The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1875-04-22
AyaIuabIe Acquisition.

We last week mentioned the fact that eA-Oo'
lonsl-Judge Thomas NJ. Bowen, OF Arn"''
formerly Of Kansas, had emigrated 10 "oi'i"
to do his part toward giving the PIoSP'C
State good material from which to seIec. "''-
ernors. Coupressmen and Senators. A Ieai l'"u
Ia. h;.,o-,, NAV not he of disadvantage 10 the
people of Colorado.
po,veu made his appearance at Marysville, Kan
50. during the early part of the war. We be-
Ii.vs bs came from Nebraska, where he had been
a CAPTAIN in a regiment. He pretended to be a
lawyer, but was a very thin one, and depended
upon his wife for what little brsin-work was re-
uuired of him. But he had cheek, assurance, aud
long hair. The 18th Kansas Regiment was or
ganized in the Fall of 1862, under the auspices OF
Jim Lane, who was also, at the same time organ
izing the 1Ith and 18th Regiments. Lane want
ed TO control the Republican State Convention
oe that year. in order to select set of State Off
GERS who would do his bidding The men who
could do the most for Lane in that Convention.
stood the best chance of securing the Offices in
the new regiments. Bowen, by skullduggery,
and by virtue Of having squad of enlisted men
nt his command got1fo be a delegate from Mar
shall County and managed to secure proxies for
Washington and Republic Counties. Thus he
had three votes, and Lane controlled them all
The result was, he got to be Colonel OF the 18th
Regiment He was destitute of principles oI
scruples and his army career was quite savory
While in Arkansas, he coIresponded regularly
with his wife, and sent her money. One day
near the close of the war, or soon after, having
received letters and remittances from him rcgu
larly, she was astounded by receiving newspa
per, in which it was announced that he al OBJ
tanned divorce from her! This was the firsi
intimation she had that he ever contemplated
such a thing. Very soon afterwards, he was
married to a woman in Arkansas, who was doubt
less waiting for him. His wife, utterly disguised
with him, permitted the matter to go thus. IL
was afterwards ascertaned that be had employ
ed a creature to appear in Court as his wife's
lawyer, to answer for her, and consent to the d.
vorce The plea set mp, was that she had desert
ed him-ths, too, while he had been sending her
money for her maintenance! To make it look
well on his part, and perhaps to somewhat molli-
fy her, he he had it stipulated in the order that
she should have what property she had brought
to him at their marriage, and also what property
he owned in Kansas. He afterwards got to be
Supreme Judge in Arkansas, and then went
grace. His wife, with young son, removed tC
Illinois, where she again married. and several
years since, with her husband, returned to Kan,
sas. Her husband is County officer in Jackson
County, and her son, an intelligent boy of l6 oI
IL years, is employed in printing Office. This
renegade father has never so much as sent him q
friendly message since the divorce. But they
have heard of him, if not from him, for all that
for he has recently brought suit in the United
States District Court for the recovery of the
property that was granted 10 his wife in the de-
cree of divorce. The case is now pending; and
if the property does not in reality belong to the
United States, it is thought that it may be se-
cured to his former wife and his son.
Such is the man who will be burnming in Col
oradO for some big Office. The people of that
healthful region will display lamentable lack
of appreciation if they do not avail themselves of
his services.