The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-30
CANE BACK IN IRONS.
FRANK yoyak. An IOWA MURDER
Err. CAPTURED At DAWSON.
The story of the Pursuit of Nosak
\. Fall of Exciting Events-The
prtrrttvs Bring. His Man TO Bay
at Dawson City After travelling
Thousands of Miies-Noyak Is
Murder of n Friend-New ON His
Way TO Iowa TO stand Trial.

Benton county. Ia. 10 stand trial for ais
life. being charged with murder.
The strong arm q the law. in the per
son Of = c. PsFrin. reached out ard
brought aim back from the Yukon gold
fields 10 fight for his life in an Iowa court
room.
The capture % Novak by Detective Per-
rtr. OF the ThieI detective service. reads
Ike vivid y-calored border story, and IS
fan enough Of venture. danger and hard
ship 10 satisfy the most morbid novel
reader
Frank Alfred Novak, Familiarity know 4
as Frank Novak among his acquaintance.
was cond uctfng a mercantile and banking
business at the little town OF Waiford. on
tire c NJ g. St p. r. r.. in Benton county
Ia. and had for his partners in business
a widowe ed sister and brother-in-law. and
70 the outside world VAS apparently do
ing q prosperous mercantile business. be-
sides a sort OF accommodation and loan
business in the way Of q private hank.
where the farmers and residents Of the
town did thsi~ banking transactions. The
apparent prosperity OF ths'firIn was, now
ever purely superficial. as Novak had
contracted a gambling mania and was
quietly but surely robbing the nrm OF its
assets BY playing the grain market IN
Chicago ana in the past three or four
years had 10 doubt squardered his own
subsistence and robbed mis- immediate
relatives ard friends OF more than s1i.ye.
wEiCh had been entrusted TO Rim as ausi-
ness manager in the store and banker for
the village. The day OF reckoning was
fast approaching. and Novak, realiziag
the denoueme1t which was lowering upoa
his affairs and would blast the confident
hopes Of those about him, proceeded 10
take out SEQ 900 Of life and accident insur-
.anEft..rs faf.r Eas a n<s3fy n
procure a victim 10 be used in his own
stead as eremated corpse upon which
his benefciaries could draw the insurance.
lie also had the stock OF goods and the
store building IN which he was doing bust
ness insured for about their fun value,
and took into his confidence a near rela-
tive. who " as designed 10 collect the IN
surance after the disappearance OF Frank
N0vak A ruse was manufactured Of
danger 10 the stock Of goods through CA
pected burglars or incendiaries, and on
this pretext NGvak began sleeping in lis
store. ostensibly TO guard against such
calamity He also began asslduously
pIs ing his acauaintances. who CHANGED %
be about the same age. build and weight
as himself and invitations 10 sleep with
him in the store. which invitations were
fortunately declined by each person ap-
preached. until the night Of February 2,
o.. q
by tie name OF Edward Murray acceda ID
TO Novak's solicitations and remained with
him IA the store up TO the hour OF retir-
ing They we're seen together at u:S0 2.
m, and az $50 a m. Of February the
building was discovered on fire. and was
soon a mass Of ruins, with the conviction
forced up0n every spectator that NoVsk
and Murray had been consumed IN the
&C Indignation. Upon searching the cool
a
only one partly charred corpse was in the
remains OF the building, and. while NUM-
Ter Of Intellectual attempts were made by
interested parties 10 establish the identity
Of this corpse as that Of Frank Novak,
the anatomical differences were so great
and the dental distinctions so peculiar
that 4 coroner's jury found no great diff
Guilty on considering the evidence laid be-
fore them in arriving at verdict that tho
remains were those Of Edward Murray.
and that no trace of Frank Novak was
left In the building.
Steps were at once taken by the authori-
ties OF the state Of Iowa and the county
OF Benton to search out and apprehend
Frank Novak, and other persons took
hand in the matter. securing Theirs de-
tectfve service to prosecute the search for
tha murderer Detective c. G. Perrin
vas detailed 10 handle the case. He was
uaculiarly fltted for such. Tai, OF medium
weight. ne has the figure and muscles OF
an athlete. His square-cut chin and
mouth show the grit and force that many
brought Novak to bay.
\ trail was struck and. although the Of
Tense was several weeks old when the de-
tective started upon the case. NoEak was
followed across the country on foot over
several counties In Iowa. and then by con-
veyance an equal distance. being landed IN
Iowa City. which was believed 70 he nap
nv rendezvous FOR him. as he was known
10 have friends living az that place. Some
time elapsed before any further clue was
obtained 20 the movements Of the murder
e~ and he was believed 70 be IN hiding in
That city or vicinity untn the description
~ a man tallylng with that az Novak was
rteked up from the appearance Of pas
senEer on o train bound for an Eastern
port and IN taking Up the same. II deyel-
oaes that this man was q Bohemian. and.
as No~ak was a Observation-Disclosures. u
was believed TO be The same party. and
the tran was followed 70 Baltimore. Nd
where shipping agents and others recoE-
r5zad the photograph ard description 81
Novak as being identical with a mau VINO
had arrived az that port and shipped for
Fahevni7 on the 18th ~ February. A ca
blcE~erl was Immediately sent 70 Mr.. kee-
nan American consul 81 Germany. who
had the passenger described 8pprehentsd
on the arrival Of the steamer Halle al
Bremen on March !. and after several days
nhlinx ard comparisons of descriptions Il
vas decided that q case - mistaken den
,tv had led 20 the arrest ~ the wrong
man and tnis clue had 20 b. dropped The
detective sgsln returned % Iowa city and.
afFer a prolonged search in ard about this
r's-r. clue was finally struck on the 18th
CAV ~ March IN thc shape of description
rsz%t IN February e reading - Omaha.
Nen over the Chicago. Rock Island & Pa
cifo railroad by a dliEsut inquiry among
raftwav and sleeping c@r employees who
heE been ~ charge % tna cars and train
On the Hz-s uafned. she rfpreseutative -
Thtfrs service waE satisfied tnat he vas
or rhe rghf track ard Immediately went
q Omaha Nee. where an active search
Was taken $50 ard hy rae ala = che local
ref-e department. - tar course - a
,-euuIe ~ saya she feolaE rau's identity
v-ss once u,ere established sy description
a-d photograph IN the person ~ q uasseu-
rer who bought Il ricket over the Inira
Tsr.3e system from 017shs 20 vancouver.
p r. TIE affective wrs r1w Eve weeks
behind the fleeing uur3ere-. hat nos hing
aauvte3 took the next train Gar Portland
or where a s.op wsS made ard search in
st.ta-a-5 20 So = the Ucket Rad been used
---araA fo Vancouver. or e che rs sseF ger
ff s-cupa8 81 81 Portland Ar ls frequent
lr 1r0e bv persons seeking % rat q est
rsta 70 rne Pacific ceast TIRE arss-fEpe-s
R-evvrsfEa - this phase - railroad travel
r-errf uast fortunate f'r after ss1fa-
f-ss~y al. Portland ru-~.a~ over c7,1p1e
20 Sass IF Was d.sc1vsrr5 that <sva <
arar ere uaEre = Fray Aires Oh rfs
81 set hr3 storned a. Portland ard cash
Fi fr+ ror. sn reading - T1~caover Win
Broker ST tae forruer f,e-e. pe4rr a.
F.E rr-e 115~e as 20 f~s probable course
tska~ hv 20 furit5~e 81 81 -f-a weeks .sAeas
10 th~ detective IRE }Ettv- N-ran a rsfst
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