The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-09-05
GEORGE FRAKER, AN INSURANCE
SWTNDLER, SUPPOSED TO
HAVE BEEN DROWNED.
HIS LIFE WAS INSURED FOR
$4,000.
The Companies Went to Law, But His
Relatives Got the Money Last
Month-Was Hiding in the
Woods of Minnesota.

souri, river two years ago, was captured
in the woods near Tower, Mimi, yester-
day.
traker's life Wits insured for $5S,0OO,
and the heirs brought suit in the Kansas
courts to recover. The case went to the
supreme court and was one of the most
famous I'M the anmals of this country. The
insurance companies were defeated in the
final decision, it being recorded last
month. 1t was always maintained by the
companies that Fraker was alive, but
his whereabouts were unknown. Recent
ly it became known in some way that
traker was near Tower, where he was
known under the alias of Schnen.
Attorney Robert Il. Harris and Depu-
ty Sheriff Wilkinson of Topeka came here
and organized party to search for him.
Fraker was found in the woods, and his
capture was effected in strategic man
ner. He was brought to Duluth today
and will be taken to Topeka at once. He
admitted his identity and said he did not
leave home ON purpose to defraud the
companies, but while he was near the
Missouri river he fell in. He SWAN across
the river and the next day read DIN the pa
PEERS that DE had been drowned, and com
cluded to carry out the deception and al
low his heirs to collect the insurance.
Fraker arrived in Duluth today at
12:3O O'Clock in charge of Deputy Sheriff
Walker and Attorney Herrick, who
started at once for Kansas.
The case is one of general interest be-
cause of "A reward of $4,000 which was
offered for his capture. Fralxer is a Dhy-
stefan, and up to the latter part of 1886
was the physician to the ST. Elmo hotel,
leading hotel in Excelsior Springs, a
famous health resort near Kansas City.
With two or three companions he went
fishing one day, and after dark, in COM
pany with George Harvey, James Trip
lett and Jake Crowley, a negro, he dis
appeared and was seen no more. These
parties afterwards swore positively that
they witnessed his drowning while row.
ing in a leaky boat, but after a strict
search his body could not be recovered.
Some three or four months previous he
began loading up with life insurance, TAX
ing $4,000 in the Kansas Mutual Life
Insurance company of Topeka, $4,000
in the Hartford Life and Annuity, $15.-
600 in the Providence Savings Life of
New York, and $4,000 in the benevolent
societies of that place, a total of $685.
600. Immediately after his disappear
ance the insurance companies held a con-
ference and discovered that while the
doctors insurance was only about $500
q year his premiums amounted to $1,000
yearly. Besides this, George Harvey
and James Triplett, who swore to hay
ing witnessed Fraker's death, were men
of bad character, Harvey having been
ARRESTED only the other day in Eastern
Missouri charged with having committed
burglary in New Mexico. Triplett was
we'll known character in the Indian Ter
rltory, and was said to have drowned a
short time ago.
Before going on his fishing excursion
traker had drawn all his money from
the bank, saying he was about going to
California to bring home the orphan chill
dren of his deceased uncle. Forty thou
sand of insurance was payable to his
brother-in-law.
DIR. Fraker, who had practiced medicine
Tor eight years, was an active leader in
Sunday school work, but he'd rather pc
culiar views on religious subjects.
After Thorough investigation all the
companies, except the Equitable, refused
to pay the claims, whereupon James r..
Lincoln, the executor of the will, brought
suit nm the district court at Liberty, Mo-,
which was afterwards transferred to the
United States circuit court at Kansas
City. Mr.: Henrick was appointed joint
ly to conduct the case for the companies
and was aided by eminent legal talent. In
the latter part Of 1894, after an intensely
sensational trial, lasting two weeks, the
jury acting under positive instructions
from the court, declared for the defense.
A new trial was granted on the technical
points, but i'm February. 1895, judgment
was given for the full amount and stay
of execution granted for six months,
until August II, 1895. On that date the
full amount was paid to the executor and
the companies withdrew their reward of
5000. Herrick obtained clue in the
LATTER part OF 1894, which he has patient
ly followed ever since, until about week
ago, when he learned the whereabouts
and assumed name of the doctor. Thurs
day night he arrived i'm Tower, together
with John Wilkinson, chief of police. of
Topeka, to assist in taking Fraker back.
They learned that DIR. Fraker, by the
name of SchneH, had lived with q young
man in hut so miles from Tower, ON the
Itasca county road. A warrant was Sc
cured in Tower and Sunday morning, ac-
by Deputy Sheriff Archie
Phillips, they started i'm a rough wagon
over still rougher roads for the place, tax
ing along with them provisions for five
Jays, giving OuI LusiL buty WtIt W HUN
over some timberlands. About IL miles
from Tower, Deputy Phillips, who was
acquainted with FGaker under his as
sumed name of Schnell, saw his cOmpan-
on in shanty near the woods, and on in
Iuiring where the doctor was, learned
that they had just moved to this place
and Fraker was hunting. On eXamina-
lion of the shanty trap door was found
with a considerable excavation under
meath, looking rather suspicious. The
young man was handcuffed and guarded
md Phillips proceeded on the road.
About two miles further west was a
nan with gun on his shoulder, who was
ut once recognized as Fraker. HeIrick
engaged him in conversation, when sud
lenly Phillips seized his arms and Wilkin-
,on put on handcnffs. Braker thought he
lad been arrested for killing game out OF
season, as Phillips was also game warden.
When the warrant was read to him he
vas thunderstruck, but admitted his iden-
.ity. He was brought to Tower together
with his companion, who halls from Wis
,onsin and seems to be an innocent party
The prisoner is a well built man of
lbout five feet six inches, 40 years old,
With short, back whiskers. In conversa-
ion he stated that he expected his wife
o get portion of the insurance money
md himself some also. He had been
greatly benefited by the waters of a spring
where he stopped, and had about made
to buy the place, intending
% make it water cure resort. He would