Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1895-05-17
KILLED BY INCHES
The Dying Declaration Of Edward
Irving Darling.
HIS DOCTOR FIXED HIM UP
Dariing's Wife and Physician Spranger
Fell in Love and Wanted the
Husband Removed.

New York May 12.-The dying decla-
ration of Edward Irving Darling. the
composer, has been filed with other doc
uments in the district attorneys office
in the case in which Flora Adams Darl-
ing, mother of Edward Irving Darling
accuses DR.. Spranger of having pois-
oned her son. Soon after the death of
Darling. DR.. Spranger married his Wild
ow. They are now in California.
The affidavit made by Edward Irving
Darling was written partly by himself
in the presence OF witnesses a few hours
before his death. In the statement he
tells how. in December. 1890, he met
with an accident when attempting to
save property for a firm he was with in
Detroit. DR.. O. Betz was the surgeon
and DR.. Spranger the physician who at
tended him.
He declared that the intimacy be-
tween DR.. Spranger and Mrs. Darling,
his wife, began during his illness. Con-
corning this intimacy Darling alleges
Prior to her acquaintance with DR.
Spranger we lived happily. From that
date she was a different woman"
Darling said that this was in the
spring of 1892, and up to that time his
health was perfect. Early in March he
had severe attack of what was called
cholera morbus. lie did not recover.
but kept attending to business. DR..
Spranger, he said, frequently gave him
medicines which seemed to afford him
temporary relief, but left him in a worse
condition. June /. 1892, Miss Clayton
came to my home to write ON the vi
king. We continued at the work until
July 4, when my wife came into absolute
possession of an estate, including an in
come of about $12.00 annually We left
for Washington June and went to the
Ebbitt house. The second day after our
arrival had most violent attack. We
returned to Detroit July Is. / was too
III to sit up and had to lie in my sleep
ing apartment all the way and have
been regarded as a dying man ever
since.
FILLED WITH DRUGS.
The variety and quantity of drugs
he (Dr Spranger) poured into me was
sufficient to justify CHASING me as an
annex to his laboratory He gave no
prescriptions; only medicines. / failed
rapidly. The effect produced was a con
slant state of irritation of the stomach
My mother is witness that she saw
my wife pour the contents of a vial of
yellow powder into the decanter that
sat at my bedside"
The statement continues with the as
sertlon that Darling found that his wife
had Il private letter box He also dis
covered that his wife and DIR. Spranger
were circulating the report that he was
drinking himself to death. 1t dawned
upon him that he was not being proper
ly treated. and he refused to take any
more medicine. He began to recover
after that In November he left for
New York. In concluding the statement
he declared
In November I was improved but if
any man suffered the torrents of the
damned. was crushed, hurt. Inundated
and crucified, | was at that time by
Mrs. Darling. She decided TO close the
house, and l left for New York. As soon
as l left she filed a bill for absolute di-
Vorce for drunkenness, non-support.
cruelty and desertion, which she ex-
pected to obtain, with alimony, through
default
ION January 26 she Joined me in New
FORK, came to my rooms of her own ac-
cord, and lived with me as a devoted
Wlfe until March l. l had improved in
health. We We're at work on 'On the
viking The day she left was taken
seriously i'll and have failed slowly, but
surely. | am dying without hope or
heart"