St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-15
BLAINE SUES FOR LIBEL,
Claiming that the Indianapolis Senti,
mel Has Damaged Him $4,000,
The Sentinel Having Intimated that BLAINE
Seduced His Wife,
And was Forced, at the Muzzle of a Gut
to Marry Her.
[special Telegram 70 the Glohe. 1

Especial Telegram to the Globe.1
| INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 14.-On the 9th inst. this
Sentinel, of this city, contained an editorial
charging that Blaine had seduced his present
wife in Kentucky and then fled to Maine, where
the Young woman and her father followed him,
and ne married her at the point of a gun. Thia
having reached Mr.. Blaine, he teegraphed Col
Holloway, Of the Times, that the statement w;s
false and infamous in every particular Politi-
cal ISLANDERS, he says, he pays attention to,
out this attacking the honor of his
wife and children cannot be submitted to.
Holloway was asked to secure the services OF q
lawyer at once and bring suit against the respon-
siole publisher of the Sentinel in the United
States court. Col Holloway placed the matter
IN the hands of Senator Harrison's law firm, and
papers are now in course of preparation in &C
! cordance with Biane's desire.
THE COMPLAINT
Harrison, Miller & Elan, attorneys, this even
ing filed the following complaint with the clerk
of the United States circuit court:
James G. Blaine, plaintiff, VS.. the indianapolis
| Sentinel company and John c. Shoemaker de-
| PENDANTS, for libel.
James G. Blaine. the plaintiff above named
citizen of the state of Maine, complains of said
| defendants, the Indianapolis Sentinel company 8
! corporation created by and under the laws of the
| state of Indiana. and citizen of said state and
John g. Shoemaker, who is also a citizen of said
state OF Indiana, and says that defendant company
| is owner and publisher of daily newspaper called
the Indianapolis Daily Sentinel, which is printed
and published at the city of indianapolis in said
state of Indiana: that defendant, John c. Shoe
maker, is president and business manager of
| said company, and as such directs and controls
the publication of said newspaper; that on the
Sth day of August, 1884, said defendants
wickedly, intending to injure, defame and scan
dalize plaintiff, did maiciously print and publish
in regular daily issue of said paper for that daJ
of and concerning plaintiff certain false, scan
dalous and defamatory article in t he words fol
lowing:
CAN BLAINE AFFORD IT?
''The campaign war against Mr. Cleveland is
to say the least, an indecent one. Finding no
vulnerable points in his public record the enemy
have assaulted supposed irregularty in his
private conduct They have dressed and re.
dressed the affair until the naked facts of it
but small part of the furbelowed, frilled and
rufled bizarre figure Waiting in the Blaine Re-
publican prints. This besmirchng of private
character is the stock in trade of the Blaine
folks. 1t s all they have to offer against the
Democratic candidate. But can Jas. G. Blaine
afford this plan of battle if his own TANKS are so
unprotected as they currently understood to
be. Is he not provoking a scathing fire by per-
hitting these assaults on Grover Cleveland? The
Democracy will hardly remain quiet upon
DldHe lller lie WNen MS supporters are re
sorting to scandal mongering against its candi'
dates, The charges of seduction made upon Mr.
Cleveland, and which are false upon their very
face can, it appears be turned Blaine and
made to stick. There is hardly an intelligent man
in the country who has not heard that James G..
Blaine betrayed the girl whom he married. and
then only married her at the muZZe of shot
gun. The Democratic press has the magnanim-
ity not to publish these reports, which must
cause pain to members of Blaine's family. The
Republican papers have long known of them and
have allowed them to go undenied. If Mr.
Blaine was the scoundrel to betray
an innocent girl; if, after despoiling her,
he was so craven as to refuse her legal redress,
giving legitimacy to her child until loaded shot
gun stimulated his conscience, then there is a
blot on his private character foul, if posi-
Bile, than any Of the countless stains on his polit
ical record. His conduct disclosed moral obi-
putty, rendering him undeserYing of social conf
dence and an unfit man to be president A can
didate with such record cannot afford to assail
his opponents. As between Cleveland and Blaine
what fair-minded voter can hesitate to pronounce
the former a cleaner and purer man.
That large number of copies of said news-
paper, to-wit, 5000, were upon said day by de-
PENDANTS caused to be circulated and distributed
in said city of Indianapolis, and throughout the
state of Indiana; that by reason of said mplica-
ton plaintiff has been damaged in the sum of
$4,000, for which sum he demands judgment.
IL Is understood tnat tomorrow proceedings
will be begun against Sherman and the author OF
the article under Grubbs libel law in the state
courts. This will compel Mr.. Blaine's attendance
as witness. The attorneys say the suit and
tribunal proceedings will be pushed with all pos
sible haste.
BLAINE's LETTER TO HOLLOWAY.
BAR HARBoR. Aug. 14.-W. X. Holloway,
editor Indianapolis Times, have this moment
received the atrocious libel of the indianapolis
Sentinel, The story is utterly and abominally
false in every statement and in every implication
Political ISLANDERS l do not stoop to notice, but
this editor assas the honor of my wife and my
children, desire you, without hours de-
lay, to employ the proper attorney and have the
responsible publishers of the Sentinel sued for
libel in the United States district court of Indi-
ana. II is my only remedy, and ! am sure that
honorable Democrats alike with honorable Re
publicans will justify me in defending the honor
OF my family with my life.
ISigned. JAMES G. BLAINE.