A Home for Johnny Fraker: The Orphan at the Heart of a Vanishing Doctor Mystery

Capt. Fred Muller, of Fairhaven, Whatcom county, yesterday took home with him from the Orphans' home as his adopted son little Johnny Fraker, one of the Seattle children of Dr. Fraker, who is accused of having disappeared in order to secure $40,000 life insurance money. Over three years ago Capt. Muller adopted May, the 10-year-old sister of Johnny, who died in Seattle, and another child died at the county farm. There were other children in this family, but they have lost sight of and no one here knows where they are now, except one grown brother, who is still in this city.

In December, 1892, Dr. Fraker came West in search of his relatives. While in Pendleton, Or., he heard that his nephew had married and taken up land at Bear Fish Bay, near Seattle. Upon his arrival here he learned that the parents of the children had died poor, and that the children had been scattered, some in Washington, some in California, others no one could tell where. So the doctor, when last heard from, was trying to locate the lost children.

Capt. Muller dressed Johnny in a brand new suit of clothes from top to toe and filled his little hands with bright silver coin, from which Johnny took $1 and bought candy and oranges to send to his late playmates at the Orphans' home. Capt. Muller is a prominent rancher and merchant at Fairhaven, in affluent circumstances, and has provided an excellent private teacher to look after the education of the children.

If Dr. Fraker's death should be proved, the Seattle Fraker children would be entitled to a share of his estate, and Capt. Muller has arranged to have a banker in this city appointed guardian for Johnny and May.