Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-24
THE SPRAGUES.
Full Text of Mrs. Kate Chase Sprague's
Complaint Against Her Husband-A
Salty Document-Counte Charges Com
ing Which MAY Involve COnkling.

ing Which May Involve COnkling.
February term, 1881, Washington, s. s.:
To the honorable the justices of the supreme
court, to be holden in South Kingston, within
and for the county of Washington, in the
State of Rhode Island, on the third Monday in
February, A. d., 1881, Katherine Chase
Sprague, of South Kingston, in said county
of Washington, respectfully represents
| That she is a domicilcd inhabitant of the
State of Rhode Island, and has resided therein
| for one year next before the filing of this
| petition.
That she was married to William Sprague
on the 18th day of November, A. D., 1868, at
| Washington, in the District of Columbia, and
has ever rlnce kept and performed, on her part,
all the obligations of the marriage covenant,
but that the said William Sprague has violated
the same in this: That he has
COMMITTED ADULTERY WITH DIVERS WOMEN,
at divers places and times, since the said
marriage-to-wit, with one Mary Eliza Wall,
alias Mary Eliza Anderson, at divers times
in each and every year from the year 1864
| to the year 1870, in the city of Providence,
in said State, and elsewhere and espe-
cially at Nantasket Beach, in the State of Mas
sachusetts, in the year 1885, with one Elizabeth
r: McCue, formerly Elizabeth Rhing, at South
| dlOICSdlU5 III CtCll year 1TOIl the wear
1877 to the year 1880; with one Harriet Brown,
in the year 1869, at Washington, in the District
of Columbia; with one Maggie English, in
South Kingston, and elsewhere, in the years
1866 and 1867; with one Fannie Adams, in
March, 1876, at Providence aforesaid, at the
house of one Ann NJ. Ballou, commonly called
Maria Ballou, said house being house of
prostitution; with one Minnie Wilson, in
| January, 1878, at house of prostitution in
| Providence aforesaid, and with divers other
| leWd women whose names are not known to
your petitioner, at Washington and Providence
aforesaid, and at Alexandria, in the State of
| Virginia, and at Philadelphia, in the State of
Pennsylvania, and at New York city, in the
| State of New York, between the wears 1868 and
1878.
That said Sprague has been guilty of
EXTREME CRUELTY
toward your petitioner in this: That lie has
personally assaulted her with great violence,
and especially at the house known as Canon
chet," in South Kingston, in the year 1877:
in that he entered her room at night in state
OF mtoXication, seized and dragged her to the
| window, which was in an upper story, and at
tempted to throw her therefrom; that in the
year 1879 he forcibly laid hands on her and
threatened to kill her; that he has been guilty
| OF continued drunkenness; that since the early
| part OF the year 1879 he has neglected and re-
fuscd-being of sufficient ability to do soto
| provide necessaries for the subsistence of YOUR
petitioner and her children, to-wit In the
year 1878, owing to depression in business,
the manufacturing and business companies and
firms with which said Sprague was connected,
and in which he was largely interested, suspend
cd payment and conveyed all their
property to trustee for
| the benefit of creditors, claiming
however, to have a surplus of some S6,000,-
| 600; that after said conveyance said Sprague
at once entered the employ of said trustee and
received from him a considerable compensa-
ton Tor the services SO rendered up to the year
| 1879, part of which was applied and paid by
said trustee for the support and maintenance
of your petitioner and her children; that since
the early part of the year 1872 said Sprague,
| though of sufficient ability, has refused to
earn any money whatever, though said trustee
was ready and willing to employ him and con-
tnue said occupation, and said Sprague has
since lived in idleness, and, though of suf-
| ficent ability to do so, has neglected and
REFUSED TO CONTRIBUTE
in any way for the support of your petitioner
and her three daughters, whereby your petit
toner, since the early part of 1879, has been
| deprived of the moderate provision she had
heretofore received through said trustees for
| the subsistence of herself and children.
That said Sprague has been guilty of other
| gross mlsbehavior and wickedness, repugnant
| to and in violation of the marriage covenant,
| in this: That he has repeatedly applied the
vilest and most opprobrious epthets to your
| petitioner, both alone and in the presence of
Others; that he has threatened to kill her; that
| he has baoken up and destroyed the furniture
in the house, at one time collecting bedding
and furniture in the night time and making a
bonfire of the same; that 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 ACCUSED
your petitioner of gross improprieties with
other men, sometimes one man, sometimes
another; that he has intercepted and returned
letters addressed to your petitioner by her
counsel; that in August, 1872, while your pc
tltloner and said Sprague were at said Canon
chet, he resused to allow her friends, includ-
ing her legal adviser, to see her; that he at
said time, refused to permit your petitioner to
leave said house to go anywhere with her said
children, and sought to imprison her and
them therein.
| That from the year 1865 to the year 1873 said
Sprague frequently attempted to have criminal
intercourse with the female domestics of
guests i'll the family, causing them to leave the
| house.
That prior to February, 1877, said Spragre,
| by indecent advances to female servants and
| other
| VIOLATIONS OF DECENCY,
which had increased in frequency and cnor-
nifty, had made said residence at South Kings
ton an unsuitable abode for your petitioner
and her children; and your said petitioner did,
in February, 1917, with the assent of said
| Sprague, leave said house with her three
daughters, her son Willie being then absent in
Europe. In the year 1879, being urged by said
Sprague to do SO, your petitioner obtained
permission from Zachariah Chaffee, trustee of
the property of the corporations and business
| firms aforesaid, and who was possessed of
Canonchet as a portion of the property includ-
cd in said trust, to occupy said house with her
children during the summer months;
that said Sprague urged that by SO doing it
would be of material pecuniary benefit to him
in adjusting his affairs with his creditors;
that on her way to Canonchet, your petitioner
remained with her said children on Sunday at
Watch hill, in the State of Rhode Island; that
said Spraguc then came to Watch Hill,
GROSSLY INTOXICATED;
| that he was violent and offensive, and with
| stick menaccd and assaulted the attendant of
said children. On arrival of your petitioner
at Canonchet, by virtue of the permission of
the said trustee, as aforesaid, said Sprague
presented himself at that place from time to
| time, often intoxicated, menacing, wild, and
otherwise offensive, and at length assumed
authority over and control of said premises
l ii,