St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-28
MRS. KATE CHASE sPRAGUE.
Some ReeOlIectiOns--Her Only Act
of lndiscrefion.


The despicable efforts of certain journals
to continue the unjust persecution of the
lady whose name heads this article, are con-
stantly meeting with rebuke. An old
Washington detective who was in position
to know the inside in matters, both politi-
cal and social, furnishes the Nonpareil
with some facts in the celebrated divorce
case which at one time attracted so much
attention. When Chief Justice Chase sue
ceeded in marrying his accomplished daugh-
ter, Kate, to Gov. Sprague, then a United
States senator, Sprague was supposed to
be immensely wealthy, and soon thereafter
commenced housekeeping in grand style
upon farm owned by the chief justice a
few miles out from the city of Washington.
An attempt was made to initiate the
landed ariStOcracy of England in the man
agement of his rural retreat. There was
head farmer or steward, with a large force
OF understrapperS, aud the farm was pol
iShed up like lawn at summer resort.
There was a lOdge-keeper, butler, a house
keeper, head chambermaid, a governess,
musical instructor, a hOstler, stable boy,
head gardner, etc., force of more than
forty persons. The farm soon became the
favOrite resort of society and literary peo-
pie. as well as of politicians.
Mrs. Sprague was a charming hostess
and her house was sort of refuge from
the noise of the city and the vexations of
political lie. Senators, judges, men of
science and letters were daily visitors, but
no persons were there as frequently as
Carl SchurZ, COnkling, Bayard, Herman,
Thurman and Potter, a member of the
house from New Jersey, one of the purest
men in congress at that time. When the
divorce case was commenced skilled
detectives were employed by Gov
ernor Sprague'S attorneys to inter
view this army of dOmeStics for the pur-
pose of breaking down the character of
Mrs. Sprague. Nearly all the entire force
were at different times approached and i'm
pOrtuned both with money and promises of
political preferment by Sprague's agent,
who represented to them that Sprague was
man of great wealth, and that by helping
him as witnesses in his suit they would get
good pay and that he would give them con-
tinuOuS employment at double the wages
they were then getting. One man, who had
married German girl that had been
Mrs. Sprague's maid and had travelled
with her when abroad, was offered So, 900
to swear that COnkling and Mrs. Sprague
had in Boston and other places been guilty
of indiScTetiOnS. The miserable husband
tried to persuade his wife to swear to all
they wanted, but her sturdy German char
acter revolted and she refused to be a
party to the perjury that was asked of her.
And to the credit of the honesty of the en-
tire army of servants working for the fam
lily, not one was found who would or could
testify to single indiscreet act, with a sin
gle exception, and this one testified
that on one occasion she had seen
Mrs. Sprague-fOr moment only
sit on Carl SchurZ's lap, which act was too
ridiculous for belief, and was only calcu-
lated to provoke an incredulOus smile.
One and all said Sprague was a drunkard.
Isaac, an educated and intelligent cOlored
man, who was Sprague's body-servant, said
that he had known Sprague to have DRINKS
OF three days duration, and that when able
to walk he would follow Mrs. Sprague
about the premises, using toward her vul-
gar and indecent epithets, and that her uni
verSal custom was to simply get out of his
way. What a fearful penalty has this
poor woman paid for her fathers towering
ambitiOnl