The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-20
The Story That Edward J. Dar-
ling Was Poisoned
Denied.
HAD NOT LIVED TOGETHER
The Accused Woman Says Whisky
Alone Caused Her First Hus-
bands Death.

francis Xavier Spranger and his
wife, against whom the sensational
charge of having murdered Mrs. Spran
er's first husband by poisoning has
been made by Flora Adams Darling,
are located at the home of the form
ers father, high in the mountains above
here. The home of DR.. Spranger ST.. is
located on one of the Hottest peaks of the
Santa Cruz range, about 5000 feet above
the sea level. The Spranger home is
coy and palatial one, especially for that
mountainous country, and nestles in the
side OF bristling cliff, from which vantage
point magnificent view of Monterey Bay
ana the mountains above may be obtained.
Here in this lovely retreat, and with an
air OF the ideal home pervading everything,
are at present sojourning the pair against
whom the sensational charges made by
Flora Adams Darling startled the readers
OF continent to-day. DR.. Francis Xavier
Spranger is an only son of the owner of
this hospitable house, and he and his wife
are now spending their honeymoon there.
The published charges state that Mrs.
Flora ADAMS Darling, the writer of war
letters and one of the founders of the
Daughters of the Revolution, is seeking the
indictment of both the young doctor and
his wife by the Grand Jury of New York
County on the charge of having caused the
death of her son, Edward j. Darling, a
musician and poet of some renown, by
slow poison. Mrs. Spranger was the wife of
Edward J. Darling, and at the time of his
death, in 1894, at Mount Clemens, Mich,
had begun divorce proceedings on account
0f tho hushandiS disSinatad habits
DR.. Spranger, then rising young physi-
clan, was called in attendance ON Mr.. OAR
ling at the time Darling was first taken i'll,
some time in 1886, shortly after his mar
riage to Miss Gay Beatrice Klingle in
Washington, D. G. DR.. Spranger re-
NAMED in the capacity of family physi-
clan until about two years before the death
of Darling. All parties resided in Detroit,
Mich.
When the CALL representative got to the
Spranger home in the mountains at noon
to-day he found the several members of
the household at dinner. He was ushered
into the parlor and greeted by handsome
young man of about 80, who pleasantly
asked what favor he could do the visitor.
A copy of a newspaper containing the
charges made by Mrs. Darling was handed
to him, with the Introductory remark that
the public at large would no doubt be in
terested in hearing their side of the story.
After carefully perusing the account,
DR.. Spranger called his wife from an adj
joining room. Mrs. Spranger is delicate,
fair-faced womanSa and every line of her
features would seem to indicate refined,
sensitive and highly cultured person--one
oil Ton. ota 81 g,
kind.
why" said Mrs. Spranger, ''this
charge is simply monstrous, utterly ridicu-
lous, too, when taken into the slightest
consideration. We don't like to talk
about such an insane charge and would
rather have you write either to John d.
Conely of Detroit, my lawyer, or refer you
to A. A. Birney, United States District At
torney of Washington, D. C. Both gen.
tlemen rank high, and know something
about all this.
"Our opinion of Mrs. Darling is simply
this; that she is insane. Neither myself
nor my husband have been in New York
for years, and why she should bring
charge like this in that State I do not
fathom. Why did she not do so in De-
troit, where we live? would be the first
one to refute it, you may be sure.
81 have expected something like this for
some time and am not entirely surprised"
Mrs. Spranger stated she had not seen
Mr.. Darling, her former husband, for
year and a half previous to his death.
"ADd how" said she, ''could have poi
soned him? The doctor and l were mar
ried on March 16, 1885, in Baltimore, by
Rev. Mr.. Starr. 1t was public and not a
private marriage, as the papers have
stated. Here is another reference / would
like to give-G. G. Green of the Metropoli-
tan Club, Washington, d. Ca gentleman
who stands high in the community and
who knows US well.
liam not worth million, nor anything
like it. That statement owes its birth to
Mrs. Darling, who is a monomaniac in
money matters. and would do anything, l
believe, for nickel. Mr.. Darling's body
was cremated by the sole request of his
mother. / have affidavits to that effect.
1.-THE only thing that killed him was too
much whisky. Why, he had been drink
ing for almost the entire time of our mar
riage, nearly ten years, and finally con-
sumption carried him off, not poison. At the
IlIue he SdIu ne naQ drank pOlSODeQ milk we
were at the Ebbitt House in Washington.
The milk was bad, and both having drank
it we were both sick. l was even more i'll
than he.
"Mrs. Darling" she continued warmly,
owes so many billsin Washington that she
can't go there, and some time ago she was
even kicked out of the Society of the
Daughters of the Revolution, believe or a
similar society. Mrs. Darling also took
some of that bad milk and was quite sick
That story is made out of whole CLOTH
Mrs. Darling, since my marriage to Mr..
Spranger, even took pains to write and
suggest that he put me in an insane asy-
lum. Mrs. Darling is certainly crazy-at
least that would be the most charitable
view to take of her actions. | have re-
ceived at least 500 crazy letters from her
at different times. / haven't them with
me or IwouId show you one and let you
judge for yourself.
II have two little children, a boy and
girl. The little girl, when only six years
old, was taken from me by Mrs. Darling
and put into convent ] regained her
after while, however, but she was
utterly demoralized by the life her grand