The Portland daily press., 1882-03-23
THE CHERRYF1ELD MURDER.
Antecedents of the Parties-The Muir
derer's Arrest.

The county Jail for Washington county is in
Machias, and the town was thrown into
fever of excitement Monday night when the
news came that Chester Cunningham, who
murdered Mrs. Hattie Sprague at Cherryfeld
on Sunday night, was on his way to Machias
in custody of an officer The hotel yard was
crowded with men and boys and some women
when Deputy Sheriff Dunbar drove up in a
common open wagon at about $50 that night,
with the murderer handcuffed and lashed to
the wagon by strong cord. The officer got
out, unfastened the cord took one end of it and
started for the jail, the prisoner, who was
fastened at the other end, trotting along be-
hind him like bear. The murderer IS "a
years old, weighs $50 pounds, is five feet eleven
inches high, slight and wiry, low forehead,
high cheek bones, eyes close together and
greasy looking The crime for which he finds
himself in the dungeon is the most brutal ana
daring ever committed in that vicinity. Mrs.
Hattie Sprague, the victim, had been, since
her childhood woman of loose character, and
she kept young Cunningham's company when
ever her husbands absence permitted AS the
deputy sheriff remarked, "She trained this
young fellow up to cut her throat After her
husband died, Cunningham had the coast clear
and was in her company as often as 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 II she came
home from prayer meeting with Rogers ne
never come out again. Sunday evening Mrs
Sprague went to church with Rogers, and
Cunningham came soon after. When the
meeting was out she went out. and after a
while Rogers joined her, and, taking his arm,
they went down the street together Cunning
ham followed them, and before they got out Of
the crowd, or even out of the light which shone
from the window OF the Westinghouse, ne
walked up behind her, put his left arm around
her neck, took hold of her chin, tipped back
her head, and with his right hand drew long
sharp knife across her throat, severing all the
arteries on the right side of her neck TO her
ear. She made no sound, except sllght
gurging noise, as she fell, and the murderer
turned and ran down the road toward
bridge. It was all done before anybody had
time to interfere. The woman was carried in
to the hall and died in a few minutes without
saying word No great pains were taken to
capture him that night, but the next morning
the officer went down to his sisters house and
found him sitting with his sister and some
other people around the stove calmly talking
about the murder. He was brought before
Trial Justice Small, and after brief examin-
alton, committed to Jail to await the action OF
the grand jury in April A reporter VISITED
the murderer Tuesday morning in his cell and
found him sitting upon a bed, having Just
finished his breakfast. He was perfectly will
ing to talk about everything except the MUIR
der and his relations with the victim. He can
neither read nor write, but is cunning and
shrewd after the manner OF Yankees, and
denies seeing Mrs. Sprague after she left the
church Sunday night. When asked bluntly If
he ever intended to marry Mrs. Sprague he
hesitated for long time at first, and when the
question was repeated he said, II guess that
don't make no difference" When questioned
closely as to his movements on the night OF the
murder he said he guessed he would not talk
any more. He had known the victim since he
was 10 years old and had been keeping her
company since he was sixteen