Frank was appointed by Mayor Drew on October 5, 1900. His appointment caused some controversy, partly because his position on prohibition led to organized opposition by the "jointists" in Topeka, and partly because he was not actually a resident of the city at the time. Coverage in the local papers confirms Frank's story that the mayor had to repeatedly appoint him to the position every month due to problems with his confirmation. The succeeding mayor, J.W.F. Hughes, also appointed Frank. He held the position for just over a year and was notorious for his attacks on liquor establishments.

After a hiatus, he was re-appointed in 1904. By June of that year the local Topeka paper reported that he had closed virtually all of the 20-30 liquor establishments in town. In early 1905, mayor Davis replaced him with A.G. Goodwin. Court cases about who actually owned the materials that had been confiscated from the bars and who was financially liable continued for several years. Frank's side generally prevailed.