lie has patiently
followed ever since, until about a
week ago. when lie learned the where
abOuts and assumed name of the doc
tor. Thursday night he arrived in
Tower, together with John Wilkinson,
chief Of police of Topeka. to assist in
taking Fraker back. They learned
that DR.. Frakcr went by the name Of
Schnell and lived with IL young man
in woodnan's hut fifty miles west
OF Tower, OH the Itasca county road.
A warrant was secured in Tower and
Sunday morning, accompanied by
Deputy Sheriff Archie Phillips. they
started In a rough wagon over still
rougher roads for the place, taking
along provisions for five days, giving
out that they were to look after some
timber lands
About twelve miles from Tower
Deputy Phillips. who was acquainted
with Frakcr under his alias of Sclncll,
saw his companion in shanty, and
on inquiring where the doctor was,
n nSV 1,nx 1,nE1 i,,,
this place, and that Fraker was out
hunting. On examining the slmnty.
a trap door was found in the floor
with n considerable excavation UNDER
meath, looking rather suspicious. The
young man was handcufTcd and
guarded and Phillips proceeded on the
rOad. About two miles further mar
with n gun on his shoulder was met,
who was instantly recognized as the
supposed dead man, Trakcr. Herrick
engaged him in conversation, when
suddenly Phillips seized his arms and
Wilkinson put the handouts on him.
Fraker thought he had been arrested
for killing game out of season, as
Phillips was also game warden. When
the warrant was read to him lie was
tlunderstruck. but admitted his ident-
ity Mt once. He was brought to town
at once. together with his companion.
who halls from Wisconsin and seems
to be an innocent party.
The prisoner Is u well-built man of
about five feet six. forty years of age,
with short black whiskers. In conyer.
sation lie stated that he had expected
his relatives to get portion Of the
insurance money and himself some
also. He had been greatly benefited,
he said, by the waters Of spring
where he stopped, and that about
made UP his mind to buy the place, in
tending to make it water cure re-
sort. He would have spent SEQ, 900, he
said, in improving the place.
Topeka. Kan, Sept. 5.-Dr. George
w. Frakcr, the insurance swindler
arrived here in charge OF officers last
night and was Immediately jailed. 4
curious throng met the party at the
depot. He expressed himself as thor
oughly glad to be near his old home
again. buc said he was anxious to
seek the solace of cell. beyond the
stare OF the curious. Charges viii lie
preferred against him tomorrow.
TO q reporter the doctor taxed rree.
" Of hic case. His answers to ques-
tions, however, were given In an alb.
sent minded way. II did fall into the
npfrv $x1,A NJ, H.