Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-08-12
TRAGEDY I'm wooDRURY.

Another Murder Added to the Roll of
Connect1cut-A Bride of Five Weeks
Shot by Her Husband-He Shoots
Himself, but Is Not Seriously In
jured.
Shortly after IL o'clock on Tuesday night
the village of Woodbury. was startled by the
sharp reports of a revolver, and soon there
after the news spread that Robert Drakely
had shot and instantly killed his wife. The
Drakelys of Woodbury. are well-to-do farm
ers. Robert, the murderer, belonged in Bal
timore and six months ago went to Wood
bury to visit his relatives. He is between 10
and 90 years of age, and was said to be worth
$50, 900 in his own right. Soon after reach
ing Woodbury. young Drakely made the &C
quaintance of Mrs. Maud Warwick, an
adopted daughter of G. P. Allen, who has
just been appointed postmaster of the town.
Mrs. Warwick, who was divorced from her
former husband, was about forty years of
age, exceedingly well preserved and pos
sessed an elegant figure, and had
daughter 10 years of age. Drakely be-
came infatuated with Mrs. Warwick, and
about five weeks ago went to New York
| with her where they were married. The I'M
|
village gossips were unable to satisfactorily
| explain why rich young man should marry
| a woman twice his age, whose dover alone
| consisted of fine figure and well preserved
face and daughter ten years old. In her
| case they had no difficulty in deciding, and
everyone said f'She married him for his
money" AS regards their married life up
to the time of Maud Drakely's death Tuesday
night accounts vary. Some of the neigh
bors assert that their married life has been
continual round of unhappiness and quar-
rels, while others assert that they were per-
fectly happy together.
Alarmed by the pistol shots Tuesday night
Constable Pierce ran over towards the Drake
ly house. On the way he met young Drakely
limping along with wounded foot and hand
Drakely said he had killed his wife The.
constable arrested Drakely and conducted
him to the house of Dr. Shore, who dressed
the wounds. Mrs. Drakely's dead body was
found lying on the floor of the sitting
room with bullet hole through her heart,
which must have caused instant death.
The wound was made by 32:1OO
Immediately surrounding the muir
der are unknown as there was
no witness but the murderer and his dead
wife. The only persons in the house were
Mrs. Drakely's daughter and her adopted
child. The girl seized the child and rushed
from the house as soon as the shots were
fired. Drakelv himself was shot in the hand
and foot, accidentally it is said, but his
wounds do not amount to anything. Medical
Examiner Munger, of Watertown, reached
Woodbury. yesterday morning and made a
post-mortem. There were four empty cham
bers in Drakely's revolver. His accidental
shooting of himself is not fully understood
ia
and says nothing about it. He admitted
killing his wife last night, but made
no comment to why he did 1t.
He is in charge of Deputy Sheriff Bristol at
Cartrights Hotel. Coroner Hardenbergh of
New Canaan arrived in Woodbury. yesterday
afternoon. There is no we'll defined theory
in regard to the cause of DrakelF's act as
vet There are some who believe that Drake
ly was drunk or partially under the influence
of liquor, but this idea is secuted by the ma
jority. The generally accepted theory is
that the young man was provoked beyond
his ability to govern himself by his wife and
killed her in the anger of the moment.
His fiery southern blood and line
age tends to confirm confirm . this belief S1de5
Drakely was woman of very
high temper, but until the young man gets
be known. Postmaster Nichols, of Wood
bury and other well known people of the
place say that Mrs. Drakely was a woman
whose character was untarnished, which
leaves little ground for the theory that Drake
ly thought his wife had deceived him in re-
gard to herself and killed her because he
might have learned something detrimental to
her character.
Coroner Hardenbergh summoned tie wit
nesses and began his inquest yesterday after
noon in the Office of State Attorney James
Huntington, who resides in Woodbury..
Drakely's preliminary trial will probably
take place to-day.