Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-10-31
FRANK ]. BOWMAN.

thio DdiHdiu Dog HOH tho ~ \.
World:
Frank j. Bowman, while practicing
law in St. Louis for many years, had
personal encounters innumerable with
attorneys and clients in the trial of
,ases, and at one time made prepara-
tions for duel with Congressman
John NJ. Glover. He figured in a
great many corporation suits before
the State and United States Supreme
courts, and his fee in the case OF the
CITY against the Missouri Pacific road,
i by which the city obtained 100000,
was one Of the largest ever received
! by St. Louis attorney-namely
| $4,000. In 1877 he was disbarred
for unprofessional conduct in receiving
fees from both parties to suit, but
was reinstated by the Legislature and
Supreme Court in 1881 and at the
banquet in honor OF his reinstatement
the leading men of the Bar and a great
many other prominent citizens were
present.
His domestic relations, apparently,
were no pleasanier than his profession
al experiences. In May, 1856, he be-
gan suit in St. Louis against his
wife, Mary ". Bowman, alleging for
cause that she had rendered herself in
capable of bearing children. The cou-
pie then had daughter eighteen years
old. Mrs. Bowman filed a cross COM
plant alleging infdelity, and secured a
decree of divorce from Bowman and
$50, 900 alimony. In January, 1887,
Ida NJ. Bowman, or Ida NJ. Clements,
applied for divorce from Bowman in
Chicago court, alleging that they
were parties to common-law mar
riage in June, 1886 that they lived
as husband and wife until September
of the same year, when he committed
the statutory crime by marrying Miss
S ella Platt of Brooklyn. This COM
plainant has two children by Bowman,
one now nine years old and the other
three. They were born while the
mother was Ida NJ. Clements and
Bowman was living with his first wife.
When he was divorced, she claims he
went through common-law marriage
with her. The defense claimed that
Bowman never married Ida, but adj
mitted that he had been intimate with
her while living with his first wife, and
that he married Estelle Platt in Sept,
1886, after procuring divorce from
his first wife.
The trial of this case became ceIe-
brated as being the first attempt in
this country to obtain a decree of di-
vorce on common-law marriage. 1t
was bitterly contested from the Begin
ming. The first trial resulted in de-
eision for the complainant. This was
in 1887. Bowman appealed, and the
second trial opened in October, 1888,
before Chicago jury, and resulted
month later in the Court awarding ida
a decree and alimony. The decision
holding that common-law marriages
were just as subject to divorce as any
other made stir in legal and social
circles. After Mr.. Bowman's mar
riage to Miss Platt, in 1886, he left
St. Louis, settled in Brooklyn and OPP
ened a law Office in New York where
he has since followed his profession.
his TRIUMPH SHORT LIVED.
The killing of Frank J. Bowman by
b. Nj. Chambers, at the Chambers
homestead, eight miles from St Louis,
was elimination Of feud that had
existed between the parties for nine
years, and which begun in this way:
While Chambers, lifelong citizen of
St. Louis, YVES President of the Butch
ers and Drovers' Bank, the bank, in
course of business, came into possess
sion of lot of stock of the St. Louis
Times newspaper. The bank failed
eight years ago. From the wreck
Chambers took the Times stock, secur-
ed control of the paper and sought to
build 1t up. Bowman, inspired, it is
charged, by others, went systematical-
" to work to wreck the paper. He
succeeded completely, by methods Of
most reprehensible character. and COM
pletely ruined Chambers. Bowman
then secured old judgments against
Chambers aggregating S26, 900. On
.hese Chambers paid s12, 900 and for
years Bowman had been endeavorine
o collect the balance. He was ma
evolent and cruel man and bounded
chambers with the purpose, avowed
'ublicly again and again, of driving
lim to the wall
Chambers, broken-hearted recluse
las been living on an annuity willed
i'm by his wife when she died. The
ill was a peculiar one, giving all the
roperty to her brother on condition
hat her husband be given an income.
'Owman had always insisted that this
nnuity was attachable and pursued
is debtor relentlessly. He got hold