The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-12
AMERICAN PLUNGFR
F[AYED IN BRITAIN
Bob SieVler Denounced In
Court, Breaks Down and
SObS.

LONDON, May ia sensational libel
suit brought by the well known race horse
owner, +. s. Sievier, against Sir James
Duke, also We'll known on the turf. was
concluded today with a verdict for Sir
James.
SIeVler charged the latter with calling
MIN a thief, card-sharper and murderer
and that Sievier caused his famous mare
Sceptre to be pulled in the Derby.
SIR James pleaded privilege, as the state
ments We're made within the Raleigh club
but he endeavored to show that Sfevier's
character was such that he could not be
hbeled. The jury today decided that Sir
James had not committed any libel and
mulcted Sievier in the costs of the suit.
Slevler, who was remarkably cool through
out the case. broke down toward the end
of his counsePs speech and sobbed bitter
ly.
Justice Grantham, in summing up. was
very severe in his structures of Sievier
He said the late Queen Victoria would al
most rather ha re given up her throne than
nave such a man presented to her.
Past Life Prebed
The case attracted continued interest
owing TO the fact that Siev1er's past life
was probed with a minuteneSs scarcely
ever equaled in a similar case. He con-
Iessed to having been three times bank
rupted, and to being several times in Do
nee courts, but for trif1ing assaults at
card games and billiard matches. Bets
counted from the witness stand with a
frankneSs and in numbers that somewhat
amazed the hearers. On the long run,
Sievier declared, he was a heavy loser in
gambling transactions. One game in par
ticular. when the Duke of BraganZa lost
about $4,000 while playing with Sievier
nation.
The defendants counsel declared that
a famous card-Sharper, named Burns,
! brother Of a man imprisoned for robbing
| J. Pierpont Morgan's house, participated
| in the game, but Sievier declared he was
| not aware Of his Identity until after the
! ganza himself, and Guy Chetwynd came
| to an arrangement satisfactory to all.
Chetwynd is son Of Sir George Chef
| wynd and married RosaIind Secor
/ On another occasion Sievier won $50 600
from friend at cards and the losers wife
wrote him pathetic letter, and Sievier
accepted ca19 sl26OO "a pretty large sum for
marked Sievier on the stand.
Presented at Court.
After his return from Australia Sievier
| was presented at court to Queen Victoria,
but some months afterward the court cir
cular announced that the presentation was
| Cancelled. This Sievier attributed entirely
to the fact that he had been bookmaker
| in Australia.
Through all the phases Of his checkered
career, from the time he 'smacked Lord
Deerhurst's face" In a Melbourne racing
club (the same DeerhHfSt who married
| Miss Bonynge, of San Francisco, and who
| then was aide de camp to the governor)
| up to the present day. Sievier's life was
| mercilessIy dissected. But Sir James
/ Dukes counsel did not put forward any
! evidence tending to show that Sievier was
/ guilty Of card-sharDing, pulling GcrPt-oy
| or other horses, Ihieving or numbering.
Sievier married Lady Mabel Bruce.
| sister Of the fourth Marquis of AyIesbury
| She had arranged to marry another man,
| but two days prior to the wedding she
ran off with Sievier.
Darino SpecuIator.
Bob" Sievier, the former owner Of
| Sceptre, is elassed as the most daring
Spectator ever seen on the English turf
| w. K. Vanderbilt in May 1902, was re-
| ported to have offered Sievfer $210,0 900 for
| Sceptre, winner Of the Two Thousand
| Guineas stakes and Of the One Thousand
| Guineas stakes that year. Sievier is well
! born and we'll educated and has been in
| turn bookmaker, actor and manager Of
! a betting agency
He has been stranded financially but is
now a wealthy land owner and possessor
| of the best horses the turf, all ac-
| CURED with the results of sensational
| piunging. In his younger days Sievier was
| a celebrity on the turf at Melbourne,
| where he was a bookmaker until he be-
came involved in a difference with Lord
| Deerhurst. He has Travelled in most of
\ the British colonies and is well known as
dead shot, both in elephant and In lion
| hunting =