Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-01-31
AN EPIDEMIC OF TRAGEDY.
Long Island Afflicted With Robbers
and CutthrOatS.

mer of East Meadow, went, as usual,
to his barn to milk the COWS and feed
the horses. He had just reached the
barn when q tall slim mulatto at
tackled him with fish plate, used in
coupling railroad tracks, and strik-
INC him several murderOus blows on
the head, left him for dead and made
his way to the house. Here he saw
Mrs. Sprague IN the kitchen. He
struck her one blow and demanded
money. She told him to get it out
Of the drawer and then ran scream
ing from the house. Before she had
gone very far the man overlook and
passed her, soon getting out of sight
Some neighbors hearing Mrs.
Sprague's cries, hurried to the spot
and found Sprague lying in a pool of
4 blood near the barn. a general alarm
was sounded and the farmers Of Hicks
vile, Hempsted, Westbury and Farm
ingdale hitched up their horses and
started in all directions, securing the
country for the assassin. The man,
whom Mrs Sprague describes as a tall,
slim, young looking mulatto, is sup
posed to be the same who attempted
a burglary at South Oyster Bay on
Wednesday night. He is supposed to
be hiding IN the neighborho.d All
points of the island have been fur
nished with q description Of him.
There is great excitement all through
Queens county in consequences of
this third and similar outrage follow
ing SO quick upon the Maybee and
Townsend affairs. Mr.. Sprague and
wife are about so years Of age. Ply
sicians give no hope for the recovery
Of Sprague.
While the terrible wounds on the
head Of Sprague were being dressed
he suddenly rose up and vomited fully
pint and half of blood The doc
tors said they were glad of it, but
still have little or no hope of his re-
covery. Mrs Sprague in her state
ment, says: AS | stepped into the
kitchen our dog barked It is very
small cog, and but for that strange
thing | might not have noticed the
man SO promptly. He said: L want
money. / supposed my husband
was ia the barn and my first impulse
was to scream, and [ did so. [ tried
to rush by the colored man into the
yard and got as far as the stoop,
when he LAID hold of me,
He clutched me by the hair and pulled
a handful out by the roots strug-
gled, but of no use; he dealt me a
blow III the mouth with his fist which
lOosened my teeth and | saw fire
This brought US back into the kitchen
He was a powerful colored man, not
tall but very stout He said again,
"Give me money or I'll murder you. "
I replied, You can have all the
money in the house, but tell me have
you hurt my husband No, be re
piled, II have not seen him" !
thought it strange my husband had
not been attracted by the lncessant
barking Of the dog. | went into
the sitting room and took my purse
from the bureau drawer and handed it
to the man; the purse contained $30
When the man had gone away [ ran
out to summon help and fell on the
ice. | hurt my side badly. The barn
presented the appearance of a slaugh-
ter house. The body of Sprague lay
against bag filled with grain; the
bag was bloody on one side. Sprague
was not dead. He seemed to recog-
nize the voices of the men though be
could not speak. There was blood
everywhere Near the double door
there was a great pool of blood frozen
into the ice Sprague lost great deal
of blood at this spot; it ran over the
door amb aud discolored the ground
outside, There was blood on
the tubs under the wagon and on the
right hind wheel of the wagon, and
Sprague was covered with blood !;
both of his eyes were closed and his
face swollen and blackened to the
chin. The weapon, an iron bar Is
inches long, was covered with blood
from end to end and where the hair
adhered there were clots of blood
Sprague is 40 years old and power
full man, and the negro must have
stolen upon him with blow 10 have
overcome him.
Charles A Smith is the name of the
negro who committed the assault. He
lived at Poverty Hollow, near Oyster
Bay. A strong guard escorted him to
the Jail, as it was feared he might be
Iynched Threats Of violence are free
y 1AASNN%O y liz SIONO DultGu July
identified by Mrs. Sprague. He is
known as a disreputabIe character,
and it is thought he may be impli-
Gated in both the Maybee murder and
Townsend assault. Sprague is
very low. Smith had bought
a complete new outfit of
clothing and called in the store for
crackers and cheese, where he. was
detained till his pursuers came up.
The crowd soon gathered, shouting,
Hang himy' Shoot the murderer. :"
While several men ran for ropes,
which were soon made into halters.
the others unsuccessfully attempted to
take him from the officers. William
Sprague, brother of the man so ter
ribly beaten, struck the assassin a
fierce blow on the head as
he was being taken out of
the house, nearly felliBg him. and
only the determined conduct of the
officers 1ll,a va11tpd n 1xnol,;o~ Ill.,.