The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-02
give Thoucand Mile ~ ~
! ~ Chase After Criminal


, done the dental work. This man exam
ined the teeth of the man found in Che
ruins and sWore that he was positive
that it was not Novak. He also exhibit
ed his record book, showing just what
work he had done for Novak
Not NOvak's Body.
1t was evident that the body was not
that of Novak, but whose was 1t? Sew
eral theories were introduced. Some
claimed that it wa sa corpse that had
been secured and placed in the store be-
fore the fire. Others said that it might
be the body of someone whom Novak
had hired to sleep in the store to protect
it from burglars. But Mr.. Perrin thought
differently, and began to search for a
man who might be missing from the
neighborhoOd. He worked on the theory
that Novak had enticed someone into
the store, and then, after numbering him,
had set the building on fire. But who
was the murdered man?
Just about the time the question be-
came most puZzling a woman who lived
in the country, about six miles from
Walford, reported that her brother, Ed
ward Murphy, had disappeared on the
night Of April l, and had not been seen
since that time There was the solution
OF the mystery as to the identity of the
pody. The measurements Of the body
corresponded with Murphy's measure
ments; certain scraps of clothing were
identified, and it was proved concIusiyelv
that the corpse found in the ruins of
the store was that of Edward Murphy.
VINO mad SO mysteriously disappeared on
the night of the fire.
There was nothing more to he done in
the way of securing evidence Edward
Murphy had been murdered, and his char
red body found in the ruins of Frank
A. Novak's store. Novak himself had dis
appeared, and had left evidences of an
attempt to mislead the authorities bv
trying to cause them to believe himself
to be dead His wife had been hasty
IN her efforts to collect the insurance
both on his life and on the building, and
When the companies delayed, threatened
TO bring suit to enforce payment Frank
A. NoVak was murderer and was guilty
OF arson. He was a fugitive from ius-
uce-but where was he? No one had
seen him since several hours before the
fire
Perrin then started his hunt for the
man and it proved to be long chase
After securing the neighborhood for
miles around he found that man
answering to Novaks description had
been seen about ten miles southwest OF
Walford early on the morning Of April 2
and that he had secured his breakfast at
a farm house He carried a shotgun and
passed himself off as a hunter. After
breakfast he had gone on toward Mar
| engo.
Traced Him to Alaska.
As soon as Perrin found the trail he
followed 1t as rapidly as possible. He
| traced the fugitive to Marengo, where he
! had taken Rock Island train for
Omaha. AT that place he found that he
had registered under the name of Frank
Lewis. He had remained in Omaha about
three days and then had gone to Seattle.
via st. Paul. Following him to Seattle
he learned that he had been there sew
eral days and had left the day before for
Dawson City, Alaska. He was then
| travelling under the name of Frank AL
word, Alvord being Novaks middle
name. His photo was positively identified
by a number of people who met him in
Seattle, he having become quite popular
because of his ability as a violinist
Perrin lost no time in starting for
Alaska, but was compelled to go by a
different route to that Novak had taken.
he was much displeased becauses of this,
but at last it proved to be the best thing
for him. He landed in Dawson CITY lust
one day ahead of the party of which
Novak was member
The day after Perrin arrived Noyak' 8
party reached Dawson and as the fugi-
1--WE murderer stepped on the solid ground
hand was placed on his shoulder and a
voice muttered in his ear: Frank Novak.
l arrest you for the murder of Edward
Murphy"
The chase was over and the man had
been caught. He had fed over 5000 miles
only to walk right into the hands of the
detective who, starting several days later
had beaten him to the destination by one
day and was waiting to give him the well
come from which he was fleeing The rest
of the story is easily. told. Novak was re-
turned to Iowa, was tried in the Benton
county court and convicted of murder in
the second degree. The jury was made
UP in part by his friends and recommend
ed that his sentence be ten years in
prison. The judge refused to comply with
the recommendation and sentenced him
to life Imprisonment in Anamosa, where
he is paying the penalty of his crime.
A visitor to the prison on Sunday will
see the man who led the officers such a
long chase, for at every Sunday service
he plays the first violin in the prison
orchestra. He is paying the extreme
penalty of his crime, while c. A. Perrin,
the man to whom the credit of the cap