BARROWMAN v. STEVENS.

Evening Star, Issue 3817, 19 May 1875, Page 3

BARROWMAN v. STEVENS.

To the Editor, Sir, Will you permit me, through your columns, to make a few remarks on the late case at the Supreme ('ourt between myself and Captain Stevens, of the ship Auckland. The case, and the finding of the jury, was to some extent reported in the Press of last Wednesday week. But what I wish particularly to call attention to is the fact that though the Judge reserved lus decision as to costs, and did not actually decide till Saturday, there appeared in vour contemporary, the ‘ Times ’ of Friday an a tide so shamefully out of time and place ana so absurdly intent on traducing even its own r-ports of the evidence, as to stamp it at once as Lm- most despicable effrontery, the clumsiest sophistry, and the most impudent partiality I ha ve ever se< n in a public journal. I will not trouble you with a single extract. But let

those who doubt compare the article with the evidence of the case, and see whether I have overstated its character. Now whether, or how far, that article influenced the Judge in refusing costs, I cannot say. But this I can say, judges are but human, even the best of them ; and it was a gross contempt of both the Court and justice to make such remarks until the case was completed. f-Of? as the verdict goes, X am perfectly satisfied that they have maintained the principle that a person being brutally wronged at sea has a chance of justice when he comes ashore. And I am warranted in saying that, had the jury known that their verdict did not cany costs, they would have put it beyond all doubt, and thus have removed a barrier from before future complainants—“that even a winning and righteous case is still a losing one.” The ‘ Times ’ tries to discredit the evidence led on my behalf by putting that for the defence on a par with it—more than Mr Stout in his pleading could do; for there was manifest in the complaint and the evidence sustaining it, in all its essentials, consistency, and (above all) a regard for truth, while I have witnessed, on the other side, men reach probably the lowest depth of degrading falsehood. However, I have much more to say than can be said in one letter, and may crave your indulgence at an early date again.—l am, &c., „ ~ . * , John Barrowman. South Kensington, May 14.