Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-10
Especial Telegram to the Globe. !

DENVER, Col, Feb. "a prominent Re-
publican, intimately acquainted with the
new senator, furnished your correspondent
with the following facts concerning the
career of this self-made man. Tom Bowen
has won the senatorial fight in Colorado
and realized his ambition at last. Stephen
W. Dorsey, some ten years ago, wrested
from him the honor of representing car
pet bag Arkansas in the senate of the
United States, and now that Dorsey is out
of Office, depleted in pocket, stripped of
reputation, and fighting hard to keep
out of prison, Bowen enters
the senate the millionaire representative
of one of the greatest and fastest growing
states in the Union. 1 know little of his
career in the army, and after the war, in
Arkansas and Idaho, but when the old rebel
element began to obtain control in Ar
kansas he joined the Hegira to Colorado,
and it was in Leadville in 1879 when he
was judge of the judicial district, which
includes Lake county, that I knew him.
The lawyers laughed over the story that he
and G. W. Tankersly had brought with
them to Colorado "stolen," these wicked
lawyers said-the entire law IL
brary of the state of Ar
kansas, numbering several thous
and volumes which, however, was
cheerfully surrendered upon the appear
ance of an officer having warrant for
the pair but instructed to secure the arrest
of the culprits only in case of refusal to
deliver the books for shipment to Little
Rock. was afterwards brought in con-
tact with Mr.. Bowen when he was in Lead
Vile holding the sessions of his court, and
had abundant opportunities of observ-
ing the estimation in which he was held
by his personal friends and the public.
His court had at that time heavy press
of some of the most important legislation
in the state, suits involving the
title or the possession of rich
mines, promising mining claims, town
lots and land claims. The mining laws
had been framed with reference to placers
and fssure veins of mineral in place, while
the loose deposits common in the carbon
ate region being new relation to lawyers,
miners and geologists, the terms of the
Colorado and United States statutes need
ed considerable judicious straining to ap-
ply. Gov. Tabor's apartments in the
Tabor Opera house were very comfortable,
no doubt, but Tabor being party to
many suits pending it was not the
part of wise judge to
accept them as a place to hold court in
chambers, much less to use them as a
sleeping room. Tabor was engaged in
much litigation, and was often held in 9th
er courts to be quite in the wrong, but
sometimes when he entered the district
court with an apparently hopeless case he
came out the victor, and scarcely ever
failed to convince the court that he should
have all he sought. Tabor's old attorney.
Judge Weston, certainly had most remar k
able luck in obtaining or dis
solving injunct1ons as occasion required
and to such an extent that it gave the ex-
lieutenant governor prestige that over
awed the victims of the Napoleonic mining
combinations. One Bush, man of yio-
lent temper and malicious disposition, af-
ter slight alteration with respectable
citizen, drew revolver and without a word
of warning shot him dead. Bush's brother
was one of Bowen's intimates and the
partner of Tabor, IN the Clarendon, the
leading hotel, and in several mining ven
lures. Bowen decided to admit the
SLAYER to bail and fixed it at
low figure, easily furnished,
and Bush went about his business as usual.
So great, however, was the hatred of this
not very squeamish community for this
crime. which was generally denounced as
a cowardly murder, that Bush became a
pariah, and upon the organization OF the
vigilance committee for protection against
lot jumpers and highwaymen no went tc
Denver.
Judge Bowen never at any time devoted
himself assiduously to the business of his
court, but when his San Juan mine began
to give indications of riches he begrudged
any time to the important crowd of liti
giants always eagerly awaiting the
opening of the court. He pushed cases
through so fast that it might well have
been said that to dispatch business, not tC
dispense justice, was his object. A few
criminal cases, some motions, cloud o1
injunctions granted or dissolved. perhap!
three or four civil jury cases, and he was
off after ten days sitting, leaving full
docket where he ought to have left clean
one, to some other county to repeat th'
performance, or directly to Denver or New
York to dispose of shares enough
in the San Juan Consolidated
to keep afioat till the mine fulfilled hel
promise. When it became known that Bower
expected the mine would prove bonanza
and even displayed rich specimens, few
thought much of it. The newspaper
laughed at the clerks of the court, Charley
Taylor and Billy Raymond, for thinking
that their interest in the property CAV
them ''the world by the HEELS as the.
said. Everybody expected big strike, ant
it seemed natural that an Bowen, VIII
once described himself "a born gambler,
should haYe the nerve to throw all th'
money he could raise into a hole in th'
ground that gave nothing back. 1t Nigh
! well have seemed incredible that tn,
strange fortunes of this man-soldier, law
yer, politician, governor, judge-should be
crowned with that rarest of successes,
bonanza mine. Yet so it has come to pass
for by the mine itself or the sale of inter
ests in it he has certainly made enormous
amount of money. He is said to be wortf
millions, ranging from two to five.