The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-08-28
YHE sPRAGUE-CoNKLING AFFAIR.
Mr.. and Mrs. Sprague Each Has a Story Z,
Tell" You Pays Your Money and YoV
Takes Your Choice.''

/ Tell" You Pays Your Money and You
/ Takes Your Choice"
| Especial from Narragansett Pier to the New
York sun, Aug. l6.
During the past two days, since Mrs.
/ Sprague's return to Canonchet, a strict watch
has been kept upon her movements, although
she has been at liberty comparatively. The
Governor says she can go when and where
I she pleases. She has been waited on by her
maid and governess, and allowed to see her
children, and her husband has only interfta ed
! to prevent her communication with persons
I whom he regards as hostile to him. Among
these are Miss Fosdyk, the friend who accom-
panied her from Providence, and who has
often before been n guest at Canonchet. Her
messages to these persons have been detain-
ed; but yesterday, through the medium of her
French maid, she succeeded in getting one
telegram sent from the Mount Hope office.
When the news of this action reached the ears
of the Governor he was somewhat incensed,
and threatened to discharge the maid. but on
/ Il second thought relented. To-day he told
your correspondent that he was perfectly
1 willing that his wife should see any one she
wished, and that his sole desire in keeping
these "secret messages" from her was to in
sure her peace and quiet. For the past few
days she had been in a very excited condition,
and he could not consent to her keeping up a
private correspondence with persons whose
object was to destroy the peace and honor of
his family.
MRS. sPRAGUE's STORY.
GLOW did Mr.. ConkAng venture to come to
Canonchet under the circumstances %
" He came simply to use his influence with
my husband to consent to n certain policy in
his management of the estate. 1t was pre-
cisely the same subject on which Mr. Sprague
had voluntarily gone to Washington end CON
4 suited him (Nir. ConEling) in the April pre-
viOus, as l stated in my published letter. /
had written to Mr.. COnkling asking him to use
his influence to this end and Mr.. COnkling re-
piled that he would be of little service but he
was willing to try If | wished it. / wrote
to him that did, and, as Mr. Sprague himself
has admitted, il was for the best interests of
/ the estate: considered that there would be no
| improperly in his visiting US here for that
purpose. Mr.. Throop Martin, of Auburn an
old friend of Mr.. Conkling, and an invalid of
/ over seventy, was staying with US, together
with his wife and daughter. 1 could see no
possible harm in the presence of these
guests, as my husband was constantly
/ going and coming at intervals of a few
days, and no effort was made to conceal
/ the fact of the Senator's visit from him.
met the Sen":Or when he landed from the boat
at Narragansett, and told him that his old
| friend, Mr.. Martin, stopping with us, and
| that should be pleased to have him stop
over Mt Canonchet, especially as the Governor
was expected nome IN day or two. lie came
/ and occupied a room on the third floor on
Wednesday and Thursday nights preceding
the trouble. On Friday morning, when came
/ 1ewn to breakfast, was told, to my surprise,
4 that Mr.. Sprague had come home suddenly at
3 O'Clock in the morning, and had left again.
| paid no attention to this however, as Ais
movements are always very erratic. He comes
| in on YOU like ghost in the middle of the
night, and ut the most unreasonable hours
and humors, and in the same disquieting
manner. l had learned to be used to these
freaks, but Mr.. Conkling, when told of the
Governors visit seemed surprised at such
conduct. / thought no more of it, and busted
myself about my household affairs, while
| Senator Conkling took seat on the lounge in
the room and was looking over the newspa-
per.
after giving my orders l turned to Mr..
Martin, who was sitting in the room, and at
his reqest sat down to read a little to him.
Just then Mr.. Sprague came up the staircase.
He walked slowly into the room, Mr.. COnk-
ling rising to meet him. Some words passed
between them-what did not hear, but the
tone of which aroused my attention. 1 rose
to my feet. Mr.. Conkling walked straight
across the room to where L stood, and said;
Mrs. Sprague, your husband is very much
excited, and think it better for al of us if
should withdraw. If my departure puts you
in any danger so say. and VIII stay whatever
the consequence He spoke in a very calm
voice, although know he must have been eX
cited. told him not to mind me, but that if
Mr.. Sprague was in a passion it would be use
l,Ss to argue with him, and might only lead
to violence.
Meanwhile Miss Martin mad passed Mr.
Sprague coming to the house, and was fright
ened almost out OF her wits by his stopping
her and telling her that there was going to be
a tragedy up at the house. She hurried down
to the Pier and ordered up barouche to take
away her invalid father from such a danger
Gus place. The barouche and small carry
all came back. Poor old man Martin struggled
to his feet and tottered to the head of the
stairs. called to Mr.. Conkling to stop and
help the poor old gentleman back to the
room, which he did, kindly and tcnderly;
it was perfectly true that he did keep an in
valid gentleman to avoid the consequences of
Mr.. Sprague's uncalled- for Outburst When
Mr.. COnkling walked down stairs and oNt on
the platform, my eldest daughter, Ethel, fol
lowed him and put her arm around him and
said, Don't go, Mr.. COnklng.' Mr.. Sprague
stood about so feet OFF on the edge of the piaZ-
"a cycling us in desperate SOFT of n way. ]
knew had done nothing wrong, and tried
to be calm as l could. When Ethel wanted
Mr.. Conkling to stay, | said: NO, Ethel, Mr..
Conkling will go, but no ore shall hurt either
him or us
"Mv husband all this time kept perfect ST.
Ience. What he said up stairs, and what Mr..
Sprague said to Mr.. COnkling at BellingtOn's,
do not know. Mr. Sprague took his gun with
him in the buggy when he went after Mr..
Conkling. | know it was loaded for Willie,
my boy, came to me just afterward and said:
Mama, papa's gun is loaded with three slugs,
and if he shoots any one he'll kill them sure
Then he told me that he had no caps, and
asked him (WiIlie) for some. But he didn't
think it best to give them to his father. ]
have reason to be grateful that no one was
murdered.
"There is another faEsehood that has been
extensively circulated, and that is that Mr..
Conkling Endorsed that statement WHICH at
tributed the whole affair to my husbands ha-sl
tired of Mr. Iinck. i know from gentlemen
who were present when that dispatch was
written that Mr.. Conkling disappruved of it.
any knowledge he possesses of this wretched
matter"
SENATOR sPRAGUE's SIDE OF THE CASE.
Senator Sprague has been in consultation
with his lawyers, and absolutely declined to
make a statement for publication, but an init
mate friend relates the substance of what oc-
CURED between Mrs: sprague and Senator
Conkling on Friday, August Sth. as the story
came from the lips of Mr.. Sprague himself. Its
publication would not be permitted even now
but for the letter of Mrs Sprague. Governor
tFas,. fI
He had been down in Maine on "a business |
trip, expecting to be absent until Saturday
night. He finished his business before he eX-
pected to, and returned late Thursday night |
but did not see Mrs. Sprague although he |
knew she was preSentint he house. On Friday (
morning he learned for the first time, and I
down ut the pier, that Senator COnkling was /
up at his house, and had been there u day or /
two. The Governor wis angry beyond meas /
ure, and the cause of his anger, he said to this I
friend was the intimate relations be- /
tween Senator COnklinS and his wife, 4
which had long been highly OBJ /
noxious to him. The existence of these re- /
lations were no secret to him. He had seen /
the scandal growing and becoming more and \
more public, and he spoke bitterly of the con-
duct of Senator COnkling toward his wife at l
Washington. Bitter words had often been
spoken between his wife and himself because
of that intimacy. She was fully aware how
obnoxious to him WIS that intimacy, and I
what were his feelings toward Conkling, but
in spite of this, said Mr.. Sprague, in spite of |
all the scandal and the violence to his feel /
ings, that she should invite him to be guest |
ut his house during his absence, and that .
COnkling should have the DraZen etfrOntery to .
come there at all, incensed him beyond all |
measure. AS he expressed it, Senator Conl<-
ling was trying to do for his home in Rhode \
Island what he had already done for his home
in Washington, and he had determined to put
an end to it at once and forever.
With this deliberate intention he hurried
back to Canonehet as soon as he heard Conk
ling was there. Near the barn he met Linck, rhe
German Professor, but he declared positively
that he had no row with him, and had no idea
Of shooting him. He did not even have his
gun with him at the time. He did not order
Linck to leave the house, and was opposed to
his being there-nOt, however, because he had