The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-30
GOLD BRICK KING.
Lived a Double Life in New
York and the West.

New York, Jan. 30.-When Frank AID
| rich, a wealthy resident of Washington
heights, shot himself in the head with a
revolver Thursday he put an end to
| what was practically the lives of two
| men.
In this city Frank Aldrich lived with
a devoted wife and daughter in a hand
some residence at No. 523 West One
Hundred and Forty-eighth street, six
doors from the home of District Attor-
ney Jerome. He had the respect of his
neighborS and was supposed to be a
successful mining operator whose in
terests required frequent trips to the
west.
According to the police Frank Aid
rich is known in a dozen other cities
of the United States, where his opera
lions have been recorded as a dealer
in gold bricks He is said to have had
such a lucrative business that he was
often called the king" of the craft.
Frank Aldrich, mining operator and
law abiding citizen of this city, and
F'rank Aldrich reputed swindler, of 9TH
er cities. were one and the same per
son. Not only were friends and neigh
bors here ignorant of his real occupa-
ton, but his wife and daughter had i'm
plicit faith in his integrity.
This was illustrated on one occasion,
when Aldrich was convicted of swind-
ling a farmer of Allegheny, Pa, out of
500 by the gold brick game. Mrs.
Aldrich, believing implicitly in her hus-
bands innocense, succeeded in interest
ing many noted men in the case, with
the result that the state board of par
dons eventually freed Aldrich after he
had served nearly two years in jail.
Aldrich was born in Ohio. In his
younger days he was a Snowman, and
Travelled all over the country. He drift
ed west from Ohio to Kansas to live
He was a man of good appearance and
a fluent talker. He made friends readi-
ly and accumulated some means. His
first wife died, leaving him with one
child, a daughter. He married again
and purchased a home at Stafford, Kan.
In Stafford, as in this city, he bore
ever, to the police of Chicago, Pittsburg
and other cities. Like other expert OPP
orators in his line of work. he seldom
was arrested, and then usually escaped
conviction.
After his pardon from the Pennsylva-
MIA prison Aldrich and his wife came to
this city. Their home was purchased
several years ago, and is owned by Mr..
Aldrich. 1t is furnished richly, but in
good taste, and is one of a row of pri-
waite residences similar to Judge Jer-
ONES home.
Mrs Aldrich said yesterday that 1t
was true that her husband had served
nearly two years in prison for the Al
legheny swindle, but that he was limo
cent of the crime.
1T was clearly a case Of mistaken
identity, and 1 satisfied the pardon
board that my husband was not in AL
legheny at the time said Mrs. Aldrich.
MIR. Aldrich was interested in mining
operations in the west she continued
He bought and sold mines, believe.
He did not tell me much about his bust
ness, but, so far as 1 know, he had no
trouble with the authorities, except the
time he was pardoned. He frequently
went west on trips connected with his
business He owned mines in Colorado.
I believe. L cannot recall the names or
any of them never went with him
on business trips, but 1 have made
pleasure trips with him as far west as
California
my husband has had stomach
trouble for some time. He suffered
much pain, and became discouraged
when his physicians told him there was
a tumor. He would not consent to an
operation, and killed himself to escape
the pain"
Capt Titus, when asked about Aid
rich, said:
Frank Aldrich has a record as long
your arm. He was a famous gold
. brick operator. He never did any bust
to arrest him. He lived respectable
life here and worked the farmers in
other parts of the country
According to a dispatch from Urbana.
o., Frank Aldrich was indicted by the
last grand jury there on a charge OF
having swindled Harvey Kenton, in
1887. Aldrich is said to have assumed
the name of ]. B. Saul and to have
offered him gold brick, which he said
was made from gold. found on Ken
tons land. Kenton drew $1,000 from
the bank and borrowed $1,000 more
Aldrich told Kenton he had several
other gold bricks in Bellefontaine, o.,
and, while the two were driving they
were met by two n en- with more bricks
to sell. One of the men was an Indian.
Kenton grew suspicious and wanted to
return home. He was held uD at the
point of a revolver and relieved of his
money.
The dispatch stated that proceedings
bad been begun to obtain the arrest of
Aldrich when news of his suicide was
received.