The herald., 1895-09-03
SN|NDLER FRAKER CAUGHT
A Notorious Insurance Worker
Run Down in Minnesota
WAS HIDING IN A LOG HUT
Reported to Have Been Drowned in the
Missouri River
Incurred His Life for $5S,ooo and Disap-
peared-A Reward Of Szo,o for
Him FruitIess
Associated Press Special Wire,

IOpChd, hdu., Suppoocd W uuNo OcoH
drowned in the Missouri river two years
ago, was captured in the woods near
Tower, Minn., yesterday. Fraker's life
was insured for 5000. The heirs
brought suit in the Kansas court to re-
cover. The case went to the supreme
court. The insurance companies were
defeated in the final decision. rendered
ast month. 1t was always maintained
by the coz. panies that Fraker was alive.
Recently it became known in soma way
that Fraker was near Tower. and was
known under the alias of Schnell. At
torney Robert T. Herrck and Deputy
Sheriff Wilkinson of Topeka. Kan, Or
ganized a party to search for him. Fra.
ker was found in the woods, and his cap
ture was effected in strategic manner.
He was brought to Duluth today and will
be taken to Penta at once. Fraker will go
without requisition. He has been living
near Tower for six months. He admit
ted his identity and said he did not leave
home on purpose to defraud the COM
paniss, but he fell into the Missouri river,
swan across the river and out on land.
The next day he read in the papers that
he had been drowned and concluded to
carry out the deception and allow the
heirs to collect the insurance.
The case is one OF great general interest
because reward OF $40, QUO was offe red
for his capture. Fraker is a physician
and up to the latter part of 1893 was ply
sician to the St. Elmo hotel. the leading
hotel in Excelsior Springs, famous
health resort near Kansas City. Together
with seven or eight companions the doc
tor went fishing on the Missouri river one
day and after dark and while in company
with George Harvey, James Triplett and
Jake Crowley, a negro, he disappeared
and was seen no more. The parties after
wards swore positively that they wit:
messed his drowning while rowing in a
leaky boat, but after search his body
could not be found. Some three months
previous he began loading up with life
insurance. taking $4,000 in the Kansas
Mutual Life of Topeka, $4,000 in the
Hartford Lite Annuity. $4,000 in the
Providence Savings Life of New York
and SO. 900 in the benevolent societies of
that place, a total of $5S, 900.
Immediately after his disappearance
the insurance companies held a confer
ence and discovered that while the doc
tor income was only about $500 year.
his premiums amounted TO $1,000 annual
Iy. Besides this George Harvey and
James Triplett. who swore to having
witnessed Fraekr's death. were men of
bad character, Harvey being arrested only
the other day in Eastern Missouri ON a
charge of having committed burglary in
New Mexico. Triplett was a we'll known
character in Indian territory and was
said to have been drowned short time
ago.
Before going on his fishing excursion
Fraker had drawn all his money from the
bank, saying he was about going to Cali
fornia to bring home the orphan children
of his deceased uncle.
Forty thousand of the insurance money
vas payable to his brother-in-law in trust
for these children. DR.. Fraker, who had
praoticed medicine for eight years, was
an active leader in Sunday school work,
but held rather peculiar views on reig-
ious subjects. After a thorough inevsti
cation all the companies except the
whereupon James E.Lincoln, the executor
of the will, brought suit in the district
court at Liberty, Mo-, which was after
wards trasferred to the United States
circuit court at Kansas City. Robert
Herrick was appointed Jointly to conduct
sisted by eminent legal talent. In the lat.
ter part of 1894 after an intensely sensa-
tional trial lasting two weeks in Decem-
ber, 1894. the jury acting unde- positive
instructions from the court, declared for
the defense.
A new trial was granted on technical
points, but in February, 1895, judgment
was given for the full amount and stay
of execution granted for six months until
Auugst II, 1895. On that date the full
amount was paid to the executor and the
companies withdrew their offer of $50. 900
reward.
Herrick obtained clue in the latter
part of 1894, which he has patiently fol-
lowed ever since until about week ago
he leaned the whereabouts and assumed
name of the doctor. Thursday night be
arrived in Tower together with John
Wilkinson, chief of police of Topeka, to
assist in taking Fraker back. They
learned that DR.. Fraker went by the
name of Schnell. and lived with q young
man in woodman's hut fifty miles from
Tower. A warrant was secured in Tower
and Sunday morning. accompanied by
started in rough wagon over still
rougher roads for the place. taxing all
provisions for five days. giving ont that
they were to look over some timber lands.
About twelve miles from Tower Deputy
Phillips who was acquainted with Fraker
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
examining the Shanty Tap door was
found in the floor with considerable sx-
cavation underneath, looking very sus-
picious. The young man was handcuffed
and guarded and Phillips proceeded on
the road. About two miles further was
a man with gun on his shoulder, who
was instantly recognized as the supposd
dead man, Fraker. Herrick engaged |
him in conversation, when Phillips sud
denly seiezd his arms and Wilkinson put |
on the handouts. Fraker thought he |
had been arrested for killing game out of |
season, When the warrant was read to |
him, he was thunderstruck, but admitted |
his identity. He was brought to Town,
together with his companion, who halls |
from Wisconsin and seems to be an inno- !
cent party. The prisoner is we'll built
man of about five feet six inches, 40 years
old. with short black whiskers. In con-
versation he stated that he had expected
his relatives to get portion of the in
suance money and himself some also.
He had been greatly benefited, by the
waters of a spring whereSS SShe siopped and
had mi ade arrangements to buy the place,
intending 10 make it water cure resort.