The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-05-20
KNIFE IS PUT TO
SPORTS CHARACTER
Sensational Testimony is Ad.
duced in a Famous Libel
Action in London.
HE COULDN'T BE LlBELEo
So Sir James Duke Claimed in Defense
of Suit Brought by a Noted Turf.
man, He Presented Enough
Facts to Prove Is

London. May 1G.-A sensational libel
suit brought by the we'll known race
horse owner, r. S. Sievier, against Sir
James Duke, also we'll known on the
turf, was concluded today with q YER
dict for Sir JarIeS. Sievier charged the
latter with calling hin 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
statements We're made within the Raj
eigh club, but he e%ndeavored to show
that SEWERS character was such that
he could not be libeled. The jury today
decided that Sir James had not COM
mitted any libel and mulcted Sievier
in the costs of the suit. Sievier, Who
was remarkably cool throughout the
case, broke down toward the end of his
counsel's speech and sobbed bitterly.
Justice Grantham in summing up was
very severe in his structures of Sievier.
He said the late Queen Victoria would
almost rather have given up her throne
than a " such a man presented to her.
The case attracted considerable inter-
est owing to the fact that Sievier's past
life was probed with a minuteness
scarcely ever equaled in a similar case.
He confessed to having been three
times bankrupted n to being several
times in police courts, but for trining
ssaults at card games and billiard
matches. Bets running into thousands
Of pounds We're recounted from the
witness stand with a franllness and in
numbers that somewhat amazed the
hearers. On the long run, Sievier de-
clared, he was a heavy loser in gam
bling transactions.
American Sharper in Game.
One game in particular, when tn.
Duke of Braganza lost about S25, 900
while playing with sievier at Monte
n famous American a sharper, nam
ed Burns, brother of a MAJ imprisoned
for robbing j. Pierpont Morgan's house,
participated in the game. but Sievier
declared he was not aware of his dem
THY until after the game IA over,
and Guy Cherwynd came to an ar
rangement satisfactory to all. Chef
Wynd is a son of Sir George Chetwynd
and married Rosalind Secor.
On another occasion Sievier Won $780,
600 from a friend at cards. and the
losers wife wrote him a pathetic letter,
and Sievier accepted So, 500, "a pretty
large sum for . card sharper to let
anybody Off," remarked Sievier on the
stand.
After his return from Australia
Sievier was presented at court to Queen
Victoria, but some months afterward
the court circular announced that the
presentation was cancelled. This Sic
vier attributed entirely to the fact that
he had been 6. bookmaker in Australia.
Through all the phases of his check
cred career, from the time he ''snacked
Lord Deerhurst's face" in a Melbourne
racing club (the same Deerhurst Who
married Miss Bonynge of San Francis
co, n who then vas aide de camp to
the ~governor), up to the present day,
SEWERS life was mercilessly dissected.
But Sir James Dukes counsel did not
put forward any evidence to show hat
Sievier was guilty Of card sharping.
pulling Sceptre, or other horses, thiev.
ing or numbering.
WEEDS Lady Mabel Bruce.
sievier married Lady Mabel Bruce.
sister of the fourth Marquis of Ayles-
bury. She had arranged to marry an
other man. and two days prior to the
wedding she ran Off with Sievier.
Bob" Sievier, the former owner of
Sceptre, is classed as the most daring
Spectator ever seen on the English
turf. w. *. Vanderbilt in May, 1902,
was reported to nave offered Sievier
$4,000 for Sceptre, winner of the Two
Thousand Guinea stakes and of the One
Thousand Guineas stakes that year. Sic
vier is well born and well educated,
and has been in turn a bookmaker, ac-
tor and manager Of a betting agency.
He has been stranded financially, but
is now a wealthy land owner and pos
SCISSOR OF the best horses on the turf,
all acquired with the results Of sensa-
tional p%lunglng. In his younger DAYS
o1evier was a celebrity on the turf at
Melbourne, where he was a bookmaller
until he became involved in a differ
ence with Lord Deerhurst. He has
traveled IN most of the British colonies
and is we'll known as a dead shot both
IN elephant and in lion hunting.