The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-07-31
ASerio-Comic Breach-of-Promise Case.
The Crais-sprsgue Salt In minoIs-Loye, Poetry
aud Orth0zraphy.

A. OLAAo Sa1~s
The Crais-sprsgue Suit In HIInoIs-Love, Poetr
aud Orthosraphy.
The Craig-Sprague breach OF promise case in;
concluded in Wheaton, near Chicago. Illinoi.
and attracting great attention in the West, prt
sents n curious mixture OF serious affection
criminal experience, and ludicrous correspond
ence between the parties of the suit. The ludi
crOus, however, entirely overbalnnces all othe
effects, so far ~ the public il concerned, as tn
trial continues. The plaintiff, Miss Amanda j
Craig OF Cincinnati. has sued Elisha Spraguc o
Chicago, "a our readers were informed fast week
for 500 900. She j. n woman Of % years. Mr.
Sprague is 81 years old. lie testified when frs
called ON the stand that Miss Craig had confessed
to him that she had been seduced and had beer
subjected to an abortion several years bcfJre
This testimony Il confirmed by that Of two phy.
sieians. 80 far as we can see by the reports oil
the trial this part Of the evidence is unrebutted.
For this apparently sufficient cause Mr.. Sprague
broke off the marriage engagement which he had
contracted previous to the confession.
The ludieTUus portion OF the testimony consists
in the letters which have been offered in evidence
by counsel. Sprague, though n man of large
fortune, seems to have been utterly deficient in
education, and the spelling of hIs letters are more
ingeDiously incorrect than those OF either Arte-
mus Ward or Nasty. An entire absence of
punctuation marks Is natural, perhaps, and CAPT.
tails are used Unfortunately. The writer always
assumes n gushIngly affcctiOnate and fowery
style, and il frequently explanatory and melo-
dramatic. Miss Craig herself is well educated,
and has been n school teacher her letters are
well written, and full Of an affectiOnate warmth
worthy OF n lover younger than SO. you have
no idea" she says in one place, - You have no
idea. dear idol, of my wOrshiping heart-how 1
appreciate one little loving sentence from your
dear fingers" OF these little &. loving sentences"
we select one or two letters from several pages of
similar epistlcs published in the Chicago papers.
The following was written after the confession of
Miss Craig, and ate. Mr.. Spraguc had broken off
the engagement. lie had received a threatening
letter from her:
"Maccanaw, Thursday in
80 morning July 10, 1866.
my Dear Amanda So YOU saw YOU Love me how IL
lit possible L shy to myself the way you have acted
IN the Inatre towards me you know il was wrong to
Of me what you did know you al no right
to Do so SO L thought | would take n Plesur Trip
to return in the cOure of 2 years | am
now on the island of maccanaw Between
Lake Mishigan and Lake Ontario, my dear you
cannot COMPEL me to Do anything But God can. o
Tod call on him to Protect me and save furn shining
against his High Laws now my dear you should ave
used kind wurds to me instead of saying you was
going to take the Law. i do not fear all the DeaveIls
N hell i'll / am Right and god is on my side. There
5 no reasons that can Drive me and I can see as far
IN n mill stone as them that pick lit and you can say
N your Letter to Duning that your relations swear
It me and l suppose you Do to when my back is
.urned- o Lord God / pray to the TO take this Bitter
UP lAOhi NY LIPS " Dl1lly II Il cOulu take ivy
Love from you / would BE happy once more. But
1t IS know it viii be the cause of my Death. (flir
yelD fair well, fair well. May god bless you.
Sei9g the last time that 1 expect to see you let my
lam sink never to be thOut Of NOR. so you say to
ne that your friends will use pistil well am pre-
AIRED to use them just as fast as the kan and rs
.uick. j can fife My waite in yld kats. you charg
ne with one thing that maks me krazy when l think
{ it. The moar i feel and the moar i no il the moar
no II Is false but my god kan it be so and you did
OF tell me IN your letters to me. if knew it was so
r thought it was possible i would jump into the lake
nd bid fairwell TO this world Of troubel. To think
on would keep such a sekret from me. o that god
'ould hear my prairs and take all the luy that /
ave furm You away from me- but i shall go kraisye
believe the way ! feel to day. 1 hav mott slep two
ours for the last thre mites. / luv you above all
hers Mandy. tax your luv furm me if you think
am mott worthy Of it and never menshun my name
nd berry me for ever. If you wud have loyd me we
I'D nave ad a happy time goin round the toun.
Is sum wons or luther goin to urop ingland and
lrrlss and the want me to go with them in Kas i do
IS rite wun KIN lettre Ill let you no in tim of doing
and CIV you the adres. j am in the land now i
IN cud get along better without me. thear is no
uman that Kan drive me. nor man if pleasant wurds {
III Accomplishment anything it will be with me. Ii
so cold and pleasant on this iland gets more so !
cry da If Good guvern this foulish luv i wood be ]
!ppy hear during hoat weather. I am miserable in I
hart sinse / luv fair well. Your devoat c
ELISHA" $
In the following, written below the above, the r
inter- expresses n religious tendency among v
my affections t
"Chicago, April 20, 1866.
50 / cannott write much / cannot see one Bit aut -
Eys Colt the aTisipIgee weary Bad lit is Gett- :
: Beaten l have 2 Letters from you Butt cant see :,
Read them have mott broken them open will soon '
L can Read them | wont trust no wone to Read =
IN or to write for me / doant know how YOU will y
nd these Lines lit is All Gass work I feal well i'll u
Eys wear the sweating is just Going Down n NOV e.
Iorship. the lord gsasHs for the Laws Of god must Il
ooeyed after Put this Letter in - will p
some wone TO Duet. L. C.. s." m
let despite the fearful spelling of ''my own
e love-" he exercised such n spell on his n,
ianda that the lady wrote unto him as follows: HI
Your letters are the dearest possession I have in
b the exception Of your miniature. They are NV al
= comfort, and I would not have them in any other m
n The most artistic lines that could be penned III
other hands are rs nothing to me when compared IN
b the lines Of love and affection your fingers have ca
he perhdious Sprague lavished lis treasures LIT
IN Amanda In the following choice diction: err
l hoap will gett q few lines from you at Chicago an
n mott run tho risk Of n Surgacle operation until nc
we my matters all settled il is n great risk so saws no
warren and . others Butt / cannot Putt lit of oil
ger than next spring at the fartherest Love I me
write you from Chicago and Lett you Know of hin
Particulars about what my doct says Mandy now So
have all of my love and Esteem and respect. an
ow my Love have Been thinking all Day of Won ON,
the onley comfort I have is to Look at your min
c L know you Don't want TO see NEE amy moar
1 want to see you Before now only I did mott hal
to Loose what L had already saved and earnt me
layed up Mt the cost of my Life or in other words Tel
health hoop VIII have enough for to support US tina
get oled and mott be under any obligation for Ore
r.
hese two turtle doves took great comfort in tin
others miniatures, and the festive Sprapue vor
SO Pously inclined that he makes special res
uon oil MS domestic habits. In a letter he ins
es: vii
is very seldom that I 20 at all 7 have o,,v inn
out 2 evenings sence I have been in the Place 7
rd hoo art in heaven bles our 2 harris and soles cha
nth us and glide Us and Protect us O how are
to hear from you l know the way I feel their is oae
: I would av 20 ory - ! WISH L nad ave
arIv ali the Iann;rs~s T - -! : you Ior that exc
, rs eaver you have had all Of my love and sin. -