The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-12-23
GOV. sPEAaUE'ss 'ssTArEMFNT.

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A correspondent saw Governor sprague and
read the petition 10 him. he was unmoved, and
said nothing had so little effect on him for yeals
as these sweeoing charges. "They are," said he,
absolutely false, and not supported by a single
fact. have not since the day was married en-
tered house Of i'll repute, and up to the day Of
my marriage had not entered brothel." The
leWd women mentioned, he denied ever having
seen or known. Elizabeth McCue was at one time
his housekeepeT at Cononchet. Maggie English
was Willies gOverness, and Is now dead. Harriet
Brown was once a copyist for Mr., Thu rstoD, MIS-
Sprague's counsel, and through that gentleman
obtained the situation Of housekeeper fer him at
Washington, which position she kept until she
quarrelled with Mrs. spraRue and her father,
Secretary Chase. Mary Eliza Vail is now an in.
mate Of the Butler Asylum fos the Insane In this
city, wheIe she has been for some time.
With neither Of these women had he ever been
crIminslly Intimate, Governor sprague asserted
that was his belief that the divorce proceedings
were instituted at the suggestion Of Senator Conk-
ling on the one side and Trustee Chafee on the
other. Senator COnkling, as he said, wished to
clear his political skirts 30 that he could retain
his hold on GRrAeld's Adminil tration, while
Ohaiee sought to discredit any thing the Governor
might have to say with respect to the equity bill
filed last Monday, and was endeavoring to divert
attention from his own misdoings, The Governor
said that Mr.. Oorbln called upon Mayor Thomas
A. Doyle (who is brother'in.law OF espragues)'
this morning and besought him to call on the
Governors mother and make proposition TO him
which he was to endeavor to persuade the Gov
ernor to accept. This proposition was to the
effect that the Governor should submit to quiet
divorce, allowing his wife to proceed without op.
position from him, and not to oppose a bill petit
uOning for q legal separation, which bill would
place on the Governor the blame Of what trans.
pired at Cononchet and asserts that his treatment
Of Conkling and his subsequent action was hasty
and unCalled fox.
In return for this Mr.. Corbln was to buy up the
claim Of the Bank Of Commerce Of New York for
$4,000 which is held against the spIagues, and
turn the paper over to the Governor. Mayor Doyle
told Mr.. Cerbin that such a proposition would
not for an instant be entertained by Governor
Sprague, and when he afterward told the Gov
ernor Of his RELY, the Governor said "I would
aaoriace all the interest l have, or could ever
have, in the sprague estate, rather than back
down from the position / took when drove
COnkling from my doors"
He said that he had debated over It for hours
before he took his guu and started towards Conk-
ling He thought Of his danger, and realized full
well what the world would say and think Of the
affair His honor had been outraged, and he
could not retract one single lota As for the ques-
ton Of nonsupport, he said that was perfectly
ridiculous. Mrs. sprague voluntarily left his bed
and board two years ago, and had never since
asked for any thing from him save her clothing
and this she could have, provided she made per
sonal application for It, The allegation that he
associated with vicious and immoral persons and
harbored such on his premises was utterly false.