The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-03-30
Maine Matters.
NEWS AND GOSSIP FROM ALL OVER THE >rArf
THE CHERRYFIELD MURDER.


The county iai for Washington county is in
Machias. and the town was thrown into Il fever
OF excitement on Monday night of last week.
when the news came that Chester Cunningham.
who murdered Mrs. Hattie Sprague at Cherry
field on Sunday night. was on his way To Ma
chiaS i'll custody of an officer. The hotel yard
was crowded With men and boys and some wo-
men when Deputy sheriff Dunbar drove up in
Il common open wagon at about SO that night
with the murderer handcutfed and dashed TO the
wagon by strong cord. The officer got out.
mfastened the cord. took one end of ii and
started for the Jail, the prisoner. who was fa>-
tened at the other end, trotting along behind
him like bear. The murderer is n years Old
weighs 150 pounds. is five feet eleven inches
high slight and Wiry. low forehead. high cheek
bones. ewes close together. and greasy looking.
The crime for which he finds himself in the
dungeon is the most brutal and daring ever
committed in that vicinity. Mrs. Hattie >prague,
the victim. had been. since her childhood. W0-
man of loose character. and She kept Young
CunnnghamS company whenever her hus
bands absence permitted. A. the Deputy
Sheriff remarked, ''She trained this Young fell
low up TO cut her throat After her husband
died. cunningham had the coast clear and was
in her company rs often a. her work permitted.
She grew tired of his attentions at last, and said
She wanted TO get rid of him Sunday afternoon
he said to some one of his friends, while talking
of her, that if she came home from PRAYER
meeting with Rogers he would follow her up
stairs and she would never come out again.
sunday evening Mrs Spra@ue went to church
with Rogers. and Cunningham came soon after.
When the meeting was uu- she Went out, and
after while Rogers Joined her. and taking his
arm. they went down the street together. Gun
ningham followed them. and before they got out
of the crowd. or even out of the light which
shonc from the window Of the Westinghouse,
he Walkedup behind her. put his left ann around
her neck. took hold Of her chin, tipped back her
head. and with his right hand. drew long sharp
knife across her throat. >eVerin& all the arteries
ON the right side of her neck To her car She
made no sound. except slight gurging noise.
A. Size fell and the murderer turned and ran
down the road toward bridge. 1t was all done
before anybody had time to interfere. The Wo-
man WAS carried into the hal and died in few
minutes without saving a word. No great pains
We're taken to capture him that night. but the
next morning the officer went down to his Sis
tcrs house and found him sitting with his sister
and some other people around the stove calmly
talking about the murder. He was brought be
fore Trial Justice Small. and after a brief exam
nation committed to Jail TO await the action of
The grand Jury in April A reporter visited the
murderer Tuesday momngin his cell and found
him sitting upon a bed. having lust finished his
breakfast. He WAS perfectly Wiling TO talk
about everything Ncept the murder and his Tt
lations with the victim. He can neither read nor
write. but i cunning and >hrcWd after the man
ner Of Yankees and dcnit seeing Mrs ~Ira@ur
after She left the church sunday night. When
asked blunty if he ever intended 10 marry Mrs..
Sprague he he>itated for long time At first and
when the question WAS rcpcatedhr said. Il guess
that don't make no ditierncc. When question
ed closely a. TO his movements on the night Of
the murder h. said he guessed he would NOT talk
any more. He had known the victim since he
WAS Is years old. and had been keeping her
company since he was sixteen