Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-08-11
THE C0NKLING- -SPRAGUE SENSATION.
Conflicting Reports About the At
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special dispatch to the N. Y. World from
Narragansett Pier, August Q, says: Narragan-
sett Pier never had such sensation as It is
now enjoying, sensation In which one of the
foremost men IN the country figures, his alleged
II In the combat, for fight is said to have oc-
CURED, being equally well-known in Rhode
Island. The Two men referred to are Senators
Roscoe Conkling, OF New York, and ex-senator
and ex-Gov. VIM. Sprague, OF Rhode Island. In
order to do full justice to all the parties con-
cerned, it may be as we'll to repeat the follow.
excitement was caused In this vicinity this
morning by exaggerated reports Of an unpleaS-
ant occurrence last evening at the residence Of
ex-Gov. and ex-senator Sprague. It appears
that Mr.. Sprague has violent autipathy to-
wards German gentleman unconnected With
the Cabinet In any way, teacher of his Child.
rem. Going to the house last evening under
extreme and Irrelevant excitement Mr. Sprague
him from the house, and it is said, loading a
gun even attempted to shoot him, to which the
teacher not unreascnably objected. Senator
Conkling who, en- route to Providence, had cas-.
ually stopped at Narragansett Pier on some
legal business, attempted with a number Of
other persons to calm Mr.. Sprague's feelings,
cltement had subsided. One result of the
disturbance at the Sprague mansion is the TEN.
poraTy removal OF the family 10 neighboring
hotel Another @ story is told by clergyman at
nearly as can be learned the particulars from
this point or view. 1t is well known that Ill
feeling has for some time past existed between
ex-senator and Ex-Governor Sprague and Sena-
tor ConkliDg, presumably on political grounds.
On Tuesday last Senator COnkling arrived here
on private business In no way connected with
MIR. Sprague'S affairs, and called as friend of the
family at tie Ssrague house. For some days
past, 1t is known, too, Mr.. s. has been laboring
under visible excitement and absent from home
Id company with some friends interested IN
railroad. He Is believed to have been with these
friends yesterday and had left them In q very
excited state Of mind, when he went to his
house and found Senator Conkling there, with
whom LIE had political misunderstanding as to
the rights OF naturalized citizens in Rhode
Island. The local stories OF the affair are nat
uraily exaggerated, and 1t is a difficult matter
to obtain trustworthy information. From what,
however, is believed to be weIl-inforned
source. it is learned that Mr.. Sprague addressed
some unseemly language to Senator ConklIng,
who courteously and considerably forbore
to reply. Mr.. Sprague thereupon produc-
Ing pistol told Senator Conkling that
unless he left the house In very brief given
time he would blow his brains out. Senator
Conkling thereupon retired from the scene. 1t
Is said further that there was hostile meeting
subsequently at the Cape, but that cannot be
verified and Is probably not true. This is the
tongue. and send it Just as it is told. What
the upshot OF this matter Will be cannot now
be foretold. The truth Will sooner or later
come out, as tnnere were many witnesses and
the air Is full OF it. 1t is true that ex-governor
Sprague is man OF violent temper and may
have acted hastily In the matter, but his friends
here assert TO- night that he regards himself as
having been grossly fnsulted by Senator Conk-
apology. It is known that he has Of late been
talking with friends of troubles which were
preying on his mind and has said also that he
believed that the time had arrived when the
try He Is understood to have said that there
are certain insults which can only be wiped out
A QUARREL BETWEEN coNKL1NG AND sPRAGUs,
BUT NO SHOOTING.
A special dispatch to the World from Narra-
gansett Pier, August 10th, Says:-The trouble
and Ex-Governor spragye @ % but 6eaweep s exGov.
ernor Sprague and Senator Conkling. Wednes-
day night or Thursday morning Senator Conk-
ling arrived at Narragansett Pier. With him
or after him came trunk and a large valise
These articles OF baggage were taken to the
Sprague mansion by the direction Of Senator
Conkl1ng. He remained there as a visitor the
next day. During Friday afternoon Governor
Sprague was observed driving about Narragan-
sett Pier, having been at home entertaining hts
guests for the night previous though he had
gun with him which it is believed that he
loaded earlier in the day. Finally he drove
to the rear Of his house, which is about mile
and half from the Pier, and came through
He got out to the piazza, where he found Sena-
tor Conkling conversing with Mrs. Sprague,
who was at window. Gov. Sprague then said,
siI?" and Conkling replied: "No, I am not"
"Then," said Ex-Governor Sprague, "I give
you nve minutes TO get on these premises. II
ernor Sprague is said then to have made use of
some further exasperating language. Senator
Conkling seeming much surprised, but remem-
bering that he was under Ex-Governor Spragues
roof, rose and walked q few steps away, while
Mrs. Sprague came out Of the house and stood
between them. Ex-Governor Sprague stood
looking at Senator Conkling while carriage
drove up which had been ordered to take Mrs.
Sprague for drive. When Mrs. Sprague found
that ex- Governor Sprague was apparently de-
termlned on an unpleasant scene She called
friend and q guest in the house, brought
her. In the house at the time as guests
were Mr.. and Mrs. Martin ana Miss Martin and
Mrs. Alexander, as well as senator Conkllng
story which has been circulated here that SEN
ator Conkling carried an invalid out OF the
house Is nonsense. He went away entirely
alone. After Ex-Governor Sprague repeated
his house, there was some nesi1aney OF on The the
part OF the New York Senator as to what should
be doLe, but seeing no hope of a rational solu-
tlon; he finally took his hat, and. entering the
carriage, went down to the Pier, stopping on
the way at Billington's restaurant. As to the
alleged cause Of the hostility OF Mr. Sprague to
MIR. Conkling, it is only certain that the Ger
man teacher SO fndtscreetly and fOOlishly
brought into the matter had nothing whatever
to do with 1t.
MRS. sPRAGUE LEAVES HER HUSBANDS HOUSE
=, After the encounter Mrs. Sprague went 10 d
Mr.. Perry's near by and subsequently to the
Tower House, where 1t is understood she re-
mained over night. Yesterday she gave orders
to have her trunks packed at the ex.governor's
house and put on the train for Providence She
sent her children and maid to the depot nearest
the TOWer Hill House and said she would take
the cars at the Narragansett Pier Depot, which
she subsequently did, and met her family higher
up the line. few weeks ago gentleman
whose family are staying au Narragansett Pier
calico on Mrs. Sprague, and, sending In his
caro-, saw her. He had known her for many
years, but had never met her husband. He
suggested to Mrs Sprague that he would like to
leave card for the ex-senator personally. as
ne desired TO have the pleasure of meeting him.
MRS. Sprague In reply said that she was quite
unable TO answer for anything that Mr. Sprague
might think or do. She had taken no responsi-
D1l1ty for his conduct for a long time and it wac
not likely that she could long remain In the
same house with him.
THE PEACE OF SENATOR CONKLING's HousRuoID
UNBR0KEN.
telegram from Utica, August TO- SAYS: The
publication here this morning OF the Associated
fress telegram relative to the trouble In ex-
GOV. Spragues household, at Narragansett
PER, Rhode Island, on Friday afternoon, again
revived the reports current here last June. It
was then asserted that Mrs. Conkling was to
Institute divorce proceedings against her hus.
band; that separation had already taken
place, and that the Senator would not again
return to Utica. The SUMS denial of these
stories early In July was given editorial promi-
nence Id the Utica ObserUer and for the time
Delng II killed the scandal, particularly as it