Frank Licher (1877-1918) aka "Poor Frank"

I don’t have a picture of Frank Licher, only one of his tombstone. That seems fitting, somehow, but I’d sure love to find a snapshot or something of Frank. Frank was my great-grandfather’s brother. My sister and I call him “Poor Frank.”
 
He was born in May 1877 in Covington, Kenton Co., Kentucky. We have not yet found a primary birth document. His parents were Johann Matthias Licher and Josephine Moellmann. Frank is found first on the 1880 federal census (taken 12 Jun 1880) in the household of his parents in Ward 9, Covington, Kenton Co., Kentucky. The next record I have for him is the 1900 federal census. Frank was a "wheelmaker" living with his brother, John, and his widowed mother, Josephine, at 491 Hermes Ave., Covington, Kenton Co., Kentucky. He is still there in 1902, according to the Covington City Directory. 

Poor Frank married Hattie Ada Bradley, daughter of Hiram Bradley and Mary A. Beagle sometime in 1905 in Carroll Co., Kentucky. His mother died in May 1905 and Frank was one of the heirs Josephine named in her will. 

Frank Licher and Hattie Ada Licher appeared on the 1910 federal census (taken 16 Apr 1910) in Aurora, Dearborn Co., Indiana. The household consisted of Frank Licher, 32, 1st marriage, married 4 years, born KY, parents born Germany, a wood worker at wheel works; Ada, wife, 31, born KY, married 2 times; and Lena Sparks, step daughter, 10, born IN. The marriage did not last long. Frank and Hattie separated in February 1912. 

On 11 August 1912, Hattie Licher shot her husband, Frank Licher, six times. This happened at the home of Dr. Ralph Tilley in Petersburg, Kentucky. 

The following story appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune and in the Evening Standard on August 12, 1912: "FIRED WHEN HUSBAND DARED HER TO SHOOT - By International News Service. Cincinnati, O., Aug 11 - Frank Licher aged 35 of Aurora, Ind. was shot six times in the abdomen by his wife at the home of Dr. Ralph Tilley of Petersburg, Ky. today, as the result of a dare. Licher and his wife have been separated for some time and according to Licher, he went to the house of Dr. Tilley to beg his wife to return to him. She told the physician that the man was annoying her and he handed her a revolver. "I dare you to shoot me," said her husband, and she shot. Licher was sent to a Cincinnati hospital." A similar story appeared in the Binghampton Press, Binghampton, New York, on 12 Aug 1912.  The story seems to have been widely reported across the country.  Poor Frank.
 
The New York Tribune, New York, New York, told the story this way: "DARED WIFE TO SHOOT - Husband Receives Bullets in Body, Arm and Leg. (By Telegraph to The Tribune). Lexington, Ky., Aug. 11 - Frank Licher, of Aurora, Ind., is at the point of death at his brother's home in Covington, Ky., with bullet wounds in his body, arm and leg, and declares his wife emptied an automatic pistol at him as the result of his daring her to shoot. Licher and his wife separated last February, and she is housekeeper for Dr. Ralph C. Tilley, at Petersburg, Ky. Licher says he went to Tilley's home on Saturday in connection with reports linking Mrs. Licher's name with that of her employer. He says when he confronted the pair he dared Dr. Tilley to shoot and then dared Mrs. Licher to fire at him. He declares Mrs. Licher snatched the pistol from Tilley's hands and shot him. Mrs. Licher has been arrested at Lawrenceburg, Ind., and says she shot Licher to save her life."
 
This story appeared in the Mansfield News on August 12, 1912: "WIFE TAKES DARE - Shoots Husband Six Times During Attempted Reconciliation. Cincinnati, O., Aug. 12 - With the words "I dare you to shoot" still on his lips, Frank Lycher, 25, of Aurora, Ind., was shot six times in the abdomen by his wife at the home of Dr. Ralph Tilley of Petersburg, Ky. Lycher and his wife separated, and he went to the home of Dr. Tilley, where his wife was acting as housekeeper, to beg her to return to him. He says that while he was talking to her Dr. Tilley handed her a revolver. He dared her to shoot him and instantly the revolver spoke. He was rushed to a Cincinnati hospital, where he is in serious condition."
 
The following story appeared in the Covington Post on August 13, 1912: "WIFE IS HELD; HUSBAND SHOT; IS IMPROVING -- Frank Licher, of Aurora, Ind., who claims he was shot by his wife in front of the home of Dr. Ralph Tilley, at Petersburg, Ky., last Saturday afternoon, was removed to the St. Elizabeth's Hospital, in Covington, yesterday, from the home of his brother and an effort may be made to probe for the bullets today. Licher has shown wonderful vitality and despite his wounds, which are of a dangerous nature, is able to move about his room at the hospital. He is in good spirits and asked the hospital authorities to inform any one who inquired about him that he was "doing fine." It has been stated that the grand jury meeting in Boone co. at the present time will investigate the shooting. Licher's wife has been placed under arrest by the Boone co. authorities."
 
Then, in The Post on 14 August 1912: "LICHER'S WIFE AND DOCTOR ARE BOTH INDICTED. - Frank Licher, who is at the St. Elizabeth's Hospital, in Covington, in a serious condition from three bullet wounds which he alleges were inflicted by his wife at Petersburg last Saturday afternoon, made an antemortem statement to Mayor George E. Philipps and City Solicitor Stephens L. Blakely yesterday afternoon at the request of the Boone co. authorities. Licher was shot in the abdomen, leg and arm. He accuses his wife. Yesterday Dr. J. M. O'Maley probed for and removed the bullet from the wound in the leg. Licher watched the proceedings with great fortitude, the pain seeming of no consequence to him. His condition is pronounced to be serious and Dr. O'Maley many probe for the bullet in the abdomen today. His vitality has been wonderful but the wounds are beginning to give him great pain. 
The grand jury, which was in session in Boone co. yesterday, returned indictments against Licher's wife on a charge of shooting to kill, and also indicted Dr. Ralph C. Tilley, who, it is alleged gave the woman the weapon, on a charge of being an accessory to the crime. Each was placed under $2000 bond which they failed to give."
 
On August 15, 1912 , the Boone County Recorder (Burlington, Kentucky)gave this detailed account: "DARED - His Wife to Shoot and She Fired Six Times at Him, Says Licher. - Shooting Occurred at Doctor's Home in Petersburg. - Wounded Man, Whose Condition is Serious, Taken to Covington. - Mrs. Licher and Dr. Tilly Now in Burlington Jail. - Grand Jury Indicts Both. - The following account of the shooting that occurred in Petersburg last Saturday afternoon, appeared in Sunday's Enquirer:
Suffering from bullet wounds in the abdomen, arm and leg, Frank Licher, 35, of Aurora, Ind. employed at the Royer Wheel Works in that city, tossed on a bed of pain at the home of his brother, Henry Licher, 215 Pike Street, Covington, last night and told a story in which he claimed he had been shot by his wife at the home of Dr. Ralph C. Tilley, of Petersburg, Ky., yesterday afternoon.
Licher and his wife have been separated since last February and for some time she has been acting as Dr. Tilley's housekeeper. Licher went to the doctor's home in Petersburg yesterday, as it had been reported that he had been making insinuating remarks about his own wife and Dr. Tilley, who is married. It was in response to a dare, he asserted, that his wife emptied every chamber of a 32 automatic revolver at him and a friend, named Sharp, who he said was a next door neighbor of Dr. Tilley. He declared Sharp was struck in the knee by one bullet.
Licher was taken in a cab to the home of his brother, and attended by Dr. O'Maley. His condition was regarded as serious, and it was announced that he would be taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital to-day.
"I'll take no action against my wife now," he said last night. "I'll wait until the grand jury convenes and then I will present the charges that she left me at the instigation of Dr. Tilley. She applied for a divorce in Boone County, Kentucky, after we became separated, but the Judge refused the decree."
After the shooting Licher was placed on a ferry by friends and taken across the river to Aurora, Ind. where he boarded a train for this city. Despite the serious nature of his wound and the intense pain he walked from the train unassisted and climbed the stairs at the Grand Central Station to the street. He was met there by his brother, who had received a telegram, informing him of the affair.
They were living at Aurora when his wife left him, he said, and went to Petersburg, where she secured employment at Dr. Tilley's residence as housekeeper. The Licher heard rumors that he was being credited with linking his wife's name with that of the doctor. He determined to go to Petersburg and face Dr. Tilley with the report.
Yesterday afternoon he arrived in Petersburg. He walked to the doctor's house and was told the the physician was in Lawrenceburg, Ind., but would return on the 3 o'clock ferry. He waited and was at the dock when the boat pulled in. As he was scanning the dock for Dr. Tilley he caught a glimpse of his wife on the shore. He said she waved to the doctor as if to warn him of danger. Then, he said he saw the physician leave the boat and start on a roundabout way for his home.
Licher waited for a time he declared, and then started for the Tilley residence. He met a friend named Sharp and together they proceeded to the house. When they neared the place, Licher said, he saw Dr. Tilley and Mrs. Licher sitting on the porch. He called to the physician that he wanted to see him. Dr. Tilley arose, said Licher, and replied that if he didn't go away he would shoot.
"I dare you to," Licher said he replied. "Dr. Tilley then drew a revolver and waved it at me," he added. "Then my wife grabbed the revolver, and I made the same dare to her. She fired six times. One bullet him my friend Sharp in the knee."
Licher said his wife's name before marriage was Hattie Bradley, and that she lived at Ghent, Ky. --
Town Marshall McCune, of Petersburg, arrested Dr. R. C. Tilley and Mrs. Licher, Monday afternoon, and delivered them to Sam Adams, jailer of Boone county about 8 o'clock Monday night, who locked them up to await investigation by the grand jury which began its session last Monday. As the account of the trouble given by Dr. Tilley and Mrs. Licher is so very different from the above that it will require a hearing in court before the facts in the case can be obtained.
Tuesday the grand jury returned indictments against Mrs. Licher and Dr. Tilley. Mrs. Licher is indicted for malicious shooting and Dr. Tilley for aiding and abetting. Each is required to give bond in the sum of $2,000.
At last accounts, Licher was yet alive but in a very critical condition."
 
This story appeared in The Post, Covington, Kenton Co., Kentucky, on 15 Aug 1912: "VICTIM OF SHOOTING IS IMPROVING - The condition of Frank Licher who claims he was shot last week by his wife at Petersburg, Ky., was said to be improved at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, in Covington and Dr. J. M. O'Maley is holding out hopes for his recovery. The bullet, which lodged in Licher's abdomen, has not been removed up to the present time on account of Licher's condition, but Dr. O'Maley will probe for it as soon as Licher can stand the operation. 
 Licher's wife, who is being held by the Boone co. authorities on a charge of shooting to kill, is said to have broken down under the mental strain following the shooting and is reported as being in a highly nervous state."
 
Then on 22 Aug 1912 (Covington Post): "VICTIM OF SHOOTING LEAVES HOSPITAL - Frank Licher, who, it is alleged, was shot three times by his wife, Hattie Licher, at Petersburg, Ky., one week ago, was removed yesterday from St. Elizabeth's Hospital to the home of his brother Henry Licher, 215 Pike st., Covington. Dr. R. C. Tilley, who is charged with being an accessory to the shooting, and Licher's wife are still held in the jail at Burlington, they having failed to give bond."
 
And from the Boone County Recorder on Dec. 12, 1912: "The December term of the Boone Circuit Court convened last Monday, with Judge Cammack presiding.... The prosecutions against Dr. R. C. Tilley and Mrs. Licher for the shooting and wounding of Mrs. Licher's husband in Petersburg several months ago were continued on account of the absence of some of the witnesses for the Commonwealth, they having gone beyond the jurisdiction of the court. Since the above was put in type a demurrer to the indictment by Mrs. Licher has been sustained and the indictment resubmitted to the grand jury."
 
On 19 Dec 1912, Frank wrote a letter to the editor of the Boone County Recorder: "Aurora, Ind., 12-16-12. Boone County Recorder, Burlington, Ky.
Dear Editor: - I chanced to notice in your paper that my wife claims she is out under bond, her brother going her bond, and that she is now living with me. I wish to say to the public that such is not the case. I am not living with her, neither do I intend to do so. Yours Truly, Frank Licher."
 
Frank Licher and Hattie Ada Licher were divorced before 19 Aug 1913, the date that Hattie married Dr. Ralph Tilley in Hamilton Co., Ohio. On their marriage license application, Ralph's marital status is listed as widowed; Hattie's marital status is listed as divorced. Each of them stated that they had only been married one time before; this was not true. This was Hattie’s third marriage and Ralph’s fifth. The marriage was over by May 1917 when Hattie married her fourth husband, Hubert Burns.
 
We next find Frank in Covington, Kenton Co., Kentucky up until about 1916. Sometime about 1916, Frank moved to Anderson, Madison Co., Indiana, where his brother John lived.
 
Frank Licher died on 18 Jan 1918 in Anderson. His obituary appeared on 19 Jan 1918 in the Anderson Herald, Anderson, Indiana: "FRANK LICHER. Frank Licher, age 41, was found dead in bed in his room at the Wallace block, Main street, about 8:00 a.m. Friday. The funeral will take place at 9:00 a.m. Monday at St. Mary's Catholic Church, with burial in St. Mary's cemetery. Coroner Earl Sells pronounced death due to apoplexy. The body was removed to Sells Bros. morgue. Mr. Licher seemed to be in good health when he retired Thursday night. He was found lifeless by a man who occupied the room with him. Mr. Licher came here two years ago from Covington, Ky., where he spent his youth. He was a wheelmaker by trade. He is survived by four brothers, John Licher of this city; Henry Licher of Covington, Ky.; Joseph Licher, of Berkman, Ark., and Albert Licher, of Muncie. He had been married and divorced." And a funeral notice appeared on 20 Jan 1918 in the Anderson Herald: "The funeral of Frank Licher will take place at 9:00 a.m. Monday at St. Mary's Catholic church, with burial in the St. Mary's cemetery."
 
Poor Frank.