Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-08-12
SPRAGUE'S SPLEEN.
HOW Ne PARTED WITH C0NKLlNG
And the Manner in Which He Expects TO
Meet Him-Rumors that the Affair
Will End in Pistols and
Coffee for Two.

alleged encounter between Senator
Conkling and ex-senator Sprague, at the
latter's summer residence, at Narragan-
sett Pier, on Friday evening, is the all
absorbing topic in New England to-day.
Owing to the reticence Of the parties
who know all the facts, the public have
not learned the truth Of the affair. The
version given by friends OF both parties
last night was evidently an attempt to
whitewash the matter and prevent
scandal, that will not benefit SPrague or
his family, or the great Roscoe himself.
Another version OF the affair limited at
in the dispatches from here this morn
ing, when il was said there was
A skeleton in the sprague Mansion,
has come To light through Boston re-
porter who visited Narraganseu fler
late last night. IL appears now, irom
all information at hand, that IL, IN
de N, Sprague had trouble with Ger
man Professor il, at least, hal nothing
10 10 with the personal encounter that
occurred between the Ex-senator and
the Brave Roscoe. The version of the
alleged afrray, rs learned by the report
er. is as follows: For a few days past
In, TX Senator had been absent upon
business, and upon his return he found
senator COnkhng guest at his home,
having been there. 80 it is understood,
for quite a number of days,
an Of course without his knowl-
ei,e or consent The report
has IL that the Ex-senator waXed
very angry and ordered the Senator out,
but that Roscoe refused 10 90. Words
came thick and fast, and IL - alleged
thtt the Governor told ConkliDc that he
Ia seen all ne cared of hiu IN Wash
inston, and wanted nothing more TO do
with him, and again ordered him out OF
In, house COnkling not complying
with his order, ne ran up stairs, so II Is
said, for a revolver, and when he re
turned the senator was conspicuous by
his absence. Ii appears that Sprague
has
A Very Beautiful and Attractive Wife,
bu, that they do not live happily to-
a,ethrr is no secret. In fact, it Is said
tht they are 50 estransed that they sell
dom speak tO each other. 80 Tar has
this been the ease that for large pOr-
tiol nf the time for the last few years
il il said they have lived apart. Last
winter Mrs. Sprague was in Washing
ton. al EigewOOd, her fathers old man
sion. i'm the suburbs of the city, her
mn ,blnd being at Providence in the
meanwhile. She had reserved a seat IN
the Senate Chamber, and was always
there when COnkling had a speech 10
deliver, and she almost invariably pro-
ca led To her residence i'm the Senator's
private carriage. Ii is well known in
society circles at the Capital that COnk-
linz. while Ostensibly making his home
at Wormlcy's, passed large portion OF
his time, both day and night, 40 Mrs.
Sprague's house. That, It Is believed
here. is the cause of the trouble I'M the
Sprarue family. 10 is well krOwn that
Mrs. Sprague, who Is 4 daughter OF the
late Chirf-JuStlce Chase, married
Sprlgur against her fathers will, and
This fact. II IL said has formed a subject
i'm the mutual rrcriminatiOns that seem
el destined to cloud the family happi-
ness.
Pistols and Maulers.
II * sail that Sprague and Conkling
met a second time on Friday evening at
Billinyton's Cafe. nj the pier. The story
of this affair il that COnkllng was IN the
caf, eating Little Neck clans, when
Spr.u,ur came down the pier and saw
him. 10 is said that hc became very
an.,ry and rushed at him, cXclaiming,
"Irt me get at the Id scOundreL'
Conkling put mp his maulers something
after the fashion in which he met Ned
Rrice years ago, AMI seemed ready Tor
the attack. Friends and byStanderS
separate,l theantagOnists. 10 II SAID that
a pistol was drawn by one Oi the belllser-
ents. but the report cannot aS yet be
traced 10 any authentic source, vt
late hour last night a reporter met
Spragne nj his home on the pier, but he
refused % state the facts in the
case. that IL was purely
family matter i'm which the public
could not have any possible interest
The other story, wherein the German
Professor is brought into unenviahlenO-
tOrietv. alleges that the ex-senator SuS-
pectc,l the Professor OF undue tamlilar-
ity with his vile, that he 50 told him,
and the result was a storm, which end
ed in the German : dismissal.
The Worlds Account
New YORK, August lO.-A World
special from Narragansett Pier, says:
"Narragansett Pier never had such a
sensation as il is now enjoying, a SEN
sation in which one OF the foremost men
in the country figures, his alleged Zoe
i'm the ecombat, for a fight is said to have
occurred, being equally well known M
Rhode Island The two we refer to are
senator Roscoe Conkling, OF New ork,
AMI ex-senator and Ex-Governor VIM.
Sprague, of Rhode Island. In order 10
DO Justice 10 all the parties concerned,
IL may be- as well % repeat the follow
ing extract from tO-night's BUtltU:
"Some excitement was caused IN this
vicinity this morning by exaggerated
reports of an unpleasant occurrence
last evening at the residence OF eN-Gov-
ernOr and ex-senator Spraguc. 10 ap-
pears that Mr.. Sprague has violent
antipathy toward a German gentleman
unc0nnected with the Cabinet m any
wav, a teacher of his children. Golng
TO the house in the evening under eX-
trrme and irrelevant excitement, Mr..
Sprague had an alteration with the
teacher. and ordered him from the
house, and, II Il said, loadlng gun anu
even attempting 10 shoot hlm, To when
the teacher not unreaSOnIOly, objected.
Senator COnkling, who was on hls way
10 Providence, hal casually stopped at
Narragansett Pier on some legal bust
ness, attempted, with anumber OF other
persons, 10 calm Mr.. Sprague's feelings,
but without effect, until the unnatural
excitement hail subsidized. One result
OF the disturbance az tine Sprague man
sion is the temporary removal Ot the
family to a nrighhOring hotel.
Another story, however, is told by
clergyman at Nurragausett Pier, and the
following are, as nearly as can he learn
eel, the particulars from t,is point Of
view: ID is well known that an lll-ieel-
ing has for some time past existed he
tween ex-senator and Ex-Governor
Sprague and senator Conkling, preSum-
ably on political grounds. On Tuesday
last Senator COnkling arrived here on
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