The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-03

DULUTH, Mimi, Sept 2.-George
Fraker of Topeka, supposed to have
been drowned in the Missouri river
two years ago, was captured in the
woods near Tower, Mimi, yesterday.
Fraker's life was insured for $4,000.
His heirs brought suit in the Kansas
courts to recover. The suit went to
companies were defeated in the final
decision, recorded last month.
1t was always maintained by the
companies that Fraker was alive. Re-
Gently it became known in some way
that F'raker was near Tower, and
known under the alias of Schnell At
torney Robert T. Herrick and Deputy
Sheriff Wilkinson of Topeka organized
a party to search for him. F'raker was
found in the woods and his capture
was erected in a strategic manner.
He was brought to Duluth .oday and
Will be taken to Topeka at once. Fra
ker will so without requisition. Tfe
has been living near Tower nearly six
months
He admitted his identity and said
ne did not leave home on purpose to
oe1raud the company, but he fell in
the MISSOURI, swan across the river
ana got on land. Next day he read in
lhe papers he had been drowned and
CoHcluueo 10 carry out the deception
Surance. 'Ai0- AZ
The case is one of great general inter-
esl because a reward of $4,000 was Of
Lereo Tor his capture Fraker is a nt1v-
SIC n-etSn ana up to the latter part of 1893
1 " al payslcla I to the st; Elmo hotel the
n1cfD
dsL health recort near Kansas Cftv'
!!oselner with seven or eight comnan-
Ions ions, the doctor went fishing on the Mis-
VIII. f :, zone one day, and after dark,
M T4Ie II company with George Harvey
James Iflplett and Jake Crowley. a. ne
gro, he disappeared and was seen mn
more: Ihese parties afterwards swore
p irss tnat they witnessed his drown
after strict search his body could not
De 1ound: Some months previous he be-
gan loading up with life insurance. TAX
1iS SLV,VVS o., IN IL the Kansas Mutual Life of
topeka, 81, 900 in the Hartford Life An
nuity; $1,000 in the Providence Savings
Lille of New York, and IS, 200 in the Ben
efosl e societies of that place, a total
Immediately after his disappearance the
insurance companies held a conference
and discovered that while the docfor's
income was only about 1,SOO a year, his
premiums amounted to $1,000 annually.
ana James
1rlplett, who sWore to having W Witnessed
Fraker's death, were men of bad charac-
ter, Harvey being arrested only the
other day IN eastern Missouri on a charge
OF having :, committed burglary in New
Mexico: Triplett was a well known
character in Indian Territory and was
said TO have been drowned a short time
ago
1, Before going on his fishing excursion,
Fraker had drawn all his money from
the Dank, saying he was about going to
california to bring home the orphan
children of his deceased uncle
Forty thousand of the insurance money
was payable to his brother-in-laW, in
trust for these children. Dr. Fraker.
who had practiced medicine for eight
years. was, an active leader IN Sunday
school work, but held rather peculiar
views on religious subjects. After
thorough investigation, all the compan-
les except the Equitable refused to paw
the claims, whereupon James E. Lincoln.
the executor of the will, brought suit IN
the district court at Liberty Mo-, which
was afterwards transferred to the United
States circuit court at Kansas City. Rob
ert Herrick was appointed jointly to
conduct the case for the companies, and
was assisted by eminent legal talent. In
the latter part of 1894. after an intensely
sensational trial, lasting Two weeks in
December 1894, the jury acting under
positive instructions from the court, de-
clared for the defense.
A new trial was granted on technical
points, but in February, 1895, Judgment
was given for the full amount and astay
of execution granted for six months I'M
til August L, 1895. On that date the full
amount was paid to the executor and
the companies withdrew their offer of
$40. coo reward.
Herrick obtained a clue in the, latter
part of 1894, which he has patiently fol-
lowed ever since until about a week ago
he learned the whereabouts and assumed
name of the doctor Thursday aight he ar
rived in Tower, together with John VIII
kinson chief of police. in Topeka 10 as
sist in taking Fraker back They learned
that Dr. Fraker went by the name of
Schnell and lived with young man in a
woodsmans hut, fifty miles from Tower
on the Itasca county road. 4 warrant
was secured in Tower and Sunday morn
ing, accompanied by Deputy Sheriff Ar
chic Phillips they started in rough wa
son over still rougher roads for the
place, taking along provisions for five
days, giving out that they were to look
over some rimberlands.
About twelve miles from Tower Deputy
Phillips, Who was acqua inted with F'ralSer
under his alias as Schnell, saw his COM
panion in a shanty near the woods and
on inquiring where the doctor was, learn
ed that they had Just moved to this place,
and that Fraker was out hunting On ex-
aiming the shanty trap door was found
in the floor with considerable excaya-
ton underneath. looking very suspicious.
The Young man was handcuffed and
and Phillips proceeded on the
road. About two miles further was a
man with a gun on his shoulder who
was instantly recognized as the supposed
dead man Fraker 11erriclz engaged him
in conversat ton when suddenly Phillips
seized his arms and Wilkinson put on
lIandcuffs. Fraker thought he had been
arrested for killing game out of sea son.
as Phillips was also game warden When
the warrant was read TO him be was
thunderstruck hut admitted his identity.
He was brought to town together with
his companion, who halls from Wiscon-
sin and seems to be an innocent party.
The prisoner is a well built man of about
i've feet six inches forty years old, with
short black whiskers. In converse ton he
stated that he had expected his relatives
to get a portion OF the insurance money
greatly benefited by the waters of a
spring where he stopped and had about
made arrangements to buy the place, in