The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-08-21
the Sprague mansion by the direction Of
Senator Conkling. He remained there
as visitor the next day, and was on

pier, having been at home entertaining
his guests the night previous, though lie
had been absent for a day or two before.
He had gun with him, which it is be-
lieved 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 the house in
somewhat excited condition. He got
out to the piazza, where he found Sena-
tor Conkling conversing with Mrs.
Sprague, who was at q window. Governor
Sprague then said, addressing Senator
ConEling, care you armed, sir?" and
Conkling replied: "No, I am not"
"Then," said Ex-Governor Sprague, 81
give you FIVE minutes to get off these
premises. If you are not away will fire
at you." Ex-Governor Sprague is said
to have made use of some further exas-
perating language. Senator Conkling
seeming much surprised but remember
ing that he was under Ex-Governor
Sprague's roof, rose and walked 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 a drive. When Mrs. Sprague
found that Ex-Governor Sprague was
apparently determined on an unpleasant
scene she called for her hat and shawl,
which Mrs. Martin, friend and a guest
in the house, brought her. In the house
at the time as guests were MIR. and Mrs.
Martin and Miss Martin and Mrs. Alex
ander, as we'll as Senator Conkling. A
story which has been circulated here that
Senator Conkling carried an invalid out
of the house is nonsense. He went away
entirely alone. After Ex-Governor
Sprague repeated his peremptory order
to MIR. Conkling to quit his house there
was some hesitancy on the part of the
New York Senator Us to what should 9
done, but seeing no hope of rational
solution he finally took his hat and en-
tering the carriage went down to the pier,
stopping on the way at Billington's res
taurant. Scarcely had he arrived there
and got out of the conveyance than ex-
Governor Sprague, who had followed,
came up, and it is therefore certain that
the latter must have kept his horse
hitched up ready for use to follow Sena-
tor Conkling. On the arrival of ex-
Governor Sprague at Billington's another
exchange of words took place, but there
is not the slightest testimony to show
that at any time hand-to-hand encoun-
ter, such as has been spoken of freely
here to-day, took place. But it is certain
that there was an excited and threaten
ing colloquy between the two outside of
the most public spot in the whole place,
and thus it came to pass that the most
exaggerated rumors were set in motion.
Sifted down the foregoing are the prin-
cipal facts in the case, so far as Mr..
Conkling and Mr.. Sprague are concerned.
As to the alleged cause of the hostility
of Mr.. Sprague to Mr.. Conkling it is
only certain that the German teacher so
indiscreetly and foolishly brought into
the matter had nothing whatever to do
with it. On Thursday night, according
to Ex-Governor Sprague himself, he could
not sleep. He said to tradesman here
the next day that his mind was troubled,
that he could not get no rest, and that
some one had to be cleared out of his
house that Friday night. His move
ments during Friday morning were no.
ticed by a good many people as being
very strange, but no one thought that he
contemplated personal injury to any in
diyidual.
MRS. sPRAGUE LEAVES HER HUSBANDS s
HOUSE.
After the encounter Mrs. Sprague went
to MIR. Perry's near by and subsequent.
ly to the Tower House, where it is un-
derstood she remained over night. Yes
terday 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 Narragan-
sett Pier Depot, which she subsequently
did, and met her family higher up the
line. Before her departure for Provi-
dence, however, Mrs. Sprague went to
the Lake Side House, near Silver Lake.
She drove there and called out Professor
Linck, who is the German teacher to-
wards whom Senator Sprague is said to
feel such pronounced antipathy. She
exchanged few words with him, which
may have given rise to the introduction
of his name into the story. Soon after
wards Mrs. Sprague went to the Pier
depot for Providence. Ex-Governor
Sprague went to Providence yesterday,
but he did not see his wife, going on a
different train. That ex-senator and
Mrs. Sprague have been on most unhap-
py terms for some time is matter of gen.
eral notoriety here. A few weeks ago q
gentleman whose family are staying at
Narragansett Pier called on Mrs.
Sprague, and, sending in his card, saw
her. He had known her many years, but
had meyer met her husband. He sug-
gested to Mrs. Sprague that he would like
to leave card for the ex-senator person
ally, as he 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 response
bility for his conduct for long time, and
it was not likely that she could long re-
lllitll III LuC odulO HOuoC Will AIui' IL
has been known here for some time that
Ex-Governor Sprague has contemplated
selling the house in which this unpleas-
ant incident took place. A great deal of
unnecessary scandal has been created by
the injudicious story of squabblc over
the German professor, which has not lost
anything during the day by the COM
mentaries of the people at the hotels.
A telegram from Utica, August 10,
says: The publication here this morning
of the Associated Press telegram relative
to the trouble in Ex-Governor Spraguc's
household, at Narragansett Pier, Rhode
Island, on Friday afternoon, again re-
vived the reports current here last June.
1t was then asserted that Mrs. Conkling
was to institute divorce proceedings
against her husband; that a separation
had already taken place, and that the
Senator would not again return to Utica.
The Suns denial of these stories early in
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