The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-20
WAS DARLING Poisoned?
Sensational Charges Against Mrs.
Francis Spranger.
DENIALS FROM WASHINGTON
The Stories In Regard 70 tho Alleged
Poisoning Are Compared to the Works
Of Rider Haggard-Effest Of
Mysterious Medicine.

Flora Adams Darling. widow or con-
federate general in which she AYERS
that her son, Edward Irving Darling,
who died at Mount Clemons Mich, on
Feb. 13, 1894. was poisoned. The inves-
tigation Of the case Is now practically
completed, but what action the district
attorney will take is not as yet known.
John Quincy Adams, the brother OF
Mrs. Darling and uncle OF the dead
man. had some further details of the
story to make public this morning.
MY sister and I know just what we
are about in bringing these charges
he said. We have submitted to the
district attorney affidavits which con-
tain positive proof that my nephew was
systematically poisoned In this city, In
Washington and in Detroit. We have.
for instance. the affidavit Of board
ing house keeper in Detroit. She swears
that an attempt was made to poison
him In her house one morning at break
fast. Fortunately he detected 1t ana
would not eat the food.
Again, we have the dying statement
Of my nephew; but what We consider
the best proof Of all is in some medi-
cine which we have submitted to the
district attorney. When young Darling
was visiting my sister here in 1893 he
brought some medicine with him. For
few days he stopped taking 1t, and
Immediately began to improve. My
sister naturally thinking that the I'M
provement was due to the medicine,
innocently asked him at once to re-
sumo taking it. He did SO one morning
in her presence
Instantly he was seized with con-
vulsions and came near dying then and
there. He took no more Of the medi-
cine, but it was preserved. and is now,
as l have said, in Colonel Fellows
hands.
THE way in which the poison was ad-
niinistered was in some whisky, which
my nephew took several times each
day"
Compared to Rider Haggard's Tales.
Washington, April l9.-An afternoon
paper publishes the following card in
reference to the charges Mrs. Flora
Adams Darling has made against Mrs.
. Francis Xavier Spranger, of having
poisoned her first husband. Edward l.
Darling, son of Mrs. Darling:
-"Th0- a hsence of the accused lady on
a wedding tour in California imposes on
me the duty Of cautioning the public to
place no confidence in the sensational
statement published in the morning pa
pers From facts in my possession, OBJ
:. tained in a long and intimate relation
to the principal parties as attorney and
confidential adviser, my judgment is
that the statements are as imaginary
as anything in Rider Haggard's novels.
(Signed) William Birney."
The charges of Mrs. Flora Adams
Darling. of New York, to the effect that
her son, the late award l. Darling.
who died in Michigan in February,
1894 was the victim of poison admins
tered by his wife and physician, DR..
Spranger, who married his widow, meet
with little credence here, where Darling
and his wife lived for some time, not in
very happy accord it appears, If the
Washington friends Of the Darlings are
correct In their assertions This sensa-
ton has reached a prominence that
gives 1t more than ordinary interest,
owing to which United States District
Attorney Birney, of this city, has ad-
dressed a letter to the Post, in which
he says that he Is in a position to state
unqualifiedly that the charges made by
Mrs. Flora Adams Darling ARE wicked
to the extreme; prompted by the ut
most hatred for her daughter-in-law,
that hatred being caused by her de-
feated attempt to obtain part of the
property which belongs to Mrs. Sprang-
err and which came to her, not from her
husband, who married her when she
was a child of II, but through her ia
ther's relatives"
Death from tuberculosis.
When Darling died, as Mr.. Birney
states, his wife was living apart from
him and maintaining al suit for divorce.
She had not seen him for months and
his attending physicians certified that
his death resulted from tuberculosis.
District Attorney Birney further writes
that upon the death of Darling his
widow. hearing Of the stories of his
having been poisoned and acting under
the advice Of one Of the most reputab BILE
attorneys Of Detroit, sent two physi-
clans, DR.. Byron r. Erkine and DIR.
Joseph N Croman, to his mother to re-
quest that post mortem examination
be made and II is shown that the au-
topsy was not allowed. Mr.. Birney in
his correspondence, includes a letter
from Dr. Erskin verifying the assertion
made by him which Is further indorsed
by DR.. Croman, and Mr. Blrney con-
cludes his communication as follows:
After the death of Mr.. Edward l.
Darling which occurred In February
1894, his mother endeavored to force
her daughter-in-law, through threats
of these charges, to pay her money
and discharge her debts, amounting tc
several thousand dollars. This she re.
fused to do, having no love or effectior
for the woman who had, more than any
other person, been the cause of her un
happiness with her first husband, anG
who had even gone so far as to en-.
deavor to get her incarcerated in @
lunatic asylum.
my acquaintance with the present
, husband Of the young lady has beer
brief, but from his reputation in De.
triot, where he is known from his ap
peurance and manner, ne Is beyond
question an honorable and upright
gentleman, Of the best standing In his
profession which 80 young man could
attain. and utterly Incapable of enter.
taining the idea Of such a horrible crime
as IL here charged against him by the
wicked woman. who seeks to blast tho
married life Of this young pair"
Murdercrs Released.
Harrisburg. April l9.-The pardons OF
Peter Kreckman, Philadelphia. and John
Bradford, Allegheny. both In prison for
<.asn - -, m n uala uphfar vyara ordaroA to