The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-21

BANKERS DAUGHTER
LIVES IN SLUMS
Edith Drake Mckinney Refuses
Refined Home for Cheap
Boarding House.

NEWPORT, r. L. Feb. 2O.-A
woman slightly under middle age, rich
ly gowned, stopped a policeman on
Bellevue avenue yesterday and asked
If there was a law to prevent her
father from kidnapping her. She also
spoke Of a husband from whom she
said she was anxious to be divorced.
The woman, who acted strangely.
was recognized by chance pedestrian
as Edith Drake McGibney, daughter of
James M. Drake, senior member of the
banking firm of Drake, Mastin e. Co.,
of Wall street, New York, whose elope-
ment from her handsome home In New
York with Samuel McGibney, a poor
carpenter, about ten years ago, created
a sensation. The Drake family was for
years prominent in Newport society
and entertained lavishIy in Red Cross
cottage, their luxurious home here.
1t was an old acquaintance OF her
fathers who recognized in the middle
aged woman the former Newport So
ciety girl as she talked in a rambling
manner to the policeman Inquiries
were made, and it was found that she
was living In cheap boarding house
In one of the poorest quarters Of the
city. 1t was learned that for some time
she has been haunting the telegraph
offices, claiming to be a newspaper
correspondent and endeavoring to send
dispatches.
A letter was sent to her father by
this acquaintance, apprising him of his
daughters plight.
Her Father Explains.
James M. Drake, white-haired,
DFoken-hearted and anxious, admitted
yesterday when seen at his apartments
In the Hotel Beresford that his daugh-
ter was living in Newport and that he
knew she was living on a social plane
rar beneath that of her parents. He is
still at the head Of the banking house,
which has offices, in the Drexel build
ing, at Broad and Wall streets, but OF
late he has not been at his desk.
1T was my daughters wish that she
live that way" said the father YEARLY.
Her mind was affected long before
she married against my wishes, more
than ten years ago. have had her in
various sanitariums, but she has never
been absolutely sane.
Last summer I placed her in the
family of an old acquaintance of ours
in Newport, where she could be among
refined and cultivated people, and for a
time she behaved in model way. Two
months ago, however, she insisted
upon moving into cheap boarding
house in one Of the poorer sections Of
that city. and l consented to humor
her.
Il kept her well supplied with mon
ey, although she said she could earn
large pay by writing for the press. Two
days ago, however, 1 received word
from the mistress of the boarding
house that my daughter was becoming
unmanageable, and yesterday I re-
ceived another letter from a gentleman
friend of the family giving more dis
Qufeting news.
II have made no move yet, but I sup
pose I will have to take steps to have
her permanently restrained. She has
not lived with her husband for five
years"
Friends of the Drake family in this
city have heard little of the youngest
daughter OF the household for years.
Eleven years ago she was a handsome
brunette ,twenty-seven years old liy-
ing with her parents in West Eighty
third street She had studied abroad
and was highly accomplished. For sew
eral years, however, she had been more
or less erratic in her conduct. She
spent much of her time at the thea
tiers. Her attachment for Francis Will
son. the comedian, became public
through the actors objection to 1t.
In July, 1893. she brought to her
home Samuel McGibney, a young car
penter, of the East side, five years her
Junior, and told her parents that she
was going to marry him. She had met
him at one of the theaters. The par
ents objected, and were taking steps to
legally prevent the union, when the
pair ran away and were married in
Brooklyn. Later they were forgiven
and supplied with money by the girls
father.
The young wife soon developed pro-
nounced insanity, and for time was
confined to an asylum. She was re-
leased, and in many roles appeared in
the newspapers. She lived with her
husband until five years ago, when they
separated, and her father placed the
wife in a sanitarium.
The mother and brothers Of McGib-
ney said yesterday that they had not
seen him for year and did not know
his wherea bouts.