The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-08-05
NISER SCHRAGE TDEAD
,,;,ss Surrounded by Perjury,
r"p" but Was Wealthy.
o,cc ROBBED OF A LARGE SUM.

ri. Humble Home Practically
Die" ,.tion.-Hoarded His Money for
v..rsand Denied Himself Food and Raj
o. do history of the Foul Plot by
nc Lost $55, 900 and the Police
saandaI That Followed
~,.,ooco Aug. 5.-Miser Christopher
at,.,oe is dead and his body will be
'Dterred at Whiting, Ind. Although
M ~ robbed of $4,000 worth of negotia-
-, bonds. part of which were recovered,
Va still being the possessor of an album
o. 90 If wealth, the old man practical
,,od from starvation in his humble
- Of III South Jefferson street,
, ,1 he had lived for years, deprlving
,,,,self of food and raiment in order to
,..ord his wealth. He was under the
90 ~ his relatives, who satisfied his
,.st request by allowing him to spend
sIa last moments where he had lived in
solltude for years.
Mayor Recovered from the Shock.
rba old man never recovered from
..o shock of the sensational robbery of
, ,|o "a. 1896, when Sleepy Burke,
~ NcLain, "Red" Chris Strook, Jo-
onh Gordon and "Old Dad beat him
into insensibility, opened his safe and
tooIs s55 900 worth of bonds. besides
,oroe amount of cash. Toward the end
~ his waning days, Schrage's daugh-
cor Mrs. Anna Harms, and daughter
,r.law. Mrs Fred Schrage of Whiting,
Ind divided their time in caring for
.ha narent. while Patrick Gurley was
over present to give him nourishment.
ror four weeks Schrage subsisted only
an beer and nearly all this time was
dellrious and repeatedly in his rawlings
talked about the stolen bonds. When
the end finally came Tuesday ali of his
relatives were present and the body was
embalmed and sent to the home OF
Banker Fred Schrage at Whiting.
story of the Robbery.
schrage was SO years old. The rob-
herv Of which he was the victim Gre
ated a sensation. On the night Of
March "a, 1896, four men, led by
SLEEPY" Burke, went TO Schrage's
house upon the pretense Of renting a
room. Burke had previously seen the
safe in the house and concluded the
old man had money. Schrage was
felled with a blow by Jack Mclean
and then gagged while the safe was
rlfed Of it's contents.
Not the slightest clew was furnished
the police. Months passed and the
thieves began to fight among them
selves over a division of the spoils and
Gordon went to the Pinkerton Detective
agency Offering to furnish evidence up
on which to clear up the mystery If he
was assured of his freedom. This
reached the ears Of SLEEPY" Burke, who
had been bunkoed out Of his share. He
notified John ]. Badenoch, then chief
Of police, that he would give UP the
story. Inspector Fitzpatrick sent for
Burke then in the bridewell, and, in
the latter's office, Burke told the entire
story.
Creates Police Scandal.
Burke's confession led to the arrest
Of all the members Of the gang except
"Old Dad" whose identity was never
established Burke later claimed that
the police broke faith with him and he
then appealed to the Civic Federation
and preferred charges against Assist
ant Chief Alex. Ross, Inspector John d.
Shea, Ed Smith of road-house fame,
and George Williams, well-known pol
itician, and others, to the effect that
they had guilty knowledge Of the dis
position of the bonds and that they real
lied financially on the deal. Ross and
Shea were given a lengthy investigation
by the police trial board and were ex-
onerated. The thieves, except Burke
and Strook, were sent to the peniten-
tiary Strook was arrested but jumped
his bond and Is still at large.