The herald., 1897-10-18
The Man Who Followed a
Criminal to KlOndike
CAPTURED AT DAWSON CITY
NovAK, THE IOWA MURDERER,
AND HIS RECORD
Carlos Werngren Describes the Long
Stern Chase-Would Have Gone
to the North Pole

Carlos Werngren, general agent of the
Thiel Detective Service company, is in
the city, having just arrived by cir
cuitous route from Seattle. He is the
detective who pursued murderer Frank
A. Novak to the Arctic circle and cap
tured his man at Dawson City, return
ing with him to Portland, where he
handed him over to the authorities.
The crime for which Novak was want
ed was heinous one, and rivals in cru
city the fiendish deeds of H. H. Holmes.
On the I'd of last February he is said to
have murdered a neighbor in cold blood
and then cremated the body in order
to defraud an insurance company of
$35, 900 by making it appear that he him
self had perished in a fire. At the time
that the crime was committed Novak
was conducting a mercantile and bank
ing house in the village of Walford, Ben
ton county, Ia. His business affairs were
in bad shape and he conceived the idea
of making a large sum by defrauding
the life insurance companies. He took
out policies amounting to $4,000, and,
had his store insured for all it was
worth. Then he deliberately set about
procuring victim to be used in his own
stead as a cremated corpse, upon which
his beneficiaries could draw the insur-
ance.
Novak gave it out that he was afraid
to sleep in his store alone lest he be mur-
dered, and wanted some one to come
and stay with him. A young Irishman
by the name of Edward Murphy was
induced to sleep at night in the store.
One night the store burned down and
a corpse was found, but from the anat-
omy of the man the coroner's jury had
little difficulty in deciding that it was
the body of Edward Murphy and not
tSat of Frank Novak. AS the remains
of only one man could be found, it was
thought that Novak had murdered his
companion, and detectives were at once
put on his trail He was traced to Postr'
land, Ore, by a ticket which he had
bought under an assumed name. From
this point he had gone to Vancouver,
B. C.
AT Portland, Detective Werngren took
up the trail. Arriving at Vancouver he
learned that his man had left six weeks
ahead of him for Juneau. The detective.
had received instructions not to spare
expense and to trace his man to the ends
of the earth if necessary. The next boat
bound for Juneau bore the officer as a
passenger. He was determined to follow
his man as far as the north pole, if nee
esSary.
When Novak left his home he wore
hunters suit with German stockings and
overshoes. These he continued to wear
1rocf
had not materially changed disappear
ance. The diamond ring which he had,
worm for several years was turned over
so that the setting was on the inside of
his hand. From Juneau Novak left
with a large party of miners for the
Klondike. He masuuerade6 as pro-
fessional musician and had joined HIM
self with two organ grinders. Return
ing miners reported that he had been
seem al Dawson City, where he was
playing violin in dance hall re-
quest was then made by President Nc
Kinley for extraditior papers. These
were issued and placed in the hands of
detective, who sailed, from Seattle on
June 10 for the journey up the Yukon.
Already Detective Werngren had jour-
neyed from Dyea to Dawson in hot pur-
suit of the fugitive. The trail led over
the dread Chilcoot pass and across the
ice fields Of Lakes Lin derman and Ben
nett. On arriving at Dawson it was
learned that Novak had left there some
days previously. The detective then
spent a few days among the mines
When he returned to Dawson Novak
was again playing the violin in dance
hall. He was arrested and brought
down to Yukon in irons. At Portland
he was turned over to Iowa officers and
returned to the Benton county Jail and
has since been indicted for the murder
of young Murphy.
Novak is credited with other murders
besides the one for which he will now
have to stand trial. During the worlds
fair he and his partner Dolak planned q
trip together to Chicago On the road
Dolak mysteriously disappeared from
the train. The next day the mans mu-
tilated remains were discovered near the
railroad track. Novak was apparently
overwhelmed with grief, but it is sig
nificant fact that he was enriched $4,000
by Dolaks death. A few months after
ward James Havlicek disposed. of
bunch of hogs and cattle amounting to
$4,000. He was troubled with keeping
so large a sum and made arrangements
with Novak to deposit the money in his
safe. That night the safe was blown
open and all the money it contained stol-
en-. The loss to the farmer was great
blow, but the deposit of the money was
merely an accommodation. SO of course
the firm could not be expected to COM
pensate the loss.