Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-07-19

Trial of John G. Scouten for Criminal
Libel from Notes Taken by the Stenog-
rapher and on File in the Prothonotary' 8
Office.
Samuel B. Bovee, sworn. q.
Where do you reside? At Cogan
Station. Where is Cogan Station :?
In Lycoming county, seven miles
north of Williamsport, on the North
ern Central Railroad. How long
have you resided there: All my
life. What is your age: Thirty
two. What is your business? / am
manufacturer of grain cradels and
wagon hubs. Have you done any
business in Sullivan county? l did
a little business in Sullivan county
about two years ago. What part of
Sullivan county. Over near Lopez.
Have you any acquaintance with
the defendant in this case, John G.
Scouten? l know him. How long
have you known him: l have
known him for two years, last Feb
ruary. Did you have conversation
or conversations with John G.. Scout
EN- in which Judge Kraus's name
was mentioned or discussed? did.
On how many occasions: One.
occasion? Yes, Sir. Can you
fix the date of that conversation :?
1t was the 9th of May, 1898. Under
what circumstances did you have a
conversation with him? Well l
went to his Office and paid him for
some lumber that l had bought of
him over at Lopez Creek; he had a
mill there and bought some lumber
from him, and he gave me receipt
for it, and thanked me and told me
that was the way he always paid up
his bills, and he was boasting some
of-objected TOO. Go OH and state
the conversation? OF how he was
getting along, and he had earned it
all by hard knocks and so forth, and
then | asked him how his lawsuit
was getting on with being disbarred,
and he told me that it was all right;
that it had been argued in the
Supreme Court and the decession
was withheld; that is that the de-
cision was reserved; that it had not
been handed down at that time, and
he said a man by the name of De-
witt was his lawyer of Towanda;that
the trouble arose over the sale of a
property at Satterfield; he said that
he had bid and expected to withdraw
his bid, and it was argued before the
associate judges, and he wanted a
law judge, and they got into a fight,
and he said that in the near future
he expected to start a newspaper
and he would ruin the son of bitch,
if it cost half that he was worth.
Q.WhOm did he say got into fight?
He and Kraus; he mentioned the
otherjudge's name, but l don't re-
member what it was; but | remem-
ber very well Kraus, because he was
the one he called the hard names.
What did he say about the fight be-
tween himself and Kraus? Well, if
l remember rightly, that Kraus and
he began quarreling in the court
room and they got finally to the foot
of the stairs, and that is about all
that was said about that. What
else did he say about Kraus in that
conversation l asked him then,
after he told me he was going to ruin
the son of bitch, if he was not
afraid to publish anything of that
kind; "Why?" was his answer;
"Why," ] answered, "would you
not be afraid they would sue you:"
and he said he would law him to hell
and back; that he had dollars to his
cents; he said he would spend ten
years in the penitentiary but what
he would have revenge on him.
Is that all? That is all. This con-
versation you say was on the 9th of
May, 1898? 1t was on the 9th of
May, 1898. How do you fix that
date? l took his receipt for pay
ment that ! made him on that day.
(Witness produces receipt.) State
if you had any conversation with
him relative to Judge Kraus since
that time? / did not.
-BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY,
r