An unusual libel and slander trial involving Governor Arthur Fenner, Judge John Dorrance and Dr. Pardon Bowen, all of Providence. Fenner accused Judge Dorrance of having sold in February 1799 the body of an unknown man who committed suicide by hanging. The body was supposedly offered to Dr. Pardon Bowen, a prominent Providence physician, who then paid Dorrance one beaver hat for the corpse. Governor Fenner used the charge to engineer the political defeat in Dorrance's campaign for a seat in the General Assembly in 1801. In response Dorrance sued Fenner for slander. In response Judge Dorrance sued Fenner for slander after an onslaught of newspaper attacks and General Assembly resolutions, the trials commenced in December 1801. Charges were cross-actions for slander. Not a shred of evidence was produced in support of Fenner's allegations of wrongdoing by the judge. The body of the unfortunate suicide was indeed stolen and dissected but not with the knowledge or approval of Judge Dorrance. Nor was he paid a beaver hat for the body.

The first trial ended in a verdict of costs to be paid by the governor but the jury's decision was not unanimous. Ignoring the fact that no accord could be reached the verdict was recorded and the jury dismissed. The second trial began in January 1802 with the same jury which was reinstated minus the dissenting juror from the previous trial. However a decision for a change of venue for the second trial resulted in the selection of a new jury the selection of which was so biased that Dorrance gave up and the court awarded Fenner $ 10,000.00 plus costs.

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