The Yale expositor., 1895-08-16
Sad Fate Of Mrs. Fanny
DOWney.
Tragic Ending Of a Very Un-
happy Life.
An O4gnce Of Laudanum Did Its
Deadly Mtork
And 1.-The Woman Laid in an UntiEnaty
GraUc.

And tthe Woman Laid in an UntiEnaty
Grave.
Mrs. Fanny Geutrude Benning has
beeniin Yale for several months in the
capacity of house servant, her last
place being in the family of VIM. Clyne.
She,w was IL good and faithful servant
and we'll liked. ON July 3lst she left
ha- place at Clyne's and in company
with young man named Wilson
Downey, farmer boy living near
Melvin, went to Sanilac Centre and
were married by VIM. Dawson, under
the name of VIM. Downs and Gertrude
Drenning, afterwards alleging that this
was done in obder to blind his parents
who seemed to be afraid that such n
match would take place. The couple
returned to Yale and rented rooms on
Kennific street from Mrs Bell, she
staying and keeping house, he return
ing to his fathers farm to- work, in
tending IN the fall to get into more
permanent quarters.
This arrangement seemed to work
we'll until last Thursday afternoon
when man from Brown City, named
William Wilkie, called at Mrs. Bells
asking for Mrs. Downey. Mrs. Bell
suspected something wrong and refus-
ed him admittance, but he insisted on
seeing her, and in loud tones said
some very uncomplimentary things
about Mrs. Downey, and used threats
about what he was going TO do, when
Mrs. Downev, being in an upper room
Just over where the man was talking,
overheard what was said, and was very
much agitated and excited, and show
ed signs of fear, and would not con-
sent to haye an interview with him.
Mrs. Downey then sent telegram to
Downey at Melvin requesting hIm to
come down. He hitched up his faith
er's horse and Immediately came to
Yale, arriving about O'Clock in the
evening. The couple soon after start
cd for Brown City, got her little girl
from Wilkie and returned to Yale,
riding nearly all night and haying no
food or rest. Sometime on Friday
morning Dewney made preparations
to leave for his fathers farm. Mrs.
Downey pleaded with him not to go,
and putting her arms around him sta
ted he would never see her again if he
went away this time, and that she fear
ed if he did go she would be left alone
again III this hard, cold world to strug-
gle alone, and intimated that she would
certainly take poison and put an end
to her existence.
Downey, who seems to be an inn
pressible young man and not gifted
with very large degree of tirmness,
seemed to waver and yield to her in
t1uence, and they finally agreed to end
the struggle by taking the poison and
dying together. Mrs. Downey going
out TO a neighbours, Mrs. Stratton) f,
borrowed ten cents. returned, washed
out a bottle and handing it to her little
girl told her where to go and get the
laudanum. The little girl done as re-
quested. got the laudanum and laid it
on the bureau in her mothers bed
room, her mother telling her to go out
and play. kissing her and babe her
goodbye.
Mrs. Downey then took the bottle,
emptled half of 1t into a cup and swal-
lowed it, poured out the balance and
gave it 20 him which he also swallow
ed. They then took drink of water
and lay down on the bed together.
Before lying down, however, Downey
wrote a short note. signing his own and
his wife's name, stating their purpose,
and that they had gone to rest together,
and requesting Mrs. Stratton, to whom
the note was addressed, to get good
home for little Eva. This was proba-
bly, about II or | O'clock. Little Eva
had been in the room several times
and noticed her mother and Downey
on the bed together. Her mother, she
said, was breathing hard, but Downey
seemed to be awake and conscious.
In the afternoon about 4 o'clock
Downey's father and brother came to
Yale looking him up and were direct
ed to Bells house, and going upstairs
discovered there was something wrong,
and gathered. from appearance and
what the little girl told, that they had
taken poison. Downey was taken
away and hurried to Holden's drug
store where he was given an antidote
and SOON came around. Mrs. Downey,
however, under different circumstan-
ces, Ia longer time having elapsed be-
fore medical help arrived), remained
for "a hours under the influence of the
drug, and then there seemed to be
in the case, over which
the doctors disagree, but finally on
afternoon, "a hours after TAX
ing the poison, the poor woman breath
ed her last.
An autopsy was held which to COM
mon minds revealed not much more
than the fact that the woman was dead,
from the effects of the poison,
or something else which had been
latent in her system was not absolutely
proven.
Mrs. Downey's life history has been
perhaps the same as Thousands of
others, whose history has not been dis