Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1880-12-29
Yos SugtIts Ntrald.
TIE WIPES STORY.

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TIE WIPES STORY.
Hpbstanee Of Mrs. Bprsgus's Petition for
Divorce.
The sensation Of the day In the
East lie the threatened trial be.
tween Ex-Governor Sprague aud
his wife. Mrs. Sprague's petition
for divorce, filed through her coun-
ssl, Winchester Brltton, stripped of
legal vsrbiage is as follows: She
declares that che is an inhabitant
OF the State Of Rhode Island, and
that she married SLrague Novem-
her IL, 1853, at Washington, and
has ever since kept and performed
on her part the obligations of the
marriage covenant. But she al
loges that her husband has violat-
cd the marriage compact and has
had guilty relations with divers
women, viz: With one Mary Eliza
Wall, alias Mary Eliza Anderson,
10 each and every year between
1894 and 1879, in the city Of Provi.
dence and elsewhere, but more
especially at Nantasket Beach.
She AYERS that he has been
similarly guilty with Eliza.
beth r. McCue, Harriet Brown,
Maggie English, Fanny 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, Alex
audris, Va, Philadelphia and New
York. She also declares that he
has been guilty of extreme cruelty;
that he has personally assaulted
her ct Canonchet, where Senator
Conkling was the victim Of "the
sh0tRun policy" and that he enter.
cd 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
foscihly laid hands on her and
threatened to kill her, and he has
been guilty Of continued intoxica-
tion. Since the early part of 1879
he has neglected and refused, be-'
ing of sufficient ability to do so, to
provide neeessaries Of life for the
Bubsistsnce of herself and children.
THE sPRAaUE FAILURE.
The petitioner then refers at
length to the failure of the house
Of A. h w. Sprague in 1878. After
the conveyance Of property to the
trustees for the benefit of the cred
itors he claimed to have surplus
of over Sc, 100000. After the exc
Cution of the trust deed he entered
into the employ Of the trustee and
received from him considerable
compensation for services so rem.
dsred up to the year 1879, a part of
which was applied and paid by the
trustee for the support of the petit
toner and her family. Since that
time, however, he has lived in vol
untary idleness and has neglected
aud refused to contribute in any
way to the support Of his family,
and by his action she has been de-
prived of the moderate compensa-
ton received through the trustee
for her support. She further al.
leges that he has been guilty of
other gross misbehavior aud wick
eduess repugnan to and in VIOLA
ton of the marriage covenant, viz:
by repeatedly applying the vilest
epithets to the petitioner, both alone
and In the presence of others. He
has broken up and destroyed fGrD-
iture, and Mt one time collected
bedding and furniture in the night
time and set fire TO them. He has
often said to his children that he
va not their father, and that they
were not his children; that he has
repeatedly falsely accused her of
gross .improprieties with other
men, "sometimes one man, some.
times another" he has intercepted
and returned letters addressed to
her. In August, 1879, when Conk-
ling was guest at Canonchet, he
refused to allow her friends, includ-
ing her legal adviser, to see her,
and 1T the same time he refused to
permit her to leave the house with
her children, and sought to impris-
on her. From 1865 to 1875, the Pc
titioser claims, he frequently in
suited the female domestics and
guests In the family, causing them
10 leave the house; that prior to
February, 1877, by his violations Of
decency, he made Canonchet an
unsuitable abode for her and her
children.
sPRAaUE's VIOLENT CONDUCT.
At the very urgent demand of
the Trustee Of the Sprague property
In 1879 she obtained permission to
occupy CanOnchet; that Sprague
urged that by SO doing it would be
Of material pecuniary benefit to
him in adjusting his affairs with
creditors; that on her way to
CAnonchet she and her children re-
manned over Sunday at Watch Hill,
and that while ut that place
Sprague came to see her in q state
characterization and was violent and
offensive, and with q stick assault.
ed women In charge OF his children.
On arrival at CaHonchet Sprague
presented himself at that place
from time to time, often intoxi-
Gated, menacing, wild and other
wise offensive, and finally assumed
authority over the premises. II
finally became impossible for her
10 remain any longer, as Sprague
caused her to fear for her personal
safety. He threatened to take her
children to Europe. Influenced
by her fears and his threat, and