Mr. Arnold Murdered in 1913
7/9/2009 at 1:56 AM
On July 9th 1914 a few seconds before 7:00am hangman “Arthur Ellis” hanged Jack Krafchenko in Winnipeg’s Vaughan Street Jail.
He was executed for the murder of Plumb Coulee Bank Manager, and local church Choir Master, Mr. Henry Medley Arnold on December 3rd 1913. The hold up occurred at lunchtime when Mr. Arnold was alone in the Bank of Montreal.
After the robbery, the bearded bandit made his escape through the back door of the Bank, but about twenty feet from the building he dropped some of the stolen cash, and stooped to retrieve it.
Banker Arnold was in possession of his own gun, and had followed the thief to the back alley. Arnold shouted, “STOP”, but Krafchenko raised his pistol, and fired instantly killing the heroic Bank Manager. The bullet had entered his shoulder, and severed his spinal cord.
School children playing outside the Bank testified they saw an excited man rush from the Bank, and jump into a waiting car, but the manager’s body was not discovered until the Bank’s Accountant returned from lunch.
The body was sprawled out on an ash pile behind the financial institution.
Long before the execution of Jack Krafchenko, Mr. Arnold had already been interred in Brandon’s Civic Cemetery.
At that time it was one of the largest funerals ever held in Brandon.
Note #1: Mr. Arnold was previously Bank Manager at the Bank of Montreal in Brandon.
Note #2: After Krafchenko’s death his body was given to his stepmother who had organized a rescue team. They consisted of two Witches, a Warlock, a Soothsayer, and a Voodoo Priest.
She personally performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Surprise, Surprise Bloody Jack was not returned from the dead, and was buried at Brookside Cemetery in section 22, grave #546
Source:
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/35/krafchenko.shtml