The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-06-21
)Clese Of afhssBowea Bigang Case.
sDsedioa IF Jadye ozin-ss Speech of the
Prisoag-Rs Hopes. for Pardon.
rspesial Correspondence Baltimore Gazette

r. y Z
Especial Correspondence Baltimore Gasette.1
WASHINGTON, D. c., June 13, 1871.
Upon opening Of .he Crimina! Court
this morning, ex-Congressman G. c.
Bowen, convicted of bigamy, in whose
case the motion for a suspension of
sentence vas argued yesterday, appeared
in Court with his latest wife, Mrs. Pet
tigru King Bowen, and Messrs. Riddle
and Moore, of his counsel. The hour
being early, there were but few specta-
tors in the court room.
JUDGE oLIN's DECISION.
Jude Olin said this is motion to
suspend the sentence Of the law in this
case, and, as consequence, to let the
prisoner go at large on bail until the
exceptions taken at the trial are dis
posed of by the Court in banc. l have
heard somewhat protracted argument
on this question, conducted with much
research and learning.
The conclusion at which l have
arrived, after careful examination Of
this question, is that it is my duty to
pronounce the sentence of the law upon
the verdict in this case.
Possibly this Court has the power to
suspend passing sentence for any crime
charged iD an indictment after the YER
dict Of guilty by the jury, but f'om all
the authorities it is, l think, clear that
such power should never be exercised
uuless it was clearly and nanifestly
apparent to the Court that injustice had
been done the defendant.
Since the trial Of this case, l have
carefully reviewed the exceptions taken
on the trial to my rulings, and 1 am
unable to discover any error in them,
and so believing, 1 think it my duty to
pronounce the sentence of the Law.
There is another question incidental
ly invol7ed in this case which | do not
decide, and that is, whether upon pro.
uouucing sentence in this case, and
when bill of exceptions has been filed,
a Judge Of this Court may not suspend
the execution of the sentence and let
the party to bail until the questions
raised by the bill of exceptions have
been settled by the Court in bauc. This
question | do not decide ! am of the
opinion if l have power to suspend the
execution Of the sentence, any Judge of
this Court has the same power, and as |
have come to the conclusion that |
committed DO error on the trial of the
cause, an application to me to suspend
the sentence would be unnecessary.
The Judge asked: "Do you wish to
say anything, Mr.. Bowen, in addition
to what your counsel has said ? If SO.
you can have the privilege OF doing So"
MR.. BowEN's REMARKS
Mr Bowen arose, aud as he did so,
Mrs. King Bowen convulsively clung to
him, but fpaily he persuaded her to
take her seat. aud said:
Hyour honor pleases, I a,n aware
that perhaps anything | can say would
have no effect. will say this, and
perhaps all that l shall say; In this
transaction 1 took the step that ] did
last August in good faith, and tor sever
al reasons: First, l had relied upon the
record | had obtained in New York;
and here let me say to my friends that
if there was anything wrong in that
record it was the fault of those parties
who took my money and obtained thcf
record in 1865. If your Honor will
bear with me one moment l will 80 over
that point, as perhaps it is the Fast time
l shall say any thing upon this question.
The entry made 10 that book, and
the testimony, uuimpeached, in this
Court, as it stands TO day, is that the
whole entry, though there are erasures
there, was in the handwriting Of one
person, corroborated by the expert that
the Assistant District Attorney himself
put upon the stand.
Further than that, the clerk testified
that it was in the handwriting Of the
clerk in that Office who died three years
ago. That testimony stands to day uu-
contradic,ed.
Ooe step further, and am done. so
far rs that record is concerned. One
year agu she [poiutiug iu the direction
of his wife) enclosed her money to the
clerk of that Court, aud obtained copy
Of that decree, and on that copy she got
married.
IF THE RECORD IN NEW YORK WAS
-. WRONG,
i. is the fault of those men, and the way
they do business there. | am now done,
so far as the record is concerned.
Outside Of that, the net Of Congress,
which bad seen and read, aud which |
had shown to lawy ers, there was but one
universal opinion in regard to. They
all said that that covered the case.
Much was said about my
ABANDONING THE WOMAN IN AUGUSTA.
If / could have opened rny mouth, |
could have shown, perhaps, why the
abandonment or deser,ion took place
But my mouth was closed; so was hers.
will say this much: ! would have
been willing to have had her open ier
mouth upon that Question. Whatever
may have happened in lS52-she diff
ference between US at that time do
pot plead as any extenuatiop--
A BOY OF lS AND A MOTHER OF 80
/ say / do not mean that. Working
for living. toiling every day, was to
sit down there 10 that little town aud
slarge to dea,h2 When [ went was she