Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-07-10
A TRAGIC AFFAIR.
A BANKER LOSES HIS WIFE, KILLS HIS
DAUGHTER, AND COMMITS SUICIDE.
HIS DYING LETTER.

LILO y L 1IN0
&c. &c. &c.
On Sunday afternoon Joseph S. Sprague,
Well-knoWn banker of West Medford,
Mass, left his residence with his little
daughter, Maria, ostensibly for an even
ing walk. He had been in depressed spir-
it's for some two months on account of
the death of his wife. AS he was late re-
turning, his friends began to apprehend
some i'll. The Boston Post says:
MI. Thomas L. Sprague, the brother of
Joseph S. Sprague, who has been living
with him since the death of his wife, to-
gether with his mother, went to Joseph's
room to see if he was there. or if anything
was left to indicate what his intentions
were in going away. In searching his
desk they found a letter directed to them,
which left no room for doubt as to his mo-
tive and the fate of himself and little girl.
The letter was written in plain hand
upon sheet of common note paper, and
read as follows:
My Dear Mother, Father, Brother, and
Sister ICY gu must forgive me for inflict-
ing upon you such q terrible shock as /
know this will be, but [ have been trying
to resist it ever since my dear Julia died,
and can resist no longer. 1 cannot live
any longer without Julia, and | am only
taking the dear little girl from world of
trouble and sorrow to one of happiness,
where she will be with her dear mother,
who wants us and is waiting to meet US
I | think | am doing right and what will be
best for all concerned, as | think you will
see upon reflection after the first shock
has passed away. If I should live great
while longer I should be insane, and I
think it best to go before that time comes.
am not afraid to meet my Creator, as my
right If l am wrong, / know he will for
give me- You will find us in the woods
back Of the Poor House. Follow the road
as far as you can until you come to the
woods" JOSEPH.
The police were Immediately notified
and search was instituted, but Sunday
night passed and no trace of the missing
ones could be found Early yesterday
morning the searching party, augmented
by a large number of citizens, went again
to the woods, and between s and O'Clock
the dead bodies of both Mr.. Sprague and
his little girl were discovered by Mr.. w.
G. Frederick, who was accompanied by
his two sons, in the town Of Winchester,
near the Medford line, about mile and a
half in the rear of the Medford Aims
house. Mr.. Sprague was lying on his left
side with seven barrel Allen & Wheelocll
pistol under him and a handkerchief un-
der his head Five of the seven barrels of
the revolver were loaded and four of the
cartridges bore the indentation made by
the hammer, though but two of them
were discharged. There was a small, il
regular hole over the left eye of the faith
er, showing where the fatal bullet had en-
tered the brain, and the left side Of the
head was considerably discolored. At her
fathers feet lay the little girl Maria,
dressed in her Sunday attire, and with a
handkerchief bound about her head. She
the ball had passed nearly through to the
other side of her head. Mr.. Sprague' 3
coat lay few feet away, and near it were
a half-pint rose-water bottle empty, and a
four ounce bottle containing about an
ounce of what was supposed to be whis-
key and ether, a two-ounce vial with a
small quantity of a preparation of NOR
phine, a small syringe for simultaneous
injection, q paper of white sugar, a small
wine glass, and a tablespoon. The glass,
spoon, and syringe had evidently been
used, and the sugar was very moist, as if
it had been accidently wet. In the peck
cts of MI. Sprague's clothing were found
a lead pencil, a penknife, a box of five
PlI1IlC PIIlo ctlltt q ollCCC VI
on the first page OF which were written
these words:
I have grown crazy so fast to-day that
I should be entirely so before tomorrow
night if [ lived.
On the third page, written apparently
after the efforts to destroy the child by
the use Of the morphine and ether had
proved unavailing, were written these
words:
cit was hard to shoot her, but the NOR
phine did not take any effect"
The company gathered about the pitiful
sight, a bier was constructed and the bod
les were placed side by side on a bed in an
upper chamber.
Mr.. Sprague was considered by his en-
ployer, and by those with whom he was
associated, as a man whose character was
above reproach, and in whom there was
nothing to distrust. His residence was
beautifully situated, his home, till the
death Of his wife, was an exceptionally
happy one, and hewas in every respect
true gentleman. His suicide and the
murder of his child constitute a tragedy
which merits more than ordinary pity and
regret.