The New York herald., 1875-12-22
THE BowEN-EAGLE LIBEL SUIT.

The Brooklyn City Court Part q the same in which
the Tton Beecher suit tried, was crowded yester
day in q manner which revived the recollection of that
famous trial On the bench the venerable Judge Neil
son was seated near the presiding justice
Judge Reynolds As counsel there were pres
ent ex-Judge Fullerton and Mr. William A.
Beach, arrayed against each other on this
OCCASION however lighting with their wonted yigor in
the interest of their respective clients. About the
court room there very many of the familiar faces
which wont to haunt the place when the case Of
Plymouth's pastor being tired, and several wit
nesses in that cause again in the chair. The ac
tion on trial is the suit brought by Mr.. Henry Bowen
to recover the Of 800, 600 damages from the
proprietors Of the Brooklyn Eagle for an alleged
belous article, in which the plaintiff s charged
with having organized company to hunt for the hid
den treasure Of Captain Kidd. For the plaintiff the
case was opened by ex-Judge Winfield, who said the
original Kidd salvage scheme was swindle and a
fraud A man could not be more utterly disgraced
than by calling him protector encourager Of IT,
There is not word OF truth in the story OF Mr. Bow
ems completely with that transaction Tho jury would
be doing public service by rendering verdict that
will put stop this uufounded abuse OF men in public
prints
Mr. william Hester publisher OF the Eagle, was the
first witness called for the plaintiff and testified that
the paper containing the Captain Kidd article had
circulation of 25 900 copies and they exchanged with
newspapers in half the States OF the Union.
The Objectionable article then read by Mr.. Full
lerton, and the case rested for the plaintiff.
Mr. Dewitt opened for the defence In the course Of
his speech he SAID Mr. Bowen for fifteen years had been
editor Of the Independent "a paper which, though pro-
fesscdly religious paper, was engaged IN pulling
swindling enterprises Of all kinds" The case is all
for dollars and cents. / think said the counsel the
most pitful sight in the world is that Of man who
has been newspaper man for fifteen or twenty years
coming into court to seek damages from rival jour
NJ has n n
ganza and satire, said that he was connected with
mythical project OF thirty years ago.
Tne first witness for the Defence exJudge Green
wood testified that years ago the Spirit Of ne Times
published the article against the company and Bowen,
which the Eagle article Is based George Wilkes was
sued in Brooklyn by the company on the Spirit Of the
Times article and acqutted in 1871 the Sun printed
the article, and has never been sued for IT by
Bowen or any member of the Kidd Salvage Company.
Frank Beard testified TO the republication OF the
article in the New York Sun after II had been pub
shed in wilkes paper; the papers named had never
been sued for libel in consequence OF that publication
W. A. Hall testified that he has known Mr. Bowen for
thirty years. and that the general reputation Of that
business transaction with Mr.. Bowen thirty years
he had expressed hostility to Bowen during the scandal
trial because OF the position Bowen took in the case.
stephen V. White, Of No 2l0 Columbia Heights, tes-
titled that he Is stock broker IN New York; he has
known the plaintiff for the past eleven years. the repu
taton OF Mr. Bowen previous TO August, 1874 not
good. on the cross-examinaton he didn't know that
Bowen was hostile at that time to Mr. Beechcr.
Objection made TO that line OF inquiry when MT.
Fullerton said he had right TO trace the origin OF tho
| hostility when a man suffers by IL Counsel then
| asked when did public rumor determine Mr. Bowon's
character be badbefore or alter the rparite agree
ment2
witness FIRST began to argue in his own mind as TO
the character OF Bowen alter the trpartte agreement
! He then began to connect him with the first circu
| lation OF these scandal stories.
| BY counsel for defence-Mr. Bowen had a pew In
! Plymouth church at that time and he confines to
occupy one there now he was there before and after
| the publication ofthe tripartite agreement
| O. What was the nature OF the entertainment TO
which you we're invited by Mr. Bowen 70 hts house
| A. IL was an invitation by card TO meet Jay Cooke.
O. State what the object OF the meeting wasi was u
| social or a business ENTERTAINMENT A. The card
said The pleasure your company requested TO meet
jay Cooke al the residence Of Mr.. Boweni' when we
arrived there we met Mr. Cooke, and were introduced
to him by Mr.. Bowen; Mr.. Cooke proceeded TO place
before us the prospectus Of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road and to set forth the advantages which were 10 DO
derived from the enterpriso there were number Of
maps displayed on the walls -,
4 Bowen took part at the time In praisng the lrclhc
Railroad, but objection was made by the piann ana
show that this entertainment was one oi apusiness