What happened to Sherman E. Dodge after 1903? - Part IV

It has been a year since I first came across information detailing Sherman Dodge's life after 1903, details that had been lost to our family but preserved in history through newspaper articles and court and prison records. I recently came across a series of newspaper articles from the Oregon Daily Journal that add another source to the chronicles of Sherman's life after 1903. One surprise from this set of newspaper articles is that he is identified by his real name.

July 15, 1909

Dupes Man Out of Wife and Money

            Government officials have run to ground what appears to be one of the most flagrant cases of duplicity ever played by a woman upon her husband, and one that for cunning and daring stands quite alone in its class.

            The principal characters in this drama of life were lodged in the county jail last night and the authorities are now busy gathering additional evidence by which it is believed the principals will be convicted without much difficulty.

            French E. Dodge, a middle aged man of the desperado type, is the man in the case, and Mrs. Orovil Connor, wife of a farmer and rural mail carrier of Shedds Station, is the woman. They were brought into jail late last night from Gresham after their arrest there by Deputy Marshal William Griffith, the old government sleuth. Andy Nichols, special agent engaged as Francis J. Henry’s bodyguard during the land fraud trials here some time ago, and Constable Henry Gullackson of the Gresham District. Griffith and Nichols arrested Dodge and Constable Gullackson, accompanied by Nichols, arrested the woman.

            Orovil Connor, the farmer who has been mulcted out of a sum running close to $1,000 and lost the affections of his wife and two daughters, according to the statement made to the government officials, it has been ascertained, it a highly respected resident of his district and has the sympathy of the entire neighborhood. He admits that but for their friendly advice, he would probably still be playing the short end of a game in which he had been subjected as an easy victim from the start.

Land Fraud Dodge

            The facts as laid before the authorities by Farmer Connor are that October 14, last year, French E. Dodge came to Connor’s farm near Shedd’s Station, and presented himself as a special agent of the government working on the Oregon land frauds and that he was also in the government secret service. He told Connor that it had come to the notice of the government that Mrs. Connor had been located on a homestead at Ukiah, in eastern Oregon, by a man named Marsen, and who was now under indictment and under $2,500 bonds, and that Mrs. Connor had perjured herself by stating when she took up the homestead that she was a widow, and furthermore had never lived on it.

            Dodge said that his position in the government service made it possible to shield the woman and save her from going to McNeil’s island providing Connor would pay his $600 cash to put up for the bonds. He said to further save the family from disgrace he would arrange to have the government provide her with transportation to Canada, where it would be impossible to molest her in the future.

Pays Him Money

            To save the family from disgrace as he stated to Special Agent Nichols, Connor mortgaged his farm for $600 and turned the money over to Dodge. A few days later the woman left, supposedly for Canada, and all seemed well for the time being. But soon Dodge appeared again for more money. He said that it was required to carry on the case and to keep things quiet, and thus, it is alleged, from time to time, he obtained sums ranging from $7 to $20. Quite recently he sent another letter demanding $25. This was a little too strong, and Connor, who had began to grow tired paying what he supposed was hush money to the government, laid the matter before his friends and neighbors. They advised him to place the case before the United States district attorney immediately, and so he did.

Finds Mrs. Connor

            Deputy District Attorney Wyatt turned it over to Special Agent Andy Nichols Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock and by 5 o’clock that evening he had Dodge located near Gresham. But what proved more astonishing to even the old sleuth, was that he found Mrs. Connor there also, and her two daughters, Rose, aged 6 years, and Grace, aged about 16. How they had been smuggled there is yet to be ascertained., but they were living in the tent with Dodge and the woman.

            “It was a quick piece of work,” said Special Agent Nichols, “and the catch was bigger than I expected, for the fact that Dodge was living with the woman was not known until the discovery of his whereabouts, Connor supposing all the while that his wife was in Canada waiting for the land case to be settled. Then it dawned on me at once that it was a case of the woman’s duplicity and that effort was being made to work Connor for all he had.

            “I found Dodge and the woman living in a small tent about a quarter of a mile east of Gresham in a fir grove when I started to locate then yesterday morning. Dodge had gone to the city for a load of feed for Lew Shattuck’s store and did not return till 6 o’clock in the evening. We arrested him as he pulled up with the team and caught him before he had time to offer resistance. He told us later he would have put up a hard fight had he had a gun and the chance. As it was, he surrendered willingly, reaching out his hands to be cuffed.”

            Connor accompanied the officers to Gresham to identify the children. The younger one was brought along to Portland and is now in the his care here, while the older girl was left at Gresham in care of a good family.

            Mrs. Connor was arrested upon a warrant sworn to before the justice of the peace charging her with a statutory crime, and she was brought to the county jail at the same time as Dodge.

            Dodge will have to face a number of charges, any one of which, if proven, will give him a long term in prison.

July 17, 1909

Bulldog Guards Gresham Camp

Place Where Dodge and Paramour Lived Needs no Federal Protection

            A faithful and fearless bulldog is guarding the tent occupied till three days ago by French E. Dodge and Mrs. John Connors and her two daughters, Grace and Rose, and the deputy marshal who will be sent out there today to take possession of it pending the outcome of the trial of Dodge or the woman, will have to be careful lest he gets the worst of the mixup that might follow when the dog discovers that he about to be ousted from his position of trust.

            Dodge, after a preliminary investigation yesterday afternoon before United States Commissioner Marsh, in the office of the United States district attorney, was bound over to the grand jury under bonds of $2,500 to stand investigation in the charge of impersonating a government official, and the woman is held in the county jail to answer to a statutory charge sworn to be her husband. The little girls have been placed with friends, and the only one remaining at the camp, about a quarter of a mile east of Gresham, is the bulldog.

            Dodge was arrested the other day by Deputy United States Marshal William Griffith and Andy Nichols, and Mrs. Connor was arrested by Constable John Gullickson of the Gresham district, but as there was no charge against the bulldog he was left in the tent.

            “I think it would be well for the government to appoint a keeper to look after the property in the tent,” said the deputy marshal, after the conclusion of the examination yesterday, “or people might help themselves to whatever might be there, As it is, there is no one to look after it.”

            “Excuse me,” broke in Dodge, who, after all does not appear to be such a dangerous person, “there is a bulldog out there, and I’m afraid he might not resign his trust even to a deputy marshal. I would therefore ask whoever goes out there to beware of the dog. I don’t want anybody to get hurt, and there is no telling what he might do. And he might be hungry, too, by this time.”

            Promise was given that the dog would be well treated, and the prisoner was returned to the county jail, while his attorney, Seneca Fouts, started out to hunt bondsmen, whom it is believed can be secured, it being apparent that Dodge has friends here.

            The hearing before Commissioner Marsh brought out some statements that indicated that Farmer Connor of Shedds station, who declares he was mulcted by Dodge to the tune of several hundred dollars, beside his wife and children, did not always treat his family as would an ideal husband and father, the oldest girl, Grace, admitting on cross-examination that she had been driven out in the rain by the father. The girl wept bitterly when asked to give testimony that reflected upon the character of either of her parents. She was neatly dressed, as was her 6-year-old sister, who referred to Dodge as “papa.”

            Connor told his story of how Dodge had come to his farm and “worked” him for $600 to shield his wife from publicity and prosecution on the alleged ground of having committed perjury in taking up a homestead claim.

            That Dodge and Mrs. Connor had contrived the scheme in the opinion of the officers, but Dodge says that he will be able to show that he did a kind act in relieving the woman and her children of a hard life on the farm at Shedds station.

            To make certain that Dodge will not escape punishment another warrant for his arrest was sworn out yesterday by the justice of the peace at Gresham charging him with a statutory crime and it was served in him yesterday. The federal case takes precedence, however, and it is possible that the second will be dropped if conviction is secured in the first.

September 22, 1909

Linger in Jail Waiting Trial

Frederick E. Dodge and Mrs. O.B. Connors

Worked Unsuspecting Husband

            Frederick (alias Lambert) E. Dodge and Mrs. O.B. Connors are in the county jail, their fond ambition to locate permanently in Canada with money unwittingly furnished by Connors, finally frustrated.

            "Lovey, dovey, darling little baby boy of mine,” began some of the letters now possessed by Postal Inspector Clement, which Mrs. Connors sent to her affinity. And saying “Sweetest tootsy wootsy,” with things following which the inspector calls “mush,” Dodge answered. His letters also are on file.

            Pseudo officialism was Dodge’s role; innocent and wearied wifehood that of the woman. How they thus pulled the wool over an easy going, affectionate husband’s eyes forms basis for a story which the postal authorities designate as one of the most unique they have even been called upon to tell.

            O.B. Connors was a rural mail carrier at Corvallis. He considered himself to be a happy man for he had an apparently loving wife and three fine children, the eldest, a girl, 14 years old. But he moved to Shed and his wife left him.

            Connors was lonesome, “considerably injured inwardly and the kids needing their mother,” he puts it. So, presently, when the wife returned, real tears of the crocodile brand, dimming her eyes, and her voice breaking with the sorrow she felt for her actions, Connors held the door open and affectionately bade her walk right in – and get supper.

            Then came Dodge. “I am a postal inspector, a special agent, an officer of the law,” he stated with emphasis. Then he drew back his coat, witnesses say, and displayed a large and impressive official star.

            “Your wife,” continued the emphatic inspector, “filed on a timber claim. But she did wrong, very wrong. The way she did it, she is apt to go to the penitentiary. Now,” with the sudden confidence and lowering of tone; “I’m your friend. It’ll take just $600 to square this ting. I’m the one that can do it for you. Here’s your little girl getting to be a woman – she won’t need to have her life shadowed by disgrace; here’s your own to be considered,”

            Connors says that he was thoroughly frightened and he got together the $500 especially as his wife, a pathetic spectator, was even more scared and immediately agreed with the official that she had done wrong.

            Dodge took away the $600, it is understood, with the promise of $30 a month to untangle forthcoming snarls of this case.

            Again came Dodge. “Your wife, she will have to get away. I wasn’t so good as I thought I’d be.”

            Mrs. Dodge with the same strange pathos she had shown before, agreed that she had better skip. But finally it was decided that she could come to Gresham, 14 miles east of here, where she would be safe from prosecution.

            Here, when the postal inspector, following clues and led by the suspicious confessions of the husband, arrived, he found Mrs. Dodge living with the supposed inspector. Another extract from another letter explaining even this. It says, “I love you, baby boy, more than my home and children, and will go anywhere with you.”

            But what makes Connors madder than anything else, he says, is that all the time his wife was in Gresham, Dodge, keeping up the appearance of friendship carried letters between them.

            The hearing of the couple will be held in United States court.

November 13, 1909

Federal Jury Indicts Dodge

Accused of Impersonating Postoffice Inspector in Love Affair

            Franklin Dodge, alias French E. Dodge, was indicted by the federal grand jury this morning for representing himself as a United States postoffice inspector. The evidence against Dodge is to the effect that he made love to Cora Connors, wife of a mail carrier at Shed station, near Corvallis. At the same time he represented himself as a warm friend of the husband.

            While Connors and his wife were separated, he was apparently the agent that brought them together again. When it was found that Mrs. Connors had been making some probably inaccurate filings on public land, he represented that he would be jailed if Connors did not pay various amounts to impede the execution of the law. Connors paid these amounts.

            When the woman and Dodge had money enough they started away together, apparently to Canada. Mrs. Connors representing that she must go or be arrested and imprisoned. Later Dodge and the woman were found living together near Gresham. The principal witness before the grand jury was A.J. Nichols, who acted as a special agent in procuring evidence against the couple.

November 23, 1909

From article: Three Years for M’Intosh

            Mrs. Cora E. Conner pleaded guilty to a statutory charge yesterday afternoon and was placed on parole, after being sentenced to two years in the penitentiary. She was jointly indicted with F.E. Dodge, who is also under indictment in the federal court in the charge of extorting $500 from Mrs. Conner’s husband by representing himself as a United States officer. Dodge’s trial on the statutory charge was set for this morning in the circuit court, but a continuance was granted by agreement to await the outcome of the prosecution in the United States court.

            Mrs. Conner had filed on government land and Dodge, claiming to be a government officer, told her husband she had committed perjury, but he would not have per prosecuted if paid $500. Finally Dodge took Mrs. Conner away with him and they were living together at Gresham when arrested.

December 13, 1909

Tried to Get Wife and Cash

Frank Dodge Stands Trial in Federal Court on Serious Charges

            Charging mayor Orville Connor of Shedd, Or., with using the department of justice of the United States government as a means of getting revenge and again winning the love of his wife, Attorney Seneca Fouts today opened the trial of Frank Dodge, in United States district court, in a sensational manner.

            Dodge, arrested more than five months ago in Gresham, Or., where he and Mrs. Connor and her two children were living, is on trial for impersonating an officer and obtaining between $500 and $600 from Connor.

            Deputy United States District Attorney J.D. Wyatt, in making his opening declaration to the jury, explained the government’s case against the man in detail. He told of Dodge’s discovery that Mrs. Connor, representing herself as having been divorced from Connor, had taken up a homestead in Umatilla County in violation of the land laws. Later, according to the government attorney, Dodge visited Mr. and Mrs. Connor at Shedd, representing himself to be a special agent of the United States land office. He told Connor of his wife’s crime and offered, for the sum of $500, to either take her to Canada, where she could not be convicted, or to “fix up the matter.”

            Connor, according to the attorney’s statement, mortgaged his home and gave Dodge $500. Dodge, instead of taking the woman to Canada, took her to Gresham, Or., where they loved as man and wife. At Gresham, Dodge was arrested by United States Deputy Marshall Griffith and Special Agent Nichols, who was the first witness today, on a charge of impersonating an officer. Mrs. Connor was arrested on a charge of adultery, proffered against her by her husband, from whom she had never been divorced.

            Seneca Fouts in his opening address said the defense would prove that Dodge and Mrs. Connor first met in Umatilla county in 1905. She, according to the counsel, told Dodge she was divorced from Connor and they lived together for more than a year. Finally, however, she told him the truth and returned to live with her husband.

            Learning that Mrs. Connor had illegally gotten title to the homestead, Dodge went to Shedd., Or., and told Connor and his wife that she was liable to prosecution. Dodge will attempt to show that Connor suggested that he (Dodge) take Mrs. Connor to Canada.

            Deputy Marshal Nichols, who was the first witness for the government, testified that Dodge, after being arrested, informed him that for 15 years he had been a member of the United States secret service.

December 15, 1909

Dodge Sentenced Tomorrow

            Sherman F.E. Dodge, known as Frank Dodge, who was found guilty yesterday by a jury in United States District Court, on a charge of impersonating a special agent of the United States land office, will be sentenced by Federal Judge C.E. Wolverton tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock. The jury in the Dodge case brought in a verdict of guilty, after having deliberated only a little more than a half hour.

December 16, 1909

Sentenced for Taking Woman

            Eighteen months confinement on McNeil island was the sentence meted out to Sherman F.E. Dodge, convicted of impersonating a government officer, by Federal Judge C.E. Wolverton in the United States district court today. Dodge, making a personal plea, startled the court by asking that he be paroled so that he might earn money with which to satisfy his creditors. Instead, however, of acceding to his petition, Judge Wolverton imposed the sentence, at the same time scathingly arraigning Dodge for committing “not only a criminal but dishonorable and immoral act.”

December 26, 1909

Criminal Trio Set Out Today For The Island

Principals in Three Noteworthy Trials Will Apply Elbow Grease

To Work in McNeill Island Colony

            Convicted of a variety of crimes, all of then to be marked down as particularly notable in the history of criminals in Oregon, William H. Craig, Robert J. Blake and F.E. Dodge will be taken to McNeil Island for imprisonment by deputy United States marshals today.

            Craig, Blake and Dodge were the three men sentenced to serve terms in the Federal penitentiary on the island, by Federal Judge C.E. Wolverton during the recently closed session of the United States district court. Craig, a 19-year-old Grizzly, Oregon, youth, who was convicted of robbing the mails, must serve, unless paroled, one year and one day. Blake, postoffice robber, will be compelled to serve three years, and Dodge, who was found guilty of impersonating an officer, has 18 months to remain in prison.

            Craig, Dodge and Blake were tried and found guilty within the last two weeks. Each hearing developed entirely unexpected sensations, particularly those of Craig and Dodge.

Romance in Trial

            Just a tinge of romance added interest to the trial of young William H. Craig, who was driver of the Madras-Rainier stage when arrested for robbing the mails. In love with the daughter of L.H. Hamilton, of Grizzly, Oregon, the youth was driven to desperation by her indifference to his manifestations of regard.

            Failing in attempts to win the love of the girl, Craig conceived the idea that she would think more of him if he possessed money. So he decided to steal. On October, 20, 1909, the opportunity presented itself. The boy, as driver of the stage, was authorized as star mail route carrier and on that date a pouch of mail was given over to him for delivery. In the pouch were two registered letters, one containing $115 and addressed to the postmaster at Portland, Oregon, and the other, containing $1, addressed to the postmaster at Chicago, Ill. When the pouch reached its destination both letters were missing.

Youth Wastes Money

            Immediately after the robbery, Craig lavished presents, which were returned, upon the girl, who is the acknowledged beauty of the countryside, and himself appeared in garb which he considered sartorially correct. He spent much money with his cronies, and seemed possessed of an unusually large supply of cash.

            In the trial it developed that Craig, though forbidden in the Hamilton home, went to the father of the girl and asked for the hand of the daughter. He was refused, but before leaving asked if the parent could change a $10 bill for him. Adding a feature to the trial, the father on the stand identified the paper money, which was also identified by the postmaster as Madras, Oregon, as one of the bills stolen.

            Craig, during the weeks he was confined in the Multnomah county jail, and also during the time he was on trial, retained a stolid composure. But when he was taken to the office of the United States marshal, after having been sentenced to serve a year at McNeill island, he broke down and cried.

Bold Robber is Blake

            Blake’s trial was made unusual by the fact that the suit of clothing he wore in court was identified as that stolen from the railway station at Irving, Oregon. Blake was accused of having robbed the railway station and postoffice at Jefferson, Oregon. Both are on the live of the O. R. & N.

            At Jefferson, books of stamps and money orders were stolen, At Irving, the suit of clothing and a mail pouch were taken. When Blake was arrested, several books of stamps, resembling those stolen from the Jefferson postoffice, were found on his person. He endeavored to prove an alibi, testifying that he had purchased the stamps from a stranger in Seattle, Wash.

            Trial of the case against Frank E. Dodge, who represented himself to be a special agent for the government and a secret service operative, was sensational. Orville Connor, mayor of Shedd, Oregon, was the complaining witness against Dodge, while Mrs. Connor, wife of the mayor, was the principal witness for him.

Met in Pendleton

            Dodge and Mrs. Connor first met several years ago in Pendleton, Oregon. She, according to the story of the convicted man, told him she was divorced from Connor. With her were her two children. Dodge took them all in hand, and to furter repeat his tale, supported and cared for them. Mrs. Connor in the meantime had taken up a homestead near Pendleton, swearing under oath that she was divorced.

            After living in Pendleton for more than a year, Mrs. Connor suddenly left Dodge and, with her children, went back to Connor. Dodge, discovering the woman had sworn falsely in the matter of obtaining the homestead, visited the husband at Shedd, and told him of her criminal act.

            Following the line of testimony in the case, Dodge told the mayor he was a special agent for the general land office of the government, and could “fix things up” for $500. He informed the husband that is he could not arrange things satisfactorily with the government he would take the woman and her children to Canada, where she would be out of reach of the federal authorities.

Mayor is Foolish

            But, instead of taking Mrs. Connor to Canada, as he last told the husband he would do, he took her to Gresham, Oregon, where they lived together as man and wife for a period of several months. Connor, hearing of how he had bunkoed, secured a warrant for Dodge’s arrest on a charge of impersonating an officer, and had the woman jailed in a charge of adultery.

            Dodge was arrested by Deputy United States Marshal “Bill” Griffith and “Andy” Nichols. Taken into custody, he warned both the officers that he was a secret service agent, and that his arrest would go hard with them.

            When Dodge was sentenced by Federal Judge C.E. Wolverton he entered the novel plea that he desired to be paroled so that he might pay off several crying creditors.