Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-11-07
HOW II WAS LOADED.


Lore Drake. a0a what Bt CsaseA.
THE Argus has mentioned recent
~ the dispositions being taken at
Quincy rs to the character Of Mrs.
Maud Lord Drake, growing out of
suit for damages brought by Mrs.
Drake against a constable for false
imprisonment at Kansas City. This
story shows how q mountain is made
Of . mole-hill. II also goes to show
the danger attendant upon undue
familiarity with buzz-saw.
Along in March. 1892, a reporter
for an evening paper called upon
Mrs. Maud Lord Drake. the noted
spirit medium. then living at the
home of DIR. Kimmell, on East Eighth
street. and requested seance, says
the Kansas City Times of Thursday
last.
He got it and wrote it up. Out of
that article has grown two criminal
prosecutions. two civil suits for $2O,-
900 each, two for $4,000 each. the
revival of one of the most sensation
nj scandals ever known in this coun-
try and much bad temper, and the
end is not yet.
In his article describing the seance
the reporter for the afternoon paper
handled Mrs. Drake With great flip
pancy. The next evening he went
around to see how she liked it. There
was much warlike talk and finally
Mrs. Drake and DIR. Kimmell slapped
the young mans jaws and ordered
him out Of the house. Later in the
night another reporter on the same
paper. who is. or was. a deputy con-
stable, procured warrant for the
arrest of Mrs. Drake and DIR. kimmell.
They were arrested and locked up in
the county Jail charged with assault
and battery. Bail was offered, but
refused by the deputy marshal in
charge. This Mrs. Drake and her
friends claim was the result of a
conspiracy between Marshal Stewart
and the reporters. and it is fur
Their claimed that the conspiracy was
admitted. in part at least. by both
Mr.. Stewart and the reporter-cOnsta-
BILE in dispositions taken some time
afterward.
The next morning Mrs. Drake
husband. who is wealthy and rather
influential man. arrived in the city
on special train. He had been
notified by wire Of the trouble. He
was informed that there was no
charge against his wife. and she was
released. He Immediately had the
reporter-constablc Indicted by a
grand jury for oppression in Office on
two counts, one in the case of Mrs.
Drake. the other that of DIR. Kimmcil.
The trial OF the first case lasted an
entire week. and resulted in the ac-
quittal Of the reporter.
First Suit. Brought.
Two suits were then begun in the
United States court against Marshal
Stewart on his bond. each for $2O,.
600. Mrs. Drake, the plaintiff. in one,
and DIR. Kimmell in the other. and
two against Constable Mullins, whose
deputy the reporter was. for $4,000
The first of these suits will come NJ
before Judge Phillips. Nov. %.
As was to be expected. Marsha
Stewart set to work to prove Mrs
brakes character bad. Recently, a,
Quincy. ILL.,, his attorney took s
number of depositiOns. Here fa
nous scandal was revived.
In 1873 Mrs. Drake lived with hel
mother in Quincy. In their employ
was q young girl who one day TOLD
Mrs. Drake most shocking story o.
betrayal and abuse by some Fran
ciscan brothers ut convent she Otter
visited. Mrs. Drake called in DIR.
n. Wilson. an old and reputable ply
sician. He examined the girl, thu
story got noised about, the newspa
pers got hold of it, the Chicago
Times sent a man to Quincy ant
made tremendous sensation of it
the girl signed q written confession
some time thereafter signed . re
itractiOn, and within few days wa
found dead from arscnical poisoning
The coroner's jury said that she com
imitted suicide, others stoutly main
tanned that she was .'put out of tn
kway." At any rate, much ill-feelin,
was engendered, and Mrs. Drak'
made many enemies for the part sh
played-although there appears nj
proof that her conduct was Othe
than that Of the good samaritan
|. and these enemies. it is alleged
were the principal witnesse
|. against her in the dispositions taken
These dispositions are now on file il
I the Office of the clerk of the Unite'
States District court in this city.
has been SAID that they go to sho'
. that Mrs. Drake was not woman O
the best character. This statemen
Mr.. Drake and his attorneys vigOr
ously deny. They say that the onl
witness-Dr. Wilson--who testifie
, to knowing Mrs. Drake personally
~ ~ 4 II,