The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-08-21
TIE SPRAGUE-CONKLING SCANDAL.
Mrs. Sprague's Statement.

Mrs. Sprague's Statement.
The following is the statement of Mrs Sena-
tor spragne in relation to the unfortunate diff
fculty at Narragansett Pier, which she has CIV
en- permission 10 be published:
GAS you must have surmised. Gov. spragues
dissolute life and dissipated habits long ago in
terrupted our marital relations though have
strlven hard through untold humiliation and
pain to hide from the world, for my children's
sake, the true condition of a blighted, misera-
BILE domestic life. About year ago
even this poor semblance abruptly Gull
minated after a most disgraceful Orgie
and arrest at Nantasket beach, with the cir
cumstances of which many people in Rhode
Island are not unfamiliar I then sought with
my little girls the neighborhood of old friends
and the shelter Of my honored fathers former
home. There, dwelling almost within the
shadow of his tomb felt more secure and
less unprotected. Here kindly sympathy
sought me out, and, though covert malice
pointed some censorious comments, relief
came, and our circumscribed means were ade-
quate to our simple and quiet mode OF life.
Gov. Sprague' sirregularides having boen visited
upon him by the trustee administering his en-
barrassed estate, the contribution toward the
maintenance of myself and children, without a
word of explanation to me, was suddenly cut
this was RENTED but for a few months. Then,
owing to complete rupture between Gov.
Sprague and the trustee, all renlittances
ceased, and for six months past no money has
been contributed toward the maintenance of
his family or household by Gov Sprague. In
addition to greater wrongs unpaid trades
people, to whom he was indebted,
have been urgent in their demands for
payment, but he gave no heed to the
Indebtedness, even answering, when pressed
by me to find a way to meet these just demands
and relieve me of opportunities, that ''I must
look to my powerful Washington friends for
aid, " and, to my deep distress and mortifica-
ton, permitted, after long delay, a bill for
riage hire for his mothers use during visit to
me in Washington to be paid by the gentleman
who had recommended to us the stable from
which the carriage was hired This and other
more unmanly exhibitions have been incidental
to the past year, while the brutality of recent
events, the repetition of similar scenes
of violence and outrage enacted in
former years, has finally driven
US from the door, and filed the public prints
Of the country with a scandal too cruel to be
endured without redress. Gov. Sprague's
causeless and shameful persecution of the
children's teacher is literally true as he tells
the story, the real animus being, as confessed.
Gov. Spragues unwillingness to be subjected
at the table and in thehousehold to the constant
presence of a gentleman. The attempt to COM
plicate Mr. Conkling with this matter is
absurd Gov Sprague's affront to the guests
In the house was most gross and without
excuse. Mr. Martin, whom I had met in
very precaricus condition of health en- route for
Narragansett Pier, I induced to go to Canouchet
for quiet and good nursing He was removed
under Gov Spragues threats of murder to be
doue, at the imminent risk of his life. Mr..
Conkling was, of course, as unconscious as I
that Gov Sprague sought occasion to enact
the tragic role of the injured husband,
since, Gov. Sprague had sought from Mr..
Conklipg not only legal advice, but
had accepted at his hand favor such
as only the friendliest confidence could war
rant. In his determination to overthrow Mr..
Chaffee as trustee, and hoping to join forces
with the creditor interest to drive him from his
post, Gov. Sprague had carried away from the
counting house of A. & W. Sprague the books
of the Quidnick Company, refusing to return
them. Mr.. Chaffee, in turn, refused, until
these books were returned, to permit Gov
Sprague to hold any business relations with the
concern, and, of course, refused to permit him
to draw any money.
@This was the situation or affairs which. by
coming to Rhode Island, had hoped through
some influence or other brought to bear on Gov
Sprague, to help to set right and to secure by
some means a maintenance for the four chill
dren for whose wants and education I have
been and am now bearing the undivided bur
den. A conference with counsel employed by
the firm achieved no results. Prot. Linck,
under a contract with me for three
months, was neither permitted to per-
form his duties nor paid and dismissed
We had no ostensible mears for
living at Canonchet without mourning
additional Indebtedness, to which refused to
be party. In this awkward and painful di-
lemma. l requested Mr.. Conkling, who had
been already consulted by Mr.. sprague, and
upon whose Judgment and advice { have safely
relied my own matters, to see Gov. Sprague,
and try to ascertain what point there is in this
proposed programme of opposition and what
results were likely to follow that would benefit
or provide for the children. Mr. Conkling
stopped at Canonchet for this purpose, and was
awaiting Gov. Sprague's return to seek an in
tervew with him when the now-notorious out.
break occurred. If any hostile words were ex-
changed between Mr.. Conkling and Gov
Sprague at Canonchet they alone know what
they were, for no one else heard them. What
transpired in the village do not know beyond
what is reported in the sensational accounts
given in the newspapers"