Year: 1869

SeriO-COmic Suit in Iilinois-LoVc ana Dnn


OrtbORraphy-A Gushing Youth of % in Tor u


Hundred Thousand.


The Craig-Sprague breach OF promise case now
progressing in Wheaton, near chicago, Ill, ana az,
tracing great attention in the West, presents
curious mixture OF serious affection, criminal eXpe-
rience, and ludicrous correspondence between Lne
parties Of the suit. The ludicrous, however, en-
tirely overbaances all other effects, so far as the
public is concerned as the trial continues Ihe PLAIN
tiff, Miss Amanda j. Craig, Of Cincinnati mas sued
Elisha Sprague, Of Chicago, for 100000 She is
woman Of 2S years. Mr. Sprague is hfty-two years
old. He testified when first called on the stand that
Miss Craig had confessed to him that she mad been
Beduced and had been subjected TO an abortion seYe
raj years before This testimony is apparently con-
frmed by that Of two physicians, one of whom had
refused to assist in an abortion, while the other had
not refused SO far as we can see by the reports OF
the trial, this part of the evidence is unrebutted.
For this apparently sufficient cause Mr.. Sprague
broke off the marriage engagement which he had
contracted previous to the confession.


The ludicrous portion Of the testimony consists in
the letters which have been offered in evidence by
counsel. Sprague, though a man OF large fortune,
seems to have been utterly deficient in education,
and the spelling OF his letters are more ingeniOusy
incorrect than those OF either Artemus Ward or
Nasty. An entire absence OF punctuation marks is
natural, perhaps, and capitals are used indiscrmi
natey. The writer always assumes a gushingy
aiectionate and hOwery style, and is frequently eX
camatory and meodramatic. Miss Craig herself is
well educated, and has been a school teacher; her
letters are well written and full of afectionae
warmth worthy Of lover younger than hfty-two
You have no idea" she says in one place, "You
have no idea, dear idol, OF my worshipping heart
/ appreciate one little loving sentence from your
dear fingers" or these little glowing sentences we
select one or two letters from several pages of sm
lar epistles published in the Chicago papers. The
following was written after the confession OF Miss
Craig, and after Mr. Sprague had broken off the en-
gagement He had received threatening letter
from herr


"Maccanaw, Thursday in
morning july 49, 1866 EEsssh ,sSSaS ..sssss


my Dear Amanda SO you say you Love me how is
lit possible say to myself the way you have acted
in the matre towards me you know 1t was wrong to
Demand OF me what you did know you ad no right to
Do so So l thought would take Plesur Trip ex-
pecting to return in the course of years / am
stoaping now on the island OF maccanaw Between
Lake Mishigan and Lake Ontario. my dear you can
not compel me to Do amy thing But God can. o
God call on him to Protect me and furm
smlng against his High Laws. now my dear
you should ave used kind wurds to me instead
OF saying you was going to take the Law, do
not fear all the Deavells in hell i'll Right and
god is on my side. There is no reasons that can
Drive me and can as far in mill stone them
hat pick lit and you can say in your letter to Dun
ing that your relations swear at me and / suppose
you Do to when my back is turned. Lord God l
pray to the to take this bitter cup from my lips.
happy once more. But as it is know that it will be
the cause Of my Death. (fair welD fair well, fair
well. May god bless you. Being the last time that
expect to see you let my nam sink never to be thout
OF NOR so you say to me that your friends will use
pistil well am prepared to use them just fast
the kan and as kuick. can fte My waite in yld kats
you charg me with one thing that maks me krazy
when think OF 1t. The moar feel and the moar /
no 1t the moar no 1t is false but my god kan it be so
and You did not tell me in your letters to me. If |
knew 1t was so or thought it was possible would
jump into the lake and bid farwell to this world OF
Toube To think you would keep such a sekret
from me. that god would hear my prairs and take
all the luv that have furm you away from me- but


shall go kraisye believe the way feel to day. /
hav mott sep two hours for the last thre nites uv
you above all Others Mandy. tax your luv furm me
shun my name and berry me for ever. If you wud
have lovd me we wud have ad happy time goin
round the town. there is sum wons or uther gon to
urop ingand and parriss and the want me to 90
with them in Kas / do jus rite wun Kin
lettre i'll let you no in tim of doing so and
Civ you the adres. am in the and now was sent a
ettrc by the steamer Dupray, that sade you get
along better without me- there is no wuman that
Kan drive me- nor man, If pesent wurds will accom-
plishment anything it will be with me. 1t is so col
and pleasant on this iland, gets more every da if
could guvern this foulish luv would be happy
hear during hOat weather. l am miserabil i'm mi
hart sinse parted with you. The gong rings for
dinner fair well God bless you my luy fair well.


In the following, written below the above, the
writer expresses religious tendency among many


Chicago, April 20. 1866.
I cannOtt write mutch 1 cannot see one Bit aut
OF my Eys Got the dSpldce weary Bad lit is Getting
Beater have Letters from you Butt cant see to
Read them have mott broken them open will soon as
| can Read them wont trust no wone to Read them
or to write for me. don't know how you will Read
thease Lines its All Cess work. l feal well ih my
Eys wear the sweating is Just Going Down moy 1
worship the lord gedSUS for the Laws of god must be
obeyed after Putt this Letter in - will Gett
sum wone to Duet. EC.S
ton, as tollows:-


Loves Demand


Keep thine Hart Pure Beneath thess eyes that Look
so Deep and Love so well Though stand close when
thine angle flies my Life Lies under Baeful spell n
all the Bliss of Earth Below and all the Bliss OF
heaven Above could WOO the not from wrong and wo
Be true to love Be true to lovo oh Give to Love no
Bitter word oh give to Love selfish thought nor
the hairless smile Like what is stirred wen the world
is answered nought for nought oh Give to love no
artful shock however innocent it seems lett truth
and Perfect truth the while Prove thee as noble as
deem though all thy Grace and Beauty fail oh could
they ever fail for me and the very stars OF heaven
Grow pale Lett me Lose never my faith in thee
Loves Loss as Less than truth | mind thy Sun may
Light another sphere hitting in Darkness Lone and
Blind shall feel safe thine honor clear.


L. G. SPRAGUE.
IA despatch last evening announced that the Jury
awarded the delicate Amanda the S00 600 that she
claimed as an offset to her damaged" feelings An
appeal is filed by defendant-ED. EVE. TEL
FRANCE