The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-01-10
A REMARKABLE LIBEL.
A Midnight Blaze That Brought an Ex-
Congressman into Trouble.

Midnight Blaze That Brought an Ex-
Congressman into Trouble.
One of the most remarkable libel cases
ever put on trial in the courts of this State
will be called to trial in Judge Knapp's
Circuit Court on the Hill tomorrow morn
ing. Rev. Henry E. Decker, Presbyte-
rian minister whose pulpit is in Blauvelt-
vile, just on the Bergen County line, in
Rockland County, New York, is the plain
tiff, and John w. Ferdon, well-known
member of Congress, resident of Rockland
County, New York, is the defendant. The
plaintiff will be represented by Messrs.
Hoffman & Herbert, of this city, and Mer-
rift E. Sawyer. the Brooklyn advocate who
won the SIS 900 verdict in the Livingston
breach of promise case. and the defendant
by Judge Strong, of New York, and ex-
Governor Joseph d. Bedle, of this city.
The suit is based upon the following allie
cations which Rev. Mr.. Decker will attempt
to prove:
Besides being minister in full order,
Rev Mr.. Decker is the head of little
school in Blauveltviile Mr.. Ferdon. who
is man of large wealth, and probably one
of the most popular residents Of Rockland
County, placed his son under the ministers
tuition for preparation for college. The
boy is wild kind of a youth, and, accord
ing to the plaintiffs story. was more given
to mischief than to his books. When the
dominic reprimanded him, the youth,
breaking all bounds, declared that he
would get square by burning the
minister out. Upon one occasion
N October, 1882, the boy was es-
pecially unruly, and Rev. Mr. Decker
found it necessary to be unusually severe
in disciplining him. After school the boy
declared his intention, to one of his school,
mates, of burning the old devil out" He
even asked his school fellow to aid him in
the job; and it is known that he subse-
quently purchased a quantity of kerosene
oil. That night the minister's house was
set a1ame. The dominic ard his family
had time to save nothing and were lucky
in escaping with their lives. The fire
spread from the parsonage to the church
adjoining: and that too was consumed.
The next morning Mrs. Ferdon and the
boy went away, ostensibly for pleasure, but
really, the prosecution in the impending
libel will contend, to keep the lad ozt of
the way till the excitement aroused by his
crime had subsidized Meanwhile coroner's
jury that enquired into the circumstances
surrounding the fire, presented young Fer
don as the guilty party An attempt was
made to indict him; but the high character
his father enjoyed in the community saved
him. Then appeared in the local paper
at Sparkill, which is not tar from BIauvslt-
vile. an article, or series of letters,
charging the dominic with having suborned
witnesses to swear to lies against the boy.
John " Onderdonk, the publisher of the
paper. was indicted by the Rockland
County grand jury for libel and in purg-
ing himself, he declared that the letter, OF
letters, had been furnished for publication
by Mrs. Ferdon, who had meantime re
turned with her SON. The indictment was
not pressed against the publisher, but,
instead, the pending libel suit to recover
$25, 900 damages was Instituted against the
Ferdons. The suit was brought in this
State because Ferdon spends the greater
part of his time at his country seat in Ten
sahy, Bergen County. Next to the Potter
ease, The trial will probably be one Of The
most interesting ever held in the Hudson
County courts.