The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-06-17
The areat Craig-sprAE,le caas.

CtSes + r.f /. L.
Mr.. Sprague admits that he proposed
marriage to the injured plaintiff, induced
thereto by the representations Of her
grumbled at the non-affectionate tone of
his letters, and directed" him to address
her always as "My Dear Amanda She
said she had been engaged before, but
that her lover had deserted her for 81
rich old widow" Miss Craig was going
to give her rival "Hail Columbia" - n,
After they had been engagedsome time,
she told Sprague that she had had an
abortion produced upon her, at which he
was "horror-struck, and resolved never
to see her again. The story about the
mistress was "the invention of an inqui-
sitive old woman who had better mind
her own business" Sprague denies the
money exhibitions, and that the mar
riage was postponed at her request.
During his testimony, the following let
ter was read:
Maccanaw, thursday in
morning july 10, 1866.
''my Dear Amanda SO you say you
Love me how it is Possible I say to my
self the way you have acted in the matre
towards me you know it was wrong to
Demand of me what you did know you
had no right to Do so SO / thought l.
would take Plesur Trip expecting to
return in the course of 2 years 1 am
stopping now on the island of maccanaw
Between Lake michigan and Lake On
tario. my dear you cannott COMPEL me
to do any thing but God can. o God
call on him to Protect me and save me
furm SHINING against his high Laws, now
my dear you should ave used kind wurd
to me instead OF saying you was agoing
to take the Law, do not fear all the
Deavells in hell if I am Right. and god
is on my side. 1 know it will be the
cause of my Death (fair welD fairwell,
fair well, May God bless you. Being
the last time that expect to sec you let
my name sink never to be thought of
NOR SO you soy to me that your friends
will use pistil we'll am prepared to use
them just as fast as the kin and as kuick
kan file my aCdte in gid kdts.
am miserable in my heart sinse parted
with you. The gong rings for dinner,
fair well God bless you my luv fair we'll
Your devoat Elisha.
1t is said that Sprague was tolerably
handsome fellow, few years ago, and
when he won the heart of Miss Amanda
he dressed we'll, dyed his hair and whis.
kers, and wore brilliant set of teeth
He is described by q former acquaintance
of his as having been rather On enter
tanning conversationalist, endowed with
a good memory, and having happy
faculty of adopting the experiences of
other men and making them his own.
But when he ceased to sue Amanda, and
she commenced to sue him, he took him
self to pieces. ''.
At the suggestion of his counsel, pre-
vious to his appearance as defendant, he
grubbed out his front hair, laid aside his
teeth, and wore shabby clothes. He
sowed pimples, and devoted himself to
the cultivation of "arisplace. He be-
slowed his attention on side issues en-
couraged blindness in his eyes, and en-
deavored to manufacture out of his for
mer self en- object which. in the eyes of
n juror, could never have inspired
spark of passion in the bosom of
schoolmistress. The little locket, how
ever, which she seems to have kept night
and day next to her heart, was freely ex-
hibited in tho courtroom, and the con-
trast between the counterfeit present
ment of the gallant of former days and
the withered- looking individual who had
been presented in the flesh, was as
striking as that pointed out by Hamlet
fathers brother.
The scene in the courtroom when the
verdict was rendered was thoroughly
characteristic of Chicago. The jury re-
tired at B o'clock, and after an absence
of scarcely five minutes returned. The
clerk called the roll, and, amid breath
less suspense on the part of all present,
the foreman announced the verdict in
favor of the plaintiff to the full amount
of damages claimed, Sl00,0 000 The first
ballot cast by the jury to decide as to
the verdict, stood eleven for 800, 900,
and one for $50, 900 damages in favor of
plaintiff. The 100000 man remarked
that he guessed he would go the whole
swine, and withdrew his pasteboard, re-
placing it with n ballot for the amount.
The effect of the verdict upon the au-
dieuce in the court room was something
never to be forgotten by those who wit
messed it. When the jury took their
stand in tho box number of the lockers
on behind the bar quietly rose from their
seats, and looked anxiously and eagerly
forward. No one seemed to breathe.
The fair plaintiff, who covered her eyes
with hand arcbiaf 1n,hap fha inru ON