The sun., 1898-01-15
SUES CHANCELLOR DAY.
THB REV. ArR. ROCKWELL ASKS
$50, 900 DAMAGES FOR LIBEL.

a seunatiohal Turn In the Controversy That
Has EnErossed the Attention or the Friends
or Syracuse Uniyersity for weeks-Papers
Were Served on the Chancellor Yesterday.
Tho efforts that tho enemies Of Chancellor
James r. Day of Syracuse University have
been making to convict him Of bad faith In his
treatment Of tho widow Of tho late Bishop Peck,
who gave $50, 900 to the university on condition
that he and his wife should DO cared for during
their lifetime, took sensational turn yester-
day when the Rev. William d. Rockwell, who
has all along been most outspoken against
Chancellor Day, instituted suit against the
Chancellor for $4,000 damages for libel. Tho
papers,in he.case and the summons were served
on tho Chancellor at Syracuse yesterday after
noon.
The quarrel between Chancellor Day and tho
friends Of Mrs. Peck, who died last December,
has gone on from stage to stage and has con-
stantly grown more bitter, but the institution
Of n suit for libel in so large an amount will be
a surprise to tho friends OF both sides. The
controversy has ragged holly in the Syracuse
papers, and both sides have made known their
causes for complaint in tho New York papers
also. 1t has been charged that Syracuse
University did not carry out Its promises to
Bishop Peck regarding the care Of his widow,
and MIR. Rockwell. the plaintiff in tho suit
that by reason Of the failure of the university to
carry out its promises, Mrs. Peck actually
came to want and pcnury in her last days. This
charge Of bad faith and heartless ingratitude
has been warmly denied by Chancellor Day
and his friends, and the Chancellor, In the va
rious letters he has writton TO the papers on
the subject, assailed Mr.. Rockwell, who acted
the principal spokesman for the friends of
Mrs. Peck, accusing him of falsehood and in:
timating that he was acting from interested
motives in champloning tho cause Of the dead
bishops widow. 1t is for statements made by
S, Chancellor Day in the p papers and over his his
for @ libel. ''"' -"'' '''A"''i No" '''"S' '"''
The action is brought in the Supreme Court
The complaint asks damages on two counts,
$4,000 ON each count. The counts arc based
two % Letters wsR By
Dec. 90 in the Standard and the Syracuse Post.
toned BY the plaintiff are the following ones: j.
=. MIR. Rockwell pretends to give the history Of
every essential statement Mr.. Rockwell is q
man who is not capable OF discussing the ques-
tion, since HIS personal interests in the case ex
cited his brain and rendered him unable to
judicially and fairly right the matter.
-, THE university reveres the .mcmory of
bitterness of this sainted couple were they. to
know that over their graves man pretending
to be tleir M friend makes sanderoIs % attack
their lives. their prayers. and their property,
But the greatest outrage in the whole dark
plot of blackmail which has been thu catcning
the university for months is that which charges
this sanity woman with having carried her
vindictivencss to the side of her grave by re-
questing that the Chancellor be forbidden to
speak at her funeral"
Mr.. Rockwell is alumnus of Syracuse Uni
versity and pastor of the Methodist
churches at Onondaga Valley, Manlius Sta
ton. and MoItville, NY. He lived at the home
of Mrs. Peck from 1889 until the time Of her
death.
Chancellor Day said ut Syracuse last night:
The semiannual meeting of the university
trustees will be held next Tuesday. In order TO
dispose OF this controversy once for all, as far
as the public is concerned, ] propose to give
every person who has been making statements
against me or the university or who is in any
way interested in the Peck ample and
fair opportunity to appear before the Board of
Trustees and prove their statements. Their
failure to do 80 will relieve the university and
myself of adverse criticism and responsibility In
tho matter.
1.-THE defamers Of the university are called
upon to prove their several accusations against
the university. They must do SO or stand before
the community branded as maliciously vindic-
tive slanderers We invite and urge upon tho
part of any interested persons a most searching
examination of all of our transactions, and es-
pecially Of our treatment of our benefactors who
are annuitants or have convey ed TO us property
in which they have retained Il life interest"