Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-08-19


! have arisen which seems to any per
/. son to demand or warrant the publica'
ton of statement of such q painful
|. r1st.Te:a
AS you must have surmised, Gov.
Sprague's dissolute life and dissipated
habits long ago interrupted our marital
relations, though have striven hard
Through untold humiliation and pain,
to hide from the world, for my chill
, dren's sake, the true conditions OF a
<biighted, miserable, domestic life.
About year ago even this poor
semblance abruptly eliminated after q
disgracefu1 orgie and arrest at Nantas-
ket Beach, with the circumstances of
which many people in Rhode Island
are not unfamiliar.
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, less unprotected.
Here kindly sympathy sought me
out, and though covert malice pointed
some censorous comments, relief came
and our circumscribed means were
adequate to our simple and quiet mode
of life. -
Gov. Sprague's Irregularities having
been visited upon him by the trustee
administering his embarrassed estate,
| the contribution toward the MAIN
tenance of myself and children, with
out word of explanation to me, was
suddenly cut down to palpably in
| adequate sum. Even this was remitted
but for few months; then. owing to
a complete rupture between Gov.
| Sprague and the trustee, all remit
tances ceased, and for six months past
no money has been contributed toward
| the maintenance of bis family or
household by Gov. Sprague. In ad.
ditionito greater wrongs, unpaid trades
| people to whom he was indebted, have
| been urgent in their demands for pay
| ment, but he gave no heed 10 the in
debtedness, even answering, when
pressed by me to find way to meet
| these just demands and relieve me of
opportunities, that 81 must look to
my powerful Washington friends for
aid" and, to my deep distress and
modification, permitted, after a long
delay, bill for carriage hire for his
mothers use during visit to me in
Washington, to be paid by the gen.
tIeman who had recommended to US
the stable from which the carriage was
hired.
! This and other more unmanly ex-
6 hibitions have been incidental to the
last wear, while the brutality of recent
: events-repetitions of similar scenes OF
violence and outrage enacted in for
mer years-has finally driven US from
the door and filled the public prints OF
the country with scandal too cruel to
) be endured Without redress.
+ Gov. Sprague's causeless and shame
ful persecution of the children's
: teacher is literally true. as he tells the
story, the real animus being, as con-
II fessed, Gov. Sprague's unwillingness
| to be subjected to the restraint at the
table and In the household Observan
ces of the constant presence of q gen
. tlemen.
The attempt to complicate Mr.
, Conkling with this matter is absurd
The two men never met. l believe
, have never seen each other.
Gov. Sprague's indecent affront tc
the guests in the house was most gross
and without excuse. Mr.. Martin
whom had met in very precarious
condition of health, en- route for Mar
ragansett Pier, / induced to go tt
} Canonehet for quiet and good nursing
He was removed under Gov. Sprague'G
threats of murder to be DONE" at the
D imminent risk of his life. IN
Mr.. Conkling was, Of course, as un
conscious as ! that Gov. Spragut
sought occasion to enact the tragic role
of the injured husband for, at theil
last meeting, not long since. Gov
Sprague had sought from Mr.. Conk
2 ling. not only legal counsel, but &C
cepted at his hand favor, such a:
RsSr a h
f warrant.
In his determination to overthrow
q Mr.. Chafee as trustee, and hoping tt
join forces with the creditor interest t.
drive him from his post, Gov. Spragut
/, had carried away from the counting
room of A. g. w. Sprague the books o
, the Quidnick Company, refusing t.
return them.
Mr.. Chafee in turn refused, unit
b these books were returned, to permit
! Gov. Sprague to hold any business re
lations with the concern, and, o
course, refused to permit him to draw
any money.
This was the situation of affair
t which, by coming to Rhode Island,
, had hoped, through some Influence o
: other brought to bear on Gov. Sprague
: to! help set right, and to secure, b.
some means, maintenance for tn,
! four children, for whose wants and ed
, ucation L have been and am now bear
ing the undivided burden.
A conference, with counsel employed
by the firm, achieved no results. Prof
Linck, under contract with me TO
) three months, was neither permitted
to perform his duties or paid and dis
missed. we had no ostenslble means
) | for living at Canonchet without in
curing additional indebtedness, t.
which I refused to be party. II
: this awkward and painful dilemma,
requested Mr.. Conkling, who had al
ready been consulted by Mr. SpTague
? and upon whose judgment and advice
have safely relied in my own mat
!: tiers, to see Gov. Sprague and try to as
q certain what point there was in THU
q proposed programme of opposition
g and what results were likely to follow
D. that would benefit Or provide for tn,
II children. Mr.. Conkling stopped q
I Canonchet for this purpose, and wa
awaiting Gov. Sprague's return t,
b seek an interview with him, when tn,
o now notorious outbreak occurred.
"a If any hostile words were exchange,
! between Mr.. SConkling and Governo
- Sprague at Canonchet, they aIon
q know what they were, for no one els