Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-27
The SPRAGUE SCANDAL.
Mrs. Sprague's Charges Against
the Ex-Governor.
HER PETITION FOR DIVORCE
Promise of Extraordinary Develop
ments.
by Telegraph


ments.
lBy Telegraph
CHICAGO, December 25th.-The sensation
of the day in the East is the threatened trial
between ex- Governor Sprague and his wife.
Mrs. Sprague's petition for divorce, filed
through her counsel, Winchester Britton,
stripped of legal verbiage, is as follows: She
declares that she liz an inhabitant of the State
of Rhode Island, and that she married
Sprague November II, 1868, at Washington.
aud has ever since kept and performed on her
part all the obligations of the marriage cove
nant. But she alleges that her husband has
violated the marriage compact and has had
guilty relations with divers women, viz ::
With one Mary Eliza Wall, alias Mary
Eliza Anderson, in each and every year
between 1864 and 1879, in the city
of Providence and elsewhere, but more
especially at Nantasket Beach. She AYERS
that he has been similarly guilty with Eliza
beth R. McCue, Harriet Brown, Maggie Eng
lish, Fannie Adams, Minnie Wilson and with
divers other lewd women whose names are
not known to the petitioner, but who at the
time resided at Washington, Providence,
Alexandria. Va, Philadelphia and New
York. She also declares that he has been
guilty of extreme cruelty; that he has per-
sonaily assaulted her at Canonchet, where
Senator Conkling was the victim OF the shot
gun policy and that he entered her room at
that place at night in state of intoxication
and seized and dragged her to the window,
which was on an upper story, and attempted
TO throw her out. He forcibly laid hands on
her and threatened to kill her, and he has
been guilty of continued intoxication. Since
the early part of 1879 he has neglected and
refused, being of sufficient ability to do SO, to
provide necessaries Of life for the subsistence
of herself and children.
THE sPRAGUE FAILURE.
The petitioner then refers at length TO the
failure Of the house Of A. & w. Sprague in
1873 After the conveyance of property to
the trustee for the benefit of creditors he
claimed to have surplus of over Sc, 900, 600.
After the execution of the trust deed ne en-
tered into the employ of the trustee and re-
ceived considerable compensation from him
for services SO rendered up to the year 1872 a
part of which was applied and paid by the
trustee for the support of the petitioner and
her family. Since that time, however, he has
lived in voluntary idleness and has neglected
and refused to contribute in any way to the
support of his family, and by his action she
has been deprived of the moderate compensa-
ton received through the trustee for her
support. She further alleges that he has
been guilty of other gross misbehavior and
wickedness repugnant to and in violation of
the marriage covenant, viz: by repeatedly
applying the yilest epithets to the petitioner,
both alone and in the presence of others. He
has broken up and destroyed furniture, and
at one time collected bedding and furniture
in the night time and set fire to them. He
has often said to his children that he was not
their father and that they were not his
children; that he has repeatedly falsely &C.
cused her of gross improprieties with other
men, "sometimes one man, sometimes
another" he has intercepted and returned
letters addressed to her. In August, 1879,
when Conklipg was guest at Cononchet, ne
refused to allow her friends, including her
legal adviser, to see her, and at the same time
he refused to permit herto leave the house with
her children and sought to imprison her.
From 1865 to 1875. the petitioner claims, he
frequently insulted the female domestics and
guests in the family. causing them to leave
the house; that prior TO February. 1877, by
his violations of decency, he had made Con-
onchet an unsuitable abode for her and her
children.
sPRAGUE's VIOLENT CONDUCT.
At the very urgent demand of the trustee
of the Sprague property in 1879 she OBJ
w UCGulJy OdHOuCucbJ Judt
Sprague urged that by so doing it would be of
material pecuniary benefit to him in ad-
iusting his affairs with creditors; that on her
way to Canonchet she and her children re-
manned over Sunday at Watch Hill and that
while at that place Sprague came to see her
In state of intoxication and was violent and
offensive, and with stick assaulted women
in charge of his children. On arrival at
Canonchet Sprague presented himself at that
place from time to time, often intoxicated
menacing wild and otherwise offensive, and
finally assumed authority over the premises.
1t finally became impossible for her to re-
main any longer, as Sprague caused her to
fear for her personal safety. He threat
ened to take her children TO Europe In
huenced by her fears and his threats, and as
the only escape from indignity and danger
she was enabled to fly with her daughters to
place Of safety that for two past years
he has in every possible way sought to annoy
and disturb her and to make "her life
wretched," and that since driving her from
Canonchet he has persistently refused to
deliver to her her wearing apparel and that
of her children and servants. He has also
refused to permit said property and other
personal property belonging to her, including
gifts from her father, the late Chief-J ustice
Chase, and friends, and portraits of her
property, duly appointed, or TO the Sheriff of
the county holding writ of replevin for the
same. and has resisted the officers of the law
and has threatened them with violence in
case they made effort to secure her property /;
that having made it impossible for her to re-
main at Canonchet, he has occupied the
premises and made the place a resort for per-
sons of vicious reputation and bad character,
consorting with them in revelry and drunk
enness, and has allowed his only son to asso-
ciate with them, withholding from him all
educational advantages. In view of all these
allegations the petitioner prays that she may
be divorced and that the custody of her chill
dren. William Sprague, Jr., aged 15 Ethel
Sprague, aged II, Katherine Sprague, aged
9, and Portia Sprague, aged z, may be
awarded to her, and that she may be allowed
a reasonable alimony out of the estate of her
husband. She further pravs that che may
resume her maiden name, Katherine Chase.
STORY FROM THE OTHER SIDE.
CB1cAGo, December 25th.-According to
the story told by Ex-Governor Sprague's
friends, it appears that Mrs. Sprague drove
her son from her Washington home, at the
request of Senator Conkling, about two years
ago. Conkling urged that Willie, too, re-
sembled his father, and was cursed with the
spirit of inquisitiveness, and prevailed on
Mrs. Sprague to send him away. She, in her
blind and helpless infatuation, complied, Civ.
ing the boy $40 and turning him out of doors,
telling him to make his own way in the world
The plucky little fellow, as he is went down
to the Holmes House, near the depot, and
secured board at 81 a week, paying one
weeks board in advance. The house was
frequented by laboring men, and Willie there
learned to chew tobacco. His identity be-
came known at the close of the week, and he
was rescued by friends.
KELLY IN THE FIGHT.
CHICAGO, December 26th.-The Tri5me's
Washington special says: If the reports
which have reached here to day are correct,
the Sprague divorce suit is to be accompanied
by even more sensational developments than
have already been predicted. Sprague, it is
reported, has secured some newspaper sup
port, and will endeavor to turn the batteries