Black Sheep Sunday: Father Surrenders His Bandit Son

Source: Marion Leader-Tribune, Marion, Indiana, January 11, 1925, p. 1.


FATHER SURRENDERS HIS BANDIT SON


KOKOMO YOUTH IS SENT TO PRISON


George R. Frazer Says That Women Were Not Innocent of Bank Raids


One Visited The Bank


Got Change to See Lay of Ground and Reported the Conditions


"Is this the captain?" inquired a man of Capt. Jake Campbell at police station yesterday afternoon.  "It is," replied Captain Campbell. "Well here is one of the bank robbers," replied the stranger, who was R.A. Frazer of 1224 So. Washington street, Kokomo, who turned over his son, George R. Frazer, 23, as one of the bandits who robbed both the South Marion and Upland banks and who admitted to being a member of the gang, which attempted the robbery of the Noblesville bank.  After turning over his son to the police, the father broke down and cried and at the request of the bandit son, returned to Kokomo at once.


Following the Upland robbery, Frazer fled to Canada and returned to his home at Kokomo late Friday night.  His father learning that his son had been implicated in the robberies and that he was wanted by the authorities, left Kokomo shortly after noon yesterday with his son for Marion.  After the police station was reached, Frazer told Captain Campbell that he would have the chance that he would "blow his (Frazer's) brains out," and precautions were taken to see that Frazer did not get hold of a gun.


Women Knew Plans.


When questioned later he said that the two women, Mrs. Mary Bridgewater and Mrs. Emily Morse, who have been sentenced, knew all about the plans for the robbery at the South Marion bank and that a short time before the South Marion bank was robbed, the Bridgewater women went into the bank to get a bill changed and while there, sized up the bank, getting the number of persons in the bank and the lay of the land.


Frazer was taken to the court house, where a warrant was sworn out and signed by Chief of Police Frank Brandon, charging Frazer with automobile banditry, for having been implicated in the South Marion robbery.  Judge J. Frank Charles was notified that another bank robber was waiting to be arraigned in circuit court and arrived in court a short time later.  A plea of guilty was entered by Frazer and after being questioned at some length by Prosecuting Attorney Jay Keever and Judge Charles, was sentenced to from ten to twenty-five years in the reformatory near Pendleton.


Frazer said that he was born in Kokomo and his home address was 1224 South Washington street, Kokomo, and that he had no regular occupation, having worked at the machinists' trade when he could get work, but had been out of work for several months.  He admitted to having been sentenced from Kokomo in 1918 or 1919 for thirty days on the penal farm for attempted robbery and also was sentenced to the reformatory for from five to fourteen years on a charge of November 20, 1920, from Kokomo, and is now out on parole, hoaving been out of prison since March, 1924.


Looking for Work.


He stated that on the morning November 26, the day of the South Marion bank was robbed, that he was looking for work, when four men, whom he knew in prison, met him in a machine and told him that they were looking for some place to "stick up," but had not decided on the city.  Two women were in the machine, he said, but he did not know them.  Frazer said he told them he was out of work and disguested [sic] and that they asked that they asked him if he knew of a good place to hold and rob and he told them he did not.  He jumped into the machine and came to Marion.  One of the men said that they would drive over to Marion and see if they could see some place that "would look reasonable."  They drove to South Marion and seeing the South Marion bank, decided that this place would probably be all right.  The machine stopped a short distance of the bank and Mrs. Bridgewater got out of the machine and went into the bank where she asked for some change from a paper bill.  While in the bank, she counted the number of people in the bank, noted the location of the side door, the location of the safe and other details, according to Frazer.  She then returned to the car and reported things as being favorable.  A few minutes later the party then drove up to the bank, the men getting out of the machine and going in the bank, while the two women remained in the car.


Robberies Planned.


Frazer told Judge Charles, in reply to a question as to whether plans had been made by members of the gang, while in prison, to rob banks, said that they had talked things over, but had made no definite arrangements.


Frazer is the seventh member of the gang of nine persons, seven men and two women, who took part in the robbing of the Upland and South Marion banks, to be arrested and sentenced to prison.  Sheriff Bert Renbarger holds a warrant against Frazer on a charge of automobile banditry and also against the two persons who have not yet been arrested.


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This article is another in a series of follow-up stories to the robberies of the Upland State bank and South Marion bank by a group of robbers, led by my paternal cousin, Harry PIERPONT (1902-1934).  Harry later became famous as a member of the "Terror Gang" with John Dillinger.  These earlier robberies terrorized Indiana during 1924-25.



Black Sheep Sunday – create a post with the main focus being an ancestor with a “shaded past.” Bring out your ne’er-do-wells, your cads, your black widows, your horse thieves and tell their stories. And don’t forget to check out the International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists (IBSSG). This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

John Spencer Cummings (1860-1944)

John Spencer CUMMINGS (1860-1944) was the son of Wyatt and Margaret (HENSON) CUMMINGS, and the older brother of Eileen's paternal grandfather, St. Patrick Merlin CUMMINGS (1863-1929).  The information I had for him was rather sketchy, and contact by a fellow researcher questioning the relationships of the Pace and Cummings families has given me reason to search for more information.

I found a link to John's tombstone at the FindAGrave website.  This also gives a transcription of his obituary from the Democrat-Argus of Caruthersville, Missouri of Friday, December 1, 1944.  Transcription states his birthdate was February 15, 1869 at Savannah, Tennessee.  This may be a typo, as other records place his birth as closer to 1862, such as the 1870 census of Colbert County, Alabama.  His death certificate is online through the Missouri Secretary of State website:

At first I wasn't sure who the informant, Robert TREECE was, but now thanks to the FindAGrave transcription of the obituary, I know that he was a son-in-law.

John married Dollie BRUMLEY on September 22, 1904 in Hardin County, Tennessee.  She was his second wife.  According to the obituary, they had four sons and three daughters.  I found record of their marriage at FamilySearch.

His obituary states that he married his first wife, Martha Adaline PACE, in April 1877.  I found a record on Ancestry.com that may be this marriage record.  This would be taking place in Prentiss County, Mississippi.

John had a total of 15 children by his two wives, according to his obituary.

I still have a lot of research to flesh out these families, but now I have leads for more of Eileen's distant cousins throughout Alabama and Tennessee.

Suggestions And Items To Consider In Writing Your Personal History

This page of tips and suggestions for writing your family history was found in some miscellaneous files by my dad, we are not even sure of the author.   I like the quote from Job that is used: "Oh, that my words were now written! Oh, that they were printed in a book!  That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever!" (Job 19:23).  As family historians, don't we all wish that each of our ancestors had recorded their personal histories and stories to be passed down to future generations.

Suggestions And Items To Consider In Writing Your Personal History

1. Your birth: when, where, parents, surrounding circumstances and conditions.

2. Your childhood: health, diseases, accidents, playmates, trips, associations with your brothers and sisters, unusual happenings, visitors in your home, visits to grandparents, relatives you remember, religion in your home, financial condition of parents.

3. Your brothers and sisters: names, date of birth, place of birth, accomplishments, names of spouses, date and place of marriage, their children.

4. Your school days: schools attended, teachers, courses studied, special activities, associates, achievements, socials, report cards, humorous situations, who or what influenced you to take certain courses or do things you might not otherwise have done.

5. Your activities before, during and between school sessions: vacations, jobs, attendance at church, other church functions, scouting, sports, tasks at home, fun and funny situations.

6. Your courtship and marriage: meeting your spouse, special dates, how the question was popped, marriage plans, the wedding, parties and receptions, gifts, honeymoon, meeting your in-laws, what influenced you most in your choice of spouse.

7. Settling down to married life: your new home, starting housekeeping, bride's biscuits, spats and adjustments, a growing love, making ends meet, joys and sorrows, your mother-in-law, other in-laws.

8. Your vocation: training for your job, promotions, companies you worked for, salaries, associates, achievements, your own business.

9. Your chilren: names, dates and places of birth, health of mother before and after, how father fared, characteristics, habits, smart sayings and doings, growing up, accomplishments, schooling, marriage, vocations, sicknesses, accidents, operations.

10. Your civic and political activities: positions held, services rendered, clubs, fraternities and lodges you have joined.

11. Your church activities: as a young person, through adolescence, churches attended, church positions, church associates, church certificates, answers to prayers, necessity and power of love.

12. Your avocations: sports, home hobbies, dramatic and musical activities, reading habits, genealogy, travels, favorite songs, movies, books, writers, poems, etc...

13. Special celebrations or holidays you remember: Easter, Christmas, national and local holidays, vacations.

14. Your plans and hopes for the future.

15. Your ancestors: your impressions of those you knew personally; a general sketch of those you did not know; father, mother, grandparents, great grandparents, other relatives.

16. Your encouragement and counsel to your descendants: carrying on family traditions and activities; their obligations to their country, church and  family; your suggestions to your progeny and others on honesty, humility, health, diligence, perseverance, thrift, loyalty, kindness, reverence, the Bible and other religious and edifying books; service to fellow-men; your belief regarding God, etc...

Never underestimate the effect you may have on unborn generations in helping them through the trials and tribulations of life by the written word of advice you leave your children, grandchildren,etc.. If you would like them to live upright, honest lives, give them the benefit of your experiences.  Job, of the Old Testament lamented the fact that his words were not written when he said, "Oh, that my words were now written!  Oh that they were printed in a book!  That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever!" (Job, 19-23).  But they were written, and he then gave his beautiful testimony of the Redeemer which has been used countless times as the text of sermons in both Jewish and the Christian worlds.  Your communications to your descendants must be written.  They will also appreciate your life story as a precious treasure, and bless you all their days for it.

17. Hints on writing your life story: tell your story plainly and with directness; write truthfully of uplifting, refined and honorable occurrences and experiences.  Humor helps to make for easier reading.  If you can give the whys of your decisions and changes in activities it may help others.  Illustrate with as many pictures as possible.  Make several copies, or better still, mimeograph or print and give one to each of your children and grandchildren.  Place copies in local and national libraries and/or historical societies.