The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-02
THlEL'S MEN WITH HIN.
Says He Has a Statement to Make
When the Proper Time Comes
to Make 1t.
SILENT RS TO GRIMES.
Detective Perrin's Chase for the
Benton County Man Reads
Like Story.

Frank Alfred Novak, charged with
murder, arson and theft at Walford.
Benton county, To-, passed through the
city yesterday on the way back to the
scene of his alleged crimes. An account
of the crime and the arrest of Novak.
which occurred in the Klondike, was
given in the G l o last Saturday,
and, as the prisoner was scheduled TO
arrive in St Paul yesterday afternoon,
quite crowd Of spectators gathered at
the union depot to obtain look at the
prisoner.
Novak, accompanied by Detectives
c. c. Perrin and D. L. Klouse, arrived
on the Northern Pacific train at 4:4O
and as the trio stepped from the rear
sleeper there was nothing to indicate
that the party were anything except
the usual travellers Novak was not
as is usually the case with prisoners
arrested on such serious charges cum
bered with handouts. or leg irons, but
he was closely watched in every move
he made by the two detectives. The
party was met at the depot by c. NJ.
French, general manager of Thiel's de-
tective service, and the local manager,
George E. Ives. The two officers hav-
ing Novak in charge had a whispered
conversation of a second or two with
Mr.. French, and then, followed by a
crowd Of curious men and boys, the
party walked through the depot to a
hack and were soon at the office of the
Thiel agency in the Germania bank
! building. Novak seemed the most -uu-
concerned one OF the party and show
ed 10 signs Of nervousness. In walking
through the depot he gazed about him
; as one who was anxious to take in all
that was possible during a short stay,
and the talk of the crowd as he was
pointed out passed almost unnoticed.
Arriving at the Thiel agency Office,
he made himself comfortable in a chair
by the window.
Novak is a stoutly built man, appar-
emily about thirty-three years of age,
and was dressed in dark clothing. He
pulled at his mustache while the de-
tectives were busy answering all man
ner of questions put TO them by the
newspaper reporters. He has a full.
round face, dark eyes a rather pleas
ing countenance, and when he smiled,
which was not infrequently, he looked
anything but like a person who could
be guilty of ,he crime with which he
is charged. Asked as to whether he
would like to may any statement to
the public through the G ! b e, Novak
replied:
"Of course I have a statement to
make, but do not care to make It until
the proper time and place, and at
present have nothing to say"
w. E. Holmes, of the Cedar Rapids
Post, stepped up to Novak and, after
shaking hands with the prisoner, said:
We'll, Frank, you are going back to
face the charges against you"
WILL FACE IT.
Yes said the prisoner with a smile,
I'm going back to face the"-here he
paused for an instant and his face
han dened and his eyes took on a hunted
look, but the next instant ne finished
the sentence by adding, face the
music
In answer TO questions, Novak said
he had not heard from Walford, the
scene of his alleged crimes, since he
left there. AS to the Klondike gold
fields he had not been there long
enough to form any opinion. This was
probably true, as the day following
his arrival at Dawson City he was ar
rested by Detective Perrin and since
then has been under the officers care
or confined in jail. The work of get
ting there was, he said, about as hard
as pictured in the stories published in
the newspapers. He went into the
Klondike by the way Of Juneau and
the Chilkoot pass, and went down the
Youkon with a party of seven others.
As to the crimes with which he is
charged Novak would say nothing, and
whenever any direct question was put
to him concerning his Iowa troubles,
he refused to answer.
Novak in charge of Detectives Per-
rim and Klouse, left last evening on the
Minneapolis & St Louis road for Vim
ton, To-, the county seat of Benton
county and but a few miles distant
from the town in which the arson and
murder was committed. w E Holmes
and W. r BoyG, representing papers
published in Cedar Rapids, announced
to the detectives and to Manager Ives
in answer to question as to whether
there was any danger from the public
in taking the prisoner back. that all
that was needed was leader TO have
the trial and disposition of Novak over
In day. Detective Perrin declared
that If there should be any trouble,
such as suggested, he would he pre-
pared for 1t. and If 1T came to the worst
would take a revolver himself, giving
one to the prisoner with Instructions
to do the best he could. The officer
said he had been working for six
months to locate and secure the arrest
of Novak and he did not intend to have
all his trouble for naught. The prison.
er. he said. was entitled to fair trial
and so far as he could he would see
that he was given a chance for his
life before a court and jury and not
made the victim Of a mob.
Detective Perrin said Novak had not
as vet been indicted, but the grand
Jury of Benton county would in all
probability find an Indictment next
Continued on Eighth Page,