Evening journal., 1895-09-03
DR.. .FRAK Err FOUND ALIVE
Played Dead For Years to Swim
die Insurance Companies.
HIS HEIRS HAD COLLECTED $4,000.

There Was a $4,000 Reward, However.
In His Arrest. and the Detectives Final
Iy Traced Him to the Woods In North
ern Minnesota.
DULUTH, Mimi, Sept. 3. Living in tho
wilds Of northern Minnesota, 30 miles
from postoiiice, with only boy for a
companion, DIR. George W. Fraker, who
planned ono of the most gigantic and sue
cessful Insurance swindles OF modern
times, was captured by officers who have
been on his track for the past two years.
Up to Aug. e last there was n standing
reward Of 500 600 for his arrest offered by
the insurance companies
In the latter part Of 1893 DR.. George W.
Fraker was attached to the st. Elmo ho-
tol, the Leading hotel i'm Excelsior Springs,
a famous health resort near Kansas City.
Together with seven or eight companions,
the doctor went fishing on the Missouri
river one day, and after dark, while in
the company of George Harry, James
Triplot and Jake Crowley a negro he
disappeared. These three parties after
ward sworo positively that they witnessed
his drowning while rowing in a leaky
boat.
Some three or four months previous to
this he began loading up with life insur-
ancc, taking $40, 600 in the Kansas Mu-
tual Life of Topeka, $40, 900 in the Hart
ford Life and Annuity. $4,000 i'm the
Providence Savings Lifeof Now York and
IS, 800 In the benevolent societies Of that
place, total Of sos 600.
Insurance Companies Had TO Pay.
Forty thousand dollars Of tho insurance
money was payable to his brothor-in-law
in trust for the children DR. Fraker,
who practicod for eight years. was an
active leader in Sunday school work. but
hold rather peculiar views on religious
subjects.
Aftor thorough investigation all tho
companies except the Equitable refused
TO pay the claims, whereupon james E.
Lincoln the executor Of the WILL brought
suit in the district court at Liberty, Mo-,
which was afterward transferred TO the
United States circuit court of Kansas
City. Robert H. Herriclg was appointed
jointly to conduct the caso for the COM
panios and was assisted by eminent legal
talent.
I'm the latter part Of 1894, after an in
tcnscly sensational trial. lasting two
weeks, the jury, acting under orders from
the court declared for the defense A
new trial was granted on technical points
and In February Judgment was given for
the fun amount and stay of execution
granted for six months until Aug. ~. On
that date tho fun amount was paid to the
executor, and the companies withdrew
thoir Offer OF $50, 900 reward.
Horriol, obtained a clew in the latter
rI a. aaHlt tn1t IA Iuu tnN ltr fol
lowed ever since until about a week ago
no learned the whereabouts and assumed
name of the doctor
Thursday night no arrived in Tower
Mimi, together with John Wilkinson
chief OF police of Topeka, to assist in TAX
ing h'raker back Ierrick and Wilkinson
learned that DR. Fraker went by the name
of schnell and lived with young man in
q woodlands hut 90 miles from Tower
on the ltasca county road.
Owned Up Whom Arrested.
About ~ miles from Tower Deputy
Philip, who was acquainted with Fraker
undcr his alias as Sohnell, saw Fraker's s
companion In % shanty near the wood He
was handcuiied and guarded, and about
two miles further on Dr. Frakcr, with a
gun on his shoulder, was found. sudden
~ IniAlI niinNQ iin AiliAof anu NAAhlAAHNA
put on the handouts.
Whom the warrant was read to him, he
was thundorstruck, but admitted his iden-
tity at once. He readily agreed TO accom-
pany The officers 60 Missouri without
waiting for oxtradition papers.
In conversation ne stated that he had
expected his relatives to get "a portion Of
the insurance money and himself some
also. He had been greatly benefited, he
said, by the waters of a spring where he
stopped and had about made arrange
ments 60 buy the place. He would have
spent $50, 600, ne said, in improving &C..
Fraker's hiding place was only a day =
travel from the Canadian boundary. He
had boon there about six months, coming
into town occasionally only for mail and
provisions. His supply Of money was
quite low, and he evidently expected some
shortly. As his executor has not yet dis
tributed the money, Mr.. Herrick tole-
/ graphod TO Kansas City TO have suit insti-
tuted against him at once to recover tho
/