The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-24
P. T. BARNuM III JAIL.


Years Ago
Danbury Conn., Letter.
p I. Barnun, tho proprietor of the Great
est Show On Earth, was, in 1882, editor Of
the village newspaper here, the Herald OF
Freedom and Truth. Unlike most other ed
itors of his day Mr.. Barnum dared to speak
the truth, and upon several occasions was so
outspcken, fearless and iFrepressible that he
found himself in hot water He was sued for
libel anumber of times, paid his fines and
continued his truth-telling The special
matter which forms the subject of
this sketch was an alleged libel on one
Deacon Seth Seelye, of Bethel, father to Prof
Seelye, president of Andover College. Taking
otfense at some personal allusion to him in
the columns of the Herald, the Deacon caused
the arrest of Editor Barnum, and the case
was brought before Judge David Daggett
afterward Chief-iustice of the Supreme Court
OF Connecticut, and although Mr.. Barnum
introduced evidence to show that the state
ments in the alleged libel were true, it was
ruled that the greater the truth the greater
the libel" and he was found guilty by the
jury, and, contrary to all expectation, sem
fenced by the judge to a fine of 500 and
sixty days in Jail both of which he paid
in due form. Mr.. Barnum was then, as now, a
U niversalist, and members of that denomin-
alton, being heretics, were not allowed to
| testify in any court of justice. The inear-
ceration of Mr. BaFnum caused great indig-
nation and a strong revulsion of feeling in
his favor, He continued to edit his paper
| from the prison, and at the expiration of his
| term of imprisonment he received an ova-
| ton which showed that he had vast num-
| Der of friends in the community who were
not at all in sympathy with the action of the
court.
Mr. Barnum handed the writer, this morn
ing a pamphlet. the titIe-page of which ex-
plains itself, and is as follows:
THE NATIONS BuLwARK.
AN
GRAFTON
ON THE
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS,
Delivered at the courthouse in DanburE, Conn,
On Wednesday, Dec. 5, 1882,
On the liberation OF r T. Barnum, Esq, editor
ment for an alleged libel, to which
is appended an account of
the proceedings on that
occasion, together
with a letter
Addressed to him while in prison.
BY t. FISK.
Editor of the New Haven Examiner, New Ha-
published at the Office of the Examiner and
Watchtower OF Freedom.
On the second page is the dedication, which
is as follows:
To Colonel Richard NJ Johnson as a pnblie
tribute to his eminent public services and great
private worth, this is most respectfully in
scrioed by THE AUTHOR.
Then follows the oraton BIZ sHEP2 f6afaeeE9dlSf
work, The Grafton was read at the festivities
which followed Mr. Barnums liberation
from jail. There were 800 people present
at the courthouse on that day. This was a
large gathering for fifty years ago A band
OF music was engaged and choir was in at
| tendance. There was a committee of promi-
nent citizens, marshals and a toast master.
| Speeches full of patriotic sentiment were
made. As soon as the toasts were drunk. P.
I. Barnum and the band of music took their
seats in coach drawn by six horses which
had been prepared for the occasion. The
coach was preceded by forty horsemeR
and a marshal bearing the national standard.
Following the coach was the carriage of the
orator and president of the day, and sixty
carriages containing citizens joined in the
procession and escorted the liberated editor
to his home in Bethel. which is four miles
south of this town. On December next it
will be fifty-one years since these occurrences
took place.