TRUE CRIME: Manitoba killer ‘Bloody Jack’

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By the time Jack Krafchenko reached his early 30s, his name had become synonymous with audacious crime. Born in 1881 in Romania to Ukrainian parents, he immigrated with his family to Canada in 1888, settling in Plum Coulee, Manitoba.

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Despite a lack of formal education, Krafchenko’s intellect was evident. Fluent in multiple languages, including Russian, German, and English, his linguistic skills proved invaluable during his criminal escapades. But his life was marked early by defiance. At 15, he was arrested for theft and sentenced to jail — the first step in a life defined by rebellion.

Krafchenko’s early career took a surprising turn when he left Canada for Australia. There, he trained as a professional wrestler, adopting names like “Australian Tommy Ryan” and “Pearl Smith.” Wrestling brought him notoriety, but it did not hold his interest. By 1902, he abandoned the ring and returned to Manitoba, touring as a temperance lecturer. His newfound role as a public speaker concealed a growing penchant for deceit. During his lectures, he passed counterfeit checks across Manitoba, leading to his arrest in Regina and an 18-month sentence at Prince Albert Penitentiary. Even during his incarceration, his defiance was on display. He attempted a daring escape by leaping from a moving train but was swiftly recaptured.

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After another failed escape from Prince Albert Penitentiary, Krafchenko’s notoriety only grew. He struck a guard with a paint can while on a work detail and escaped with three fellow inmates. While they were recaptured, Krafchenko evaded authorities, returning to Manitoba to rob a shipment of $2,500 before fleeing to the United States. His crime spree extended to New York, where he robbed banks, then to Europe, where he continued his robberies in England, Germany, and Italy. In Milan, he reportedly locked a bank manager in a vault before blending into the crowd outside to watch the ensuing chaos.

In 1906, Krafchenko returned to Manitoba with a wife he met during his European escapades. Settling near Plum Coulee, he quickly resumed his criminal activities, targeting the Bank of Hamilton. Recognized during the robbery, he fled to the United States, only to return two years later. In 1908, he surfaced during a trial in Winnipeg, claiming ownership of a firearm linked to a murder. His testimony resulted in the accused’s acquittal but led to his arrest for the Bank of Hamilton robbery. Sentenced to Stony Mountain Penitentiary, he served three years before moving to Ontario with his wife. There, his temper cost him a boiler-making job, prompting a return to Winnipeg.

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By 1913, Krafchenko’s reputation had reached new heights. Winnipeg’s police chief, Donald MacPherson, paid him for information about a series of robberies. Krafchenko took the money but offered no assistance. In November that year, he was arrested on suspicion of involvement in a robbery but released for lack of evidence. Frustrated by police attention, Krafchenko set his sights on the Bank of Montreal in Plum Coulee. On Dec. 3, 1913, he entered the bank, robbed manager Henry Medly Arnold at gunpoint, and fatally shot him during his escape. Witnesses, including a schoolgirl named Mary Doerksen, identified Krafchenko as the assailant.

A coroner’s inquest concluded that Arnold had been killed by a disguised man strongly suspected to be Krafchenko. Despite the evidence, Krafchenko managed to flee. He threatened his getaway driver, William Dyck, into silence and disappeared into Winnipeg, where he rented rooms under aliases. His attempts to enlist the help of acquaintances eventually led to his capture. On Dec. 10, 1913, police arrested him at a boarding house on College Avenue. During the arrest, loaded firearms were found within his reach, and more than $1,500 of the stolen money was recovered.

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Krafchenko’s trial began in January 1914, but his ability to charm and manipulate continued to surface. He convinced a jail guard, Robert Ried, and his lawyer, Percy Hagel, to aid in an escape plot. On Jan. 10, Krafchenko used a smuggled pistol to force his guards into a closet and attempted to escape using a rope fashioned from a clothesline. The rope broke, and he fell 30 feet, injuring himself. Despite his injuries, he made his way to a safe house, where he was recaptured days later.

The fallout from Krafchenko’s escape attempt was significant. Ried confessed to his role and was sentenced to seven years at Stony Mountain, where he later died. Hagel, convicted of assisting the escape, served three years before being disbarred. The sensational nature of the case captivated the public, and Krafchenko’s trial for the Plum Coulee murder drew widespread attention. In April 1914, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to hang.

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On July 9, 1914, Krafchenko was executed at Winnipeg’s Vaughan Street Jail. His final days were marked by a statement given to Reverend W.B. Heeney, in which he admitted to the robbery but denied firing the fatal shot, blaming an unnamed accomplice. This claim did little to sway public opinion or the court’s decision. The rope used in his execution and the pistol linked to his escape remain preserved as artifacts, symbols of a life steeped in crime and controversy.

Jack Krafchenko’s story endures as a stark reminder of early 20th-century crime in Manitoba, a blend of audacity, violence, and relentless defiance of authority. His exploits, both real and embellished, cemented his place in Canadian criminal history and ensured his legacy as one of the West’s most infamous outlaws.

We would like to give special thanks to the Winnipeg Police Museum, which preserves many of these historical accounts, and to Detective Sergeant John Burchill, whose extensive research revealed the full story of Jack Krafchenko.

Have thoughts on what’s going on in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada or across the world? Send us a letter to the editor at wpgsun.letters@kleinmedia.ca

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