New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-05-23
PETER COOPER SUED FOR LIBEL.
THE GRIEVANCE OF WALLACE ]. GROOM
CHARGES GROWING OFT or GEoOMs CONNECTION
WITH THE INDEPENDENT GREENBACK PARTY
$4,000 DAMAGES DEMANDED.


$4,000 DAMAGES DEMANDED.
Peter Cooper, white haired and venerable,
sat in the Circuit Cour, brooklyn yesterday, the de
PENDANT in a suit for libel brought by Wallace p. Groom
editor Of Tie Ncr IOrf Mercantile journal, who lays his
damages at $50 600. John T. Parsons appeared rs Mr.
Coopcrs counsel and the plaintiff represented by
W. W Goodrich. In the courtroom were also sheridan
Shook and !. {. Zlchos, Of the Cooper Union.
The complaint forth that in 1876 the defendant
was the candidate OF tine Independent Grecnback party
for President and that the plaintiff advocated the dec
trnes ~ that party The plaintiff was also nominated
for Congress by this party and by the Republican party
in the With District, in this city. At the election In
that year the Cooper and Cary electoral ticket received
about 800 votes ~ NcwYork City. On October 30. 1876
the plaintiff agreed furnish 600 polling booths and
print and dlfribuc 900 fourpage documents with
ballots attached zone {, each voter In Newlork Clty)
and To print and furnish for Use In the state 100000
more OF documents, all for the OF $1,000 The
plaintiff says that he fully performed his part of the
contract on March l. 1877, he alleges, the defendant
published deamatory matter concerning him, in the
shape OF letter the plaintiff signed by The defendant
The letter In substance is follows:
You have forgotten how earnestly you laborcd
with the Independent tickets printed ON one lcu should
De every registered voter In tins city. GOu well
fecolicct how often expressed my fears that you would
NOT be able TO get many printed and di
rrc,d All the registered voters In this city In time to
have them all delivered by the Saturday before the cleo
ton You repeatedly said that IL would BE- done 80
entire satisfaction. Relying your promises handed
! YOU my check, before the printing, Tor 5000.
You mentioned that You had been nominated by the Re
publican party, which, YOU sad had agreed that on the
condition that you would furnish boxes for all the poll
ugplaccs they would pay for two men at each box to
give out tickets the day of election After listening
To your arguments ~ favor OF furnishing boxes finally
concluded 10 advance y0a - 800 you desired. To
induce 10 advance 20 large sum yOu must remcm-
Der how many times you stated that It would cost your
party than double the amount 10 pay Tor manning
the boxes that yOu required from me for printing and
delivering tickets to all the registered voters IN the CITY,
with box in every boiling district On receiving from
you both written and verbal assurances that all snOnld
he done to entire satisfaction paid you the $1,000.
| for which have your receipt IN full
on the evening before election In the presence OF DR..
Zachos You DECLARED you had every tmg arranged Just
! exactly a. you desired TO have il. What must |
J nnd sen for mr printed document With cKcts on it
10 every registered voter and take from - 500 for
! doing the work, and then find the day of election
that neither document tickets had been delivered
YOU had agreed. Instead Of sending them To- every regis
tered voter them I'm large bundles to your place
IN Tourtcenh-st undIrcctr where prctence Of send
| ins them out was made by giving them TO men In
| who Ia employ boys NJ 81 10 for deliver
ing documents each district. These documents
,,rd an fbr morning of election day thrown about the
streets in bundles aud there scarcely any Iu
dependent tickets TO be found ON that day except III the
district where you the candidate Tor Congress Of
| both the independent and Republican parties. You
have made ii plain that you were trying 10 secure your
own election at my expense, perfectly regardless OF the
most positive promises made TO both me and the Repub-
lean party Your failure to 30 thls ms you had agreed
relieved The Republican party from It's obligations pay
| the men You had employed to man the boxes
You must now that the $1,000 you had persuaded
me to advance had been than wasted, rs the tick
els had paid for were never received by tho registered
voters what must think OF yOu when find that
twelve hundred-weight OF the same documents, that
should been sent ont to the registered voters was
taken away truck the day after election waste
paporl Besides your clerk informs me That you had di-
rrcte,i HIM take truck To own house at night
ten Of those large bundles containing many thousands OF
these documents, with their tickets that you had been
paid for sending 10 every voter III the city. think,
therefore, IN the light of these facts that can justly
complain OF having alsed your promises in every
particular, aud subjected me and the cause to which
had devoted means, through youf voluntary agency,
| to unmerited reproach and faiiure'
The plaintiff complains that by o! this letter he
was injured his reputation business and credit the
amount Of $4,000
Mr. Goodrich in opening the case for the plaintiff said
Mr. Cooper had manfoded hundred copies OF this let
ter Mr. Cooper interrupted him by saying: Not more
than half a-dOzcn" That enough Tor my purpose
said Mr. Goodrich. The letter. he continued, cost Mr..
Groom a salary of $4,000, and had caused him to be
accused of being an embczZlcr.
George Opdyke was put the stand TO show that OH
account Of this letter Mr.. Groom deprived OF his
poston secretary Of the Board of Trade OF which Mr.
Opdyke was president, but the testimony excluded.
Mr. Opdyke said that he was influential member Of
the Republican party and 1t was at his suggestion that
Mr. Groom nominated for Congress. lie had spoken
of this sheridan Shook, General sharpe aud others
when The Board OF Trade was consolidated with the
Cheap transportation Associations the question of max
b. A. b. Miller aud F. b. 1hurbsr. The witness bad re-
cciyed from Nj. Cooper copy Of tho letter.
seni to The Board OF Trade aud Trlnspotaon aud the
leading members thought that when so influential man
| "a In.
would hurt TIE board tO make him tue secretary. They
inferred the letter that Mr. Groom was bad and UNI
| grateful ,.
The plaintiff testified that he was an ardent advocate
| of tho C;recnback party, and that he worked sim
| cereIy foi the success of the Cooper aud Cary
| ticket Mr. Cooper, he sald paid the cxRen'
! srs ~ many OF the delegates to the State Con
yention OF that party at Albany and gave the witness
$500 for his expenses at this convention lie explained
The contra with Mr.. Cooper spoken or In the com
paInt He agreed get 600 polling booths made for
| aboEt SO oocb and to print 100000 copies OF an az
SpesS 70 yoers with tickets attached Mr.. Groom also
said that he had forwarded Mr.. Co0pers views by
articles in Ha,pers Weekly and me AHdnhe ana te
every issue Mr. Coopers letter, contained III the com
nIait was read to tie witness, who pronounced tue
atemeuts therein 10 be false While this going on,
MIR Cooper's excitement coud scarcely be restrained.
Mr. Parsons or Mr. Zachos would seize IT, and bee MN 10
| keep still" The crossexamnation OF Mr. Groom was
| moi com nlelsd.