In the late summer of 1911, the life of a veteran police officer, a White male named Frank Fraser, came to a tragic and violent end. At 47 years of age, Detective Fraser had dedicated two decades of service to the Saint Paul Police Department, a career that placed him on a collision course with a dangerous fugitive on Saturday, August 12th. On that fateful day, Fraser was in pursuit of an escaped convict from the Stillwater Penitentiary. His determined chase led him to the intersection of 4th Street and Market Street, where he followed the suspect onto a streetcar.
Aboard the streetcar, the tense pursuit escalated in an instant. As Detective Fraser moved to apprehend the escapee, grabbing him from behind, the man brandished a revolver. Twisting around, the convict fired, striking Fraser in the groin. Despite the grievous wound, a struggle ensued, during which the gunman shot Fraser a second time, this time in the hand. The commotion and the sound of gunfire attracted the attention of another officer who rushed to the scene. Together, the two officers managed to overpower and subdue the suspect, bringing the violent confrontation to a close.
Frank Fraser was rushed to a hospital, but the severity of his injuries proved to be too great. After clinging to life for two days, he succumbed to his wounds on Monday, August 14, 1911. He was survived by his wife, daughter, and mother. The man who fired the fatal shots was subsequently convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. He was returned to Stillwater Penitentiary, the very institution from which he had escaped. Years later, he was transferred to the Minnesota State Mental Hospital, where he remained until his death on August 10, 1930.
