Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1851-10-15
A TRUE STORY.

A TRUE STORY.
The lovers of the marvellous have here
tale of mystery from the far-off Lake Mem
phremagog. 1t is beautiful sheet of water
lying partly in Canada and partly in Vermont
and the narrative is from the Burlington Ere
Press, and we believe strictly true:
Some thirty years since, Burdick Spragut
took up his residence in Morristown. He seem
ed to be very quiet and peaceable man, ant
seldom made any words with any one, unless
spoken to. Many, believing that brevity was
the soul of wit" thought him remarkably
shrewd and uncommon man. He had no bust
ness in particular, though it is said that former
ly in Brookfield, in Orange County, where his
parents resided he had been engaged in the
grave-stone business Becoming more acquain-
ted, after his arrival at Morrstown, he frequen-
ted the taverns and public places, and was very
naturally accused of gambling and drinking
He continued to live in Morristown, leading the
life mentioned, (and it is also said that he loan
ed money, bought up notes, &c., without any
particular incident, except the breaking of his
arm until about June, lS49, when the Grand
Jury found bill of Indictment against him for
perjury; he having obtained possession of a
farm in Morristown for the accommodation OF
the parties concerned and afterwards, when all
trouble had blown over, or during the penden-
cy of the investigation of the title, he commit
ted the offence of which he was charged.
An immediate arrest of Sprague was made
and he was lodged in Jail, but his friends soon
gave the required bail, and he was permitted to
60 at large. He soon after left this section OF
the country, and was not again heard of until
some time in November, lS49, in the vicinity of
Lake Memphremagog, where he had been stop
ping for some time. At this time, November
lS49, great excitement prevailed in the vicinity
where he had been stopping, as he had suddenly
and unaccountably disappeared, and no knowl-
edge of him whatever could be obtained He
had been seen just before this disappearance
with one Bill Clark, and companion of his
who were both Of rather notorious reputation
having been up for trial for the murder of Par
ker, of Manchester, N. H., of which they were
not found guilty. Diigent search was made
for Sprague the country in the neighborhood
was much excited, the greatest interest was felt
to know his whereabouts, and large parties were
on the lookout; but all to no purpose. The
conclusion was that he had been robbed and
murdered, and his body secreted. When all
hopes Of finding him were abandoned, mar
ried sister, residing in Craftsbury, opened his
trunk, and there found eight or ten hundred
and some say fifteen hundred dollars in bank
bills, but nothing to lead to the discovery OF
his fate
Everything continued in this mysterious state
until Thursday, July 3lst. when the body, so
long missing, was found in Lake Memphrema-
cog.
The history of its discovery is as extraordi-
ofriys hat fho
Two gentlemen from Stanstead, who were
DESTROYS Of fishing, set out with that view some
day last week. Wishing small boat, they EN-.
ployed man well acquainted with all parts of
the lake, and who usually attends all fishing ex-
cursions, to row while they should fish. Du-
ring their excursion, they requested the man to
row the boat into certain small cove. To this
he objected-saying there were no fish there,
and that it was bad place to go into, &c.,
the result Of which was they went in some 9TH
er direction. Relating this incident after their
return, their curiosity was excited to learn or
to know what the boatman's real objections
could have been to 60 into the cove alluded to.
Suspicious were aroused-curiosity was excited,
and it was resolved to get up party and make
a visit to the mysterious cove. A party was
formed on Thursday last, and in due time they
reached the suspicious cove, where, most strange
to relate, was found the dead body of Burdcly
Sprague The throat was cut, the coat drawn
over his head, and there fastened with his sus-
penders.
Notwithstanding he had been missed for a
period of twenty-one months, the body was in
wonderful state of preservation-so much so
that it was recognized at once as that of the
long-lost Sprague The depth of the water
where the body now foated upon the surface,
has not been learned. 1t is supposed that it
had been sunk by some weight-and to confirm
this it is said that one arm had decayed and
dropped of, supposed to be owing to the effects
of the cord to which the weight equired to sink
the body was attached. The recovery of the
body under such peculiar circumstances, and af.
ter mysterious absence of nearly two wears,
created great excitement in the vicinity. Sus.
picion rested at once upon the boatman, who
fled the country before the officers of justice
could overtake him.
The wonderful preservation of the body; the
manner Of Sprague's disappearance, and the
recovery of his remains; the conduct of the
boatman, in endeavoring to avoid the cove, and
his escape as soon as The body was recovered
torether with the general mvaterv of thu vrhn1e