, 1873-06-17
DISCIsEDITED.

4NC<AE IOEAS6 DGAShs
IIua Confession Dtscrotlitcds
A special dispatch from Decatur, Ill, publish
I'd in yestorday'a TRIBUNE, contained IN account
Of the alleged poisoning of six porpons by
1lrs. FORK, who admitted on hor doath-bed TINT
sho killed. thom. Tho telegram stated tho
in 6eptombar Liant A. W. Drnko farm
or who lived nonr Moamoqun, diod vcry
suddenly and under circumstances which indi~
Gated foul play TINT tho stomach Of tho de-
ceased waa aont to St. Louis for examination,
but for some unexplained reason the contents
woro never analyzed. At tho time OF Mr.. Dralto'a
death his nother-in-law. Mrs. York, was koopiug
house for him. Tho dispatch tusthor stated TINT
Mrs York WIS taken Violently i'll at tho residence
Of hor son in Kansas, and, boing nssured that
Bllc could 1.-Two but q fow hours, made confess
sion, tho substance of which waa TINT Bhe had
poisoned her husband in 1866, Mrs. A.
W. Drake, Aor daughter, two children OF
A. ". Drnko, her grandchildren tho
wife Of Z. Il. Drake, md A. W. Drako, add
| ing that oha had mixed a dose Of poison for her
aon, but had takon it herself by mistake.
This story is indeed sensational, and would
mako Mrs. York tho peor Of Mrs. Sherman il it
were true. MIR. E. r. Drake, whose wifo il said
to have been Quo Of her victims, lives in Chi
cago, md Ia in tho employ Of Allen j. Mnckoy,
dealers in carpots. a reporter OF TIE Tn1nuNE
called on him yesterday morning for inIor-
mnton regarding Mrs. York and tho
Drake family, and was told that ho
| had heard nothing Of Mra. Yorks DEATH lIo
dlacrodited tho story. romarking TINT, eyon If
Hhe mnde the statement attributed to her, 1t waH
| nntruo, and could have been uttered only while
! hor mind was i'll al abnormal condition. Mrs.
| York, he said, waa insane IN 1851 Of 1862, and
had to be watched, although she was not violent.
sho was very old-at 1osat 72-and childish.
While on witt to friends in Minnesota, III tho
mind Was unsound, and hor son, who Ivos
ut Prescott took snch good care Of hor
that aho apparently recovered, and fow yeara
afterwards went to live with 4. W. Drake, ut
village, and requesting her, to como. His vito
lad child whilo she lived thoro, and was never
popularity. called "milk leg. aud dying after
A1r Drake himself died, as tho noighbors itn-
| ng1nod, under suspicloun circumstances. He Was
takeu i'll at 10 o'clock in the evening, and ox-
pired at o'clock tho ne1t morning. He had
| been subject to cramps in his limbs for two
years,. and frequently remarked that he
was afraid they would carry him OF suddenly.
| His death was guppoAod to have boen caused by
heart disease, but some physicians thinking pol
| Bon had boon administered, it was dotcrmiued to
sond tho stomach to st. Louis and hayo tho con-
| touts analyzad. Alr. e. r. Drake. of Chicago,
aud Mr. p. J.. Drake, Of indianapolis, brothers
| OF tho deceased, wont to Moamequa to attond tho
funeral, and. having no suspicious Of foul play,
declined to pny tho 1900 demanded for au enaly
ais, and accordingly i WIZ not made. They heard
talk OF the supposed orirninality Of Mrs. York,
but thoy placed no relianco on what was whis-
porod. sho loved bfr. Drake better than lcr
own Ron. aud showed her regret for his death by
crying for several hours. Ble too, leartl tho
runlors afloat, aud wns grioyed at them. After
tho interment Of Mr. Drake, abe won't to 1.-Two
with her son, Jerome D. York. who has farm
I noar Ouichata, kanaas. In regard TO his own
wife, Mr.. =. =. psako tola 1'llE TRIBUNE ro:
porter that Bho died Juno 8, 1864, In Chicago. Of
eeengostiyo chilla, without ovos having soon
lAvo poisoned her when hundreds Of nios
children died in Decatur. They were worry
tAoir father at tho 4in,o Her husband was
alive then, and they lived together on their farm
somewhere iu Illinois: Mr.. York died very Hid-.
| denly. Tie WA found in tho atIblo ono morning
dead and, as he had two or thrco attacks Of heart
disease, that was beloved to layo cauBod bis
| deatia. Mrs. York lad threo daughters, two Of
whom, arc dead. Ono of Ihoso wnN Mrs. A. ".
Drake, a1ld tho othor Mrs. DR.. HoBouberg, Of
Jacksonville, I'll.
The stntemont Of Mr.. Drake certainly shows
that 1irs. York could not laYe poaoneu tllrco OF
tho porsona ailo in said to hnye admitted killing
and l,euca 1t ls worry probable TINT tho confeaHio1
| II made, WAS uttered wllito suffering from mou-
/ tai alteration.