Episode 224: The Murder of Amasa Sprague

On this week’s episode of True Crime New England, Katie and Liz jump in their time machine and go all the way back to the 1840's in Rhode Island to discuss the murder of Amasa Sprague. Hailing from a very prominent and wealthy family, Amasa and his brother, William, grew their success with a massive mill franchise and political positions. On New Year’s Eve of 1843, Amasa was doing his nightly check of the livestock on his nearby farm in Johnston when he was shot and then beaten to death with a gun. At the time, the area was full of Irish immigrants who were constantly being treated poorly due to their heritage. Very quickly, a family of Irish brothers were found to be at fault for the murder despite the lack of evidence.