New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-03
RORERT B4RR SIZES "THE Sun
SEEKING; 5000 DAMAGES FOR STATEMENTS
WHICH. TIE DECLARES. ARE TOTALLY
FALSE AND HAVE BEEN or
GREAT INJURY TO HIM


Robcr, Barr. tn, novelist. arrived in this country
on beard the American lnor 81 LOUIS yoS'e'u'y
,norrinr and was driven TO the Hotel Empire. AZ
sixtv-thrd-st and the boulevard. which h VIII
mako his headquarters while in this city When
soon AZ the hotel Yesterday afternoon and asked
no m tho why and wherefore Of his present v!sit
10 this country. Mr.. Barr said.
Some two years ago The New-lork sun came
out with the unqualified statement that was a
d,,e,,ro MAC and as such had been committed 70
an tnorrlato asylum 20 England.
.., mans friends are frequently the Arst 70 be-
ueve ~ news Of him and ! vas much narassed
by cable dispatches end letters from my TRENDS
who we're too ready - believe tn" suns STATE
rnent: and my publishers IN this country. the
r,r.lsriek \ stokes Company. cablod their Lon
don representative. Mr. pomlnck. 20 ascertain the
truth cr fals!ty Of the report
"A, nrst vas Inclined to trsa' the story lightly
Tor :, vas absolutely absurd. as was going about
my daily avocations IN London. constantly IN eFl-
a.nce and constantly at work. Then. to add insult
70 injury. little later. The sun came ont win
tho .,,,erron, that and my family were poverty
s.r,.,fcu which led many generous hu' miSn-
formed peoplc 70 send money for my ana "h'eh
caused mo infinite bother 10 return
Tho story Is and vas absolutely ana u"l"a"'.'"
=, ,,so IRON, tho beginning to tho end. ard afte-
i, hogan 10 cause mo great annoyance '"h,.''''
~, friend Julian Ralph in regarl to IT, He tod me-
-. Union The SIN realized the injustice u ~"
A,ro - would re,ract the story in full. anu 'N"' "
would only be necessary 20 SO" the i.ohn'" c'''
s,onden, o. the paper in order 10 ger u u'",
Nr Relph accompanied me 10 The S"" i"'"'o'
ofuc. IN Flest-s;. but failed 10 OBTAIN an! S''s
action FOR they no only refused 70 publish ~ o.
,,I h.,,al ~ II "a from themselves but they
uouldnt even publish a letter ron friends o' "'"e'
showing the untruth o. the story ,,,.,
The sun as you krow. hai PET p''a'' WIN
,,s columns by no means Justified. N YOU see II III
Tho sun It's so and honestly heh"V" ''n' o'''
r.,.or why The sun people wou'fn d'hy was
.b,. ,hev were afraid DO Il. As it would reflect
on themselves AMI would l"a' many Pe'f'' " ~
cover the fnllacy % the phrase
..,ra,,ers won't on IN this way FOR littIe whie'
and then BEGAN receiv" letters from all over the
United States one from clergyman IN lh"l'"apo-
re is n good sample Of what they all were II said
IN substance: You an nehriate ana doh care
~ read your Books They I'll sah That
An author depends more or loss on MS prNa'e
character and 4 man wro sets ogt books who Is
publicly accused OF being dipsomnniac snhers IN
consequence OF such accusation more than man III
almost any other profession. I had INST puhlished
The Mutable Many In England. and II had been
very successful. hut America had been previously
so kind to me that was placing great reliance on
my returns from this country. The work however.
was practically killed here. and can but attribute
its failure TO this outrageous story Of The suns.
Curously enough The sun published this very
story In Its Sunday edition.
Matters hung fire In this fashion for time.
and while the London papers never published the
story OF course IL became rumored about. and
greatly 10 my detrimeni.
"At length. after waiting for six months for The
Sun TO make some PREPARATION. | came 10 the con-
cluslon that patience had ceased 10 be virtue and
wrote dear friend Of mine TO engage reputable
firm OF lawyers. and To put me In communication
with them. He accordingly engaged Hartman q
Tcsscndon or No : Bcekmar-st At first wanted
10 sue for 100000. but my lawyers advised less
sum and. man usually does under such ctr
cumstances. | left myself in their hands. and they
fixed the amount al $4,000.
II haven't seen my lawyers as yet. and probably
will no, until Monday and therefore know little
nothing Of the present status OF the suit other
than that IL will come up for trial next week.
have been 80 busy In England that | waited for the
last boa, I could possibly get and arrive here In
time"