Lucy (Frakes) Wakelee (abt. 1859 - 1885)

Born about 1859 in Indiana, United States

Ancestors

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Biography

Lucy was born about 1859. She passed away in 1885.

Newspapers

1885-Jun-16, "The Hazelton Sentinel"

TOLEDO'S DOUBLE TRAGEDY.

A Man Cuts His Wife's Throat and then Commits Suicide.

Toledo, June 16 -- This city was startled by a most terrible crime, which is supposed to have been committed about 2 a.m., but was not discovered until nearly 6 o'clock, when Mrs. "Billy" Brown, wife of a saloon keeper and sister of Mrs. Wakelee, residing across the street from the scene of the murder, not seeing any of the family crossed over to see what was the matter. Finding the house locked she raised a window and proceeded to the bedroom. She found Mr. and Mrs. Wakelee lying on the floor, near the foot of the bed, she having her throat cut from ear to ear with a razor, and he with two bullet holes in the region of the heart.

Everthing shows that Wakelee committed committed the double crime. Wakelee had always been considered a sober and industrious man, but last night was seen around Brown's place and was slightly intoxicated. It is supposed jealousy was the cause of the tragedy. He left two letters, one to his mother-ln-iaw, containing $90 to pay funeral expenses. The words. "Dear old mother, do not grieve; it is better thus,"' were in both letters. At the end of one he exclaimed: "Oh. Lucy, why did you do it?" He said: "I have always been true to her." They had no children. ^[1]

1885-Jun-17, "Daily Evening Bulletin"

DOUBLE TRAGEDY.

Toledo Husband Cuts Throat of Courtesan Wife and Suicides.

TOLEDO, June 17. -- Mrs. Wm. Brown, wife of a saloonkeeper on Herron street, who lives opposite the residence of her sister, Mrs. Arthur B. Wakelee, and who had seen nothing of the latter for twenty-four hours, concluded to pay her a visit, but on going to the house found it securely locked. She caused the door to be burst open, when both Wakelee and wife were found weltering in blood and quite dead on the floor of their bedroom.

Appearances indicate that Wakelee first cut his wife's throat with a razor and the suicided by sending a 22-caliber ball through his heart, both razor and revolver being near at hand. A letter left by Wakelee to ex-mayor Guido Marx, of this city, hinted that the tragedy was the result of Mrs. Wakelee's post-nuptial infidelity, and blamed Brown and his wife therefor. Before their marriage, Mrs. Wakelee was an inmate of a house of ill-fame kept by the present Mrs. Brown, who was then also single. There was no outward estrangement between the parties. ^[2]

1885-Jun-17, "The Marion Star"

Jealousy caused Arthur B. Wakelee, Toledo, carpenter, to fatally cut his pretty wife's threat from ear to ear Monday and then shoot himself through the heart. He left money for his funeral expense, and a letter to his mother saying that he loved his wife better dead than alive, and that he blamed Billy Brown and Alice for his trouble. ^[3]

1885-Jun-18, "Alexandria Gazette"

Wife Murder and Suicide. -- Toledo, Ohio, was startled Monday evening by a dreadful crime, the equal of which has never never darkened its history. In a modest frame house on Huron street lived a man and wife named Wakelee. At half past ten o'clock Sunday night they were seen entering their home. It was the last time they were seen alive. At five o'clock Monday evening, Mrs. William Brown, sister of Mrs. Wakelee tried to get into the house, and finally succeeded in breaking a window and entering. She went into the sleeping apartment of the family and was horrified to stumble over the dead body of her sister, with her throat cut from ear to ear. Beside her was her husband, with two bullet, holes in the vicinity of his heart. Screaming with terror, Mrs Brown rushed into the street and called for help. The police took possession of the house and found two letters. One said: "My days with Lucy are ended. Bury us side by side. I love her better dead than alive. Mother, I was true to Lucy, and these are my last words. My two dear mothers, do not grieve; it is better this way; I cannot live without Lucy, but I can die with her. Oh, Lucy, why did you do this? In another letter he enclosed $90 to his mother. They had been married about three years. He was jealous of her. He was forty yeas old and a painter by trade. She was pretty, twenty-six years old, and formerly of the demi monde. Jealousy was the prime cause of the act. The razor with which he cut her throat, aud the revolver that he killed himself with were both found. The deed was committed in bed. Both were undressed, and had fallen, after a struggle, at the foot of the bed. ^[4]

1885-Jun-19, "Bristol Banner"

A DOUBLE TRAGEDY!

TRAGIC MURDER AND SUICIDE OF ARTHUR WAKELEE AND HIS WIFE, AT TOLEDO.

THEY WERE FORMERLY RESIDENTS OF BRISTOL, AND ARE WELL KNOWN IN THIS COMMUNITY

HE CUTS HER THROAT AND SHOOTS HIMSELF DEAD.

From the Toledo Evening Post of Tuesday we glean the following facts concerning this awful termination termination of the life of one whose past life has been the subject of much comment in this community.

Arthur Wakelee, the husband. was a carpenter living with his wife Lucy Wakelee, nee Miss Lucy Frakes, at 134 Huron street, Toledo. On Monday night last at a late hour they retired, and were found the next day by her sister, Mrs. "Billy" Brown, who lived near by, and who not having seen her that morning (it being then about 10 o'clock,) went into the house through a window and on entering their room found them both weltering in their blood upon the floor. Their position indicated that he had cut her throat while asleep, with a razor, and had then shot himself through the heart twice with a 22 calibre revolver, which was lying near him. A letter written bv him and left to Mrs. Sarah Frakes, indicated that jealousy was the cause of the act. ^[5]

Sources

Census

"United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXXV-3RY : 12 April 2016), Lucy Frakes in household of Hiram Frakes, Indiana, United States; citing p. 22, family 31, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 545,810.

Footnotes

1. ↑ "The Hazelton Sentinel", (Hazelton, Pennsylvania), 1855-Jun-16, page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/166928447/
2. ↑ "Daily Evening Bulletin", (Mayville, Kentucky), 1885-Jun-17, http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%2023/Maysville%20KY%20Daily%20Bulletin/Maysville%20KY%20Daily%20Bulletin%201884-1886/Maysville%20KY%20Daily%20Bulletin%20-%200049.pdf
3. ↑ "The Marion Star", (Marion, Ohio), 1885-Jun-17, page 2, https://www.newspapers.com/image/299669027/
4. ↑ "Alexandria Gazette", (Alexandria, Virginia), 1885-Jun-18, page 4, https://www.newspapers.com/image/347353730/
5. ↑ "Bristol Banner", (Bristol, Indiana), 1885-Jun-19, page 2, https://www.newspapers.com/image/137825581/