The Washington times., 1922-09-29
DIVORCES
PAVE: WAY
TO ALTAR
Announcement Is Made in
Paris and Date Of Marriage
Is Expected Soon.

monlal adventures OF Mrs. lneI
Sprague SHINES, one-time famous
Washington beauty, and grand
daughter of William Sprague, civil
war governor of Rhode Island, was
written today when a Universal
Service dispatch from Paris was
received here announcing her en-
gagement to Marquis Santoni
Pacinelli, Italian nobleman.
Announce Date Soon.
1t is understood. according to
the dispatch. that the date for the
wedding will be made public
shortly.
Two years ago, II was rumored
that a nuptial agreement had been
reached by the marquis and Mrs.
SHINES. despite the fact that the
nobleman's wife was still living. At
that time society professed itself
in one breath as being shocked"
at the announcement. and in the
next breath thrilled with the pros
pect Of Mrs. SHINES establishing
q new code of morals and abolish.
ing obsolete conventions.
But the marriage never mate
rialized. 1t is understood the
marquis has since obtained a di.
vorce and is now free TO wed Mrs.
SHINES.
Pursued for more than ten years
since she was divorced in Paris
from William SHINES, son of her
Krandfather's ancient enemy, by
noble but usually needy suitors.
Mrs. SHINES at times varied the
announcement of her plans by
stating she would never wed again.
Near Wedding Thwarted.
1t was recalled today that IN
September Mrs. SHINES and Cap:
M. Pardanei, French war hero AMI
idol Of Washington society, would
have wed while on a motor trip
from Narragansett to Washington
had a motorcycle policeman not
interfered with their plans.
He arrested the couple after their
automobile had collided with an
other on the Baltimore pike and
Mrs. Stiness was fined $25 for
reckless driving by a Laurel judge.
At that time Mrs. SHINES said she
and the captain were on their way
to Washington to see about her
entering the service of the Govern
ment and had intended to be mar
ried on the way.
Once before, since her divorce, 1t
was believed certain Mrs. Stinnes
was about to wed. This was in
September. 1911. when she crossed
the Atlantic from France on the
same liner with LeCompte Sainte-
Croix de la Rouciere, who then was
commissioner general of the French
colonies to the Panama Exposition.
Friends of the count at the time
aganrfad that hia 0ennRnf IN
the charming divorcee might be ex.
pected at any moment. Neither Of
the couple would affirm or deny the
report, but nothing came of 1t.
Even before her elopement with
Stiness, the then lneZ Sprague
furnished society with a thrill when
on the eve of the preparations for
her wedding to J. Harold Winpenny,
Of Philadelphia. who was just out Of
college, their engagement was
broken. The youth OF the couple
was given as the reason.
Tragedies Of Family.
Thank God, my little girl is free
from the hands OF my enemies" fer.
vently muttered the war governor Of
Rhode Island, i'll abed in Paris. as a
message told him Of the granting cf
. decree Of divorce that meant
"finis" for a romance which four
years before had seemed to mark the
ending Of the ancient feud between
him and former Chief Justice John
H. Stiness Of Rhode Island. This
feud began with the financial
reverses suffered by sprague as a
result OF the titantic commercial
struggle between his great cotton
manufacturing concern and its
strongest rival Bgown & Ives,
Just before the panic OF 1873, was
only one link in the chain of
tragedies in the Sprague family.
which sent the former governor, an
embittered, hesrt-sick octogenarian
into exile in Paris In 1909. where he
Joined his granddaughter. then
estranged from her husband. and
her baby daughter.
The Sprague tragedies began in
1S43 with the murder OF Amasa
Sprague, uncle Of the future gov
ernor Sprague. The slayer was the
last man to be hanged in Rhode Is.
land. Then followed the commercial
downfall OF Governor Sprague, COM
pleted by the panic OF 1873.
In 1879, armed with shotgun,
Governor Sprague escorted Roscoe
Conklin, by rear exit. from Canon.
chot, his splendid and historic coun.
try residence at Narragansett,
where Kate Chase Sprague. beauti'
full and brilliant, had ruled at
Americas only real social and po-
Ntical salon. Kate Chase Sprague
left Canonchot soon thereafter, with
her three daughters, and obtained a
divorce.
In 1882, william Sprague, jr.,
father of Mrs. Stiness. influenced by
the attentions paid his wife by Ger.
ritt 8. Wheaton, a New York society
bachelor, went West and committed
suicide.
More than a score OF years elapsed
before the fourth tragedy. orestez A.
Wood. brother OF Governor Spragues
second wife, who was Mrs. Dover
1roz Calvort. and q sister OF his sui
ode sons widow. killed himself by
poison in New York hotel. A few
wears earlier the historic shotgun
had figured in his expulsion from
Canonchot.