, 1880-12-26

upon bis wife, and: not only will deny in toto
ali ttae direct charges Of her bill for divorce,
but will either hn &ecross-bill or COM
mence an original suit Tor damages else.
where, the effect oi which will be to
charge Senator ConkltnX with the
ruin OF the happiness OF the Sprague family.
The charge of Sprague. this report says, will
| be that Mrs. 8prague Is the victim Of Senator
Conklfng; that she is now simply his instru-
ment and tool, and that the divorce proceed
! !ngs were brought at his mitigation. This
| story Is Incredible, as Contllng cannot want
publicity. Gov. SpraKue will also charge
gross extrayagance in the management OF
his household, and among other things the
purchase Of very costly Iacea at a time when
1t was known that Sprague's affairs were
very much involved. and q general habit Of
expensive living will be attributed to her: H.
fidelity, 1t Is said, will also be charged.
lii the course Of the proceedings, 1t Is re-
ported, the fact will be brought out that ut
!. one time as
spRAGuE CHALLENGED SENATOR coNK1INa
TO A DUEL;
that arrangements had been made tor the
affair, the challenge being accepted and the
seconds named, but that mutual friends
finally interceded before the time appointed
for the meeting, and that the challenge was
Withdrawn. an apology made by Conklln&,
and promise that no further cause should
be given, II any had already been given, for
complaint against him.
Mr. Spragues friends positively say that
all that was reported rs to the interview be-
tween him and Conkltng at Canonchet last
year was true; that Sprague did pursue him
with & shotgun. fully determined to till
him; and that he only desisted through fear
Of creating a Scandal
Detectives are: now said to be working up
the details Of the careers Of the principal
parties to tAis unfortunate scandal. and, ul,-
less proceedings are stopped by mutual coll
cesslons, some startling revelations will be
made. 1t Is reported that efforts are now
making to INDUCE Spraguo to consent to
divorce without publicity and without
scandal, but that the efforts to this end thus
fnr have proved unsuccessful !!
SENATOR coNKLrva, !
OF course, Is not inclined to talk to
newspaper men as to the latest reports upon
this subject, but he does occasionally talk
very freely with some Of bis intimate friends
upon the whole luatter, III these converse
tons lie denies every charge Of wrong that
has been made against him, and considers
that he is the Victim Of relentless persecu-
ton. He thinks the newspapers are banded
together against him, and that for some per-
sonal reasons they desire to destroy his /
good name. He knows that lie has
The enmlty of sumo and the disfavor Of many !
newspapers, and TINT they avail themselves
0f every opportunity to feed their ancient
grudge. To his efforts to lmprtson some Of !
The Washington newspaper men at the time !
If the publication OF the Washington Treaty |
Ind to his attitude on the Poland Press law I
s attributed some Of the newspaper oppo- |
'ition. Conkling is especially aggrieyed that |
his family should be brought into this pub I
iclty, and he declares all of the charges to
70
MOST INFAMOUS AND MALICIOUS L1pE1s.
lie says that it is easy to convict man Of
stealing sheep, but that there is no remedy
or man who Is robbed Of his good reputa-
ion {of all that one has to live for), and that
me is practically at the mercy OF the libeler.
lie thinks that the laws are grossly made
uate for the protection Of reputation or the
punishment Of slander. Mr.. Conkling is
epresented asnever admitting to his friends
hat there is any ground for connecting his
ame with these divorce proceedings, and as
insisting that he has never committed any
ndiscretton which would warrant the sensa-
onal newspaper publications Of the day.