The sun., 1903-06-14
ADVENTURES UP FOR MURDER
4 SENSATIONAL TRIAL ABOtT
TO BEGIN IN INDIANA.
Former Claimant 10 the GOelet Estate
Accused " POisOniDS the Farmer
Husband Who Met Her Through an Ad.
VertiseInent--.He FOretOld His Death.

ISDIAEApOILS, June 13.-Mrs. ROBERT y.
Drake of Fountain county, who has been
before the people of Indiana and, mel
dentally, Of the rest OF the country Tor the
last twelve years as successiul ad-
venturess, will le called for trial In the
Circuit Court In few days for the alleged
murder of her husband. Drake was sue
cessful Wisconsin farmer who answered
a matrimonial advertisement in Chicago
paper, became fascinated with the adver-
iscr and in less than month had sold out
his possessi and turned over his money
TO her. The only strange thing about this
to those who knew the woman was that she
married him after getting his money. Her
rule had been to fleece her victims and
escape the entang ements that matrimony
might bring.
Mrs. Drake first came prominently into
notice as a claimant for the sc2, 900 900 estate
of Peter Goelet She contended that
Goelet's wife and her own mother. Mrs.
Carson McElwee, were sisters; that both
became mothers about the same time and
that the two infants, she being one OF them,
wero exchanged. She said that her foster
father had told her the story on his DEATH
bed and explained that birthmark on her
right hand which is very clear, would es-
tablish her heirship to the Goelet estate.
Eastern attorneys came to Indiana to
see her and the case attracted much at
tention, but, unfortunately for the claimant,
her story was exploded when woman was
found who had been present at her birth
and would have testified that the story
was a fabricati ion. She has always as
serted, however. that she received money
lo,, ,lla lnir
The woman next appeared in an escapade
with Edward Hathaway, well-to-do Fo'in-
tain county farmer. who had fallen in love
with ker. At that time she was Mrs Calvin
Myers. She and Hathaway arranged to
clone. When they started Hathaway had
81 100 in a belt around his waist AS soon
az Mrs. Myers could relieve him OF ms
money she returned to her husband She
was arrested, convicted and sentenced to
the Woman's R.formatory, but Hathaway
never recovered cent Of his money.
Her next victim was Calvin Van Metre,
n blind man who possessed -four mill,
a farm and q general store. This property
passed to her by a series of transfers and
when he died his heirs sued in vain for its
recovery. 1t was with this record that
she advertised for husband and found
one in Robert j. Drake. Wisconsin farmer
of more than average intelligence.
Drake had been in the Fountain county
home OF his new wife ONLY short time
before he began to throw out hints to neigh
bors that he was disappointed in his matri-
monial venture. When he bad come to
zee the widow he was told of the suspicious
against her, but turned a deaf ear to the
stories, accounting for them on the ground
that the neighbors were jealous OF the
widow. After a few weeks. however, he
saw evidence in his home that his wife was
engaged in harboring unfortunate young
women and that illegal practices were fire.
uuent,y resorted to- When he prot tested
she tried to quiet him by showing him large
sums OF money which she had received
from her patients"
Drake was afraid OF the law aud there
were frequent ouarrels. Three weeks he
fore his death he professed to believe that
he was being poisoned bv his wife and called
three of his neighbors in for consultation.
He read to them letters his wife had re-
ceived from patients" and told them that
he had secured certain instruments which,
if he died. would be found buried at GER
tain place near the barn.
till he was dead and they were apprised
by the undertaken that his death should
be investigated. While the body was
still warm. Mrs. Drake insisted that it
should be embalmed at once, but the pnv-
sician refused to let the fluid be injected
into the veins and ordered an autopsy
Tests of the stomach and intestines by
an analytical chemist showed that Drake
had died of sulphate OF zinc poisoning and
Mrs Drake was arrested and charged
with the crime. The three neighbors con-
suited the prosecutor, told Of the contents
OF the letter and indicated the place where
the Instruments of which he had spoken.
could be found. Search was made, but
not a letter nor an instrument could be
found. But the ground. where the in
struInents were said to have been buried,
had recently been disturbed.
Mrs Drake il about so years old and is
still a remarkably pretty woman. She
Is a good talker. has a low, sweet voice
and Il well equipped to deceive the un-
suspecting. She has accumulated large
bank account. owns several farms, and has
always been the hest dresser in the rural
community. She denies the murder of
har husband and declares that her arrest
is the result of prejudice among her neigh
bors against her superior refinement and
her stylish clothes,