A WANGANUI LIBEL ACTION.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14984, 3 June 1914, Page 10

A WANGANUI LIBEL ACTION.

COLLEGE BOY'S EVIDENCE

(SPECTAI, TO "THE TRESS.") WANGANUI, Juno 2. Tremendous local interest is being loviiiced in the libel action. Vera Patterson v. John Andrew Smytho and his wife. Sybil Mary Smythe, a claim for £2000 damages, and during tho past two days the Court has been packed. Allegations against Mrs Patterson wore contained in two anonymous letters addressed to the Rev. Mr Dovo and Mrs Dovo, the former being late headmaster of Wanganui Collegiate School. Tho letters made certain references to Mrs Patterson's conduct with some of the college boys during her husband's absence in Australia. Tho defendants pleaded justification. The plaintiff denied all allegations of improper conduct. Charles C. Miles, one of the college boys principally concerned, stated tiiat last year he was attending the Collegiate school. Ho was a prelect, und was captain of tho crow. He stated that lie first became acquainted witli Mrs Patterson on .October 7th, tho occasion of a party slio gave to six boys at her houso. Miss Mowleni, of Palmerston, was also present, lie denied the statements of tho bniyihes tluit lie iiad stoppuu outside tiio Patterson's nouse w_ue on his morning runs, lio iiaa nover done so. lie tuiu visitou Airs Patterson oiien, but ve*y seiaoiu a.ouo. luo toCoipt ol tne iii&t u<ioii„._iou& letter was coiumuiucaied to wi.in__ oy one ot tiio i_a_.eis, out it uiaue no uutorenco in his cunuue. Tow-aids Mva r*a..eison. wno nad been very kmu.to mo boys and enter turned tnoin wiy .tospiuioiy., He later Heard ol tne socuiiu let/tor, and tuat ai_o made no uiiicienco. and he continued las visits as usual. XXe denied vie allegations oi tne Siiiytnos as to the frequency ol his visits to cue Pattersons' iiou.o, and iio iinow iioLijiug ol mo occasions on w_icn Mia Patteison was said to have appeared at tue winuow partly ciotuoa to speak to.him. Ho and Mrs Patterson .iao not arranged a-wuis-ie taut they used. Tiio leuiaiks about, tie and Mrs Patterson euioiacuig and .Kissing wore mado without any ioundation Wiiatever; they were abso.uteiy uu.nie.

Mis Patterson having in ncr -evidence admitted that sue had telegraphed to Aliles twice to Chi latcuui cv and that she had also sent a teiegram to be delivered to him upon nis arrival at Palmerston North on a certain day, Miles swbre that ho never received the iatter telegram, a copy of which was produced in Court by dofenuant. In answer to his Honour, Miles said he had never seen, tho telegiam betoie it was shown him in Couit to-day, though it was addressed to him. His Honour: There appears to bo something wrong hero. -• Air Hutchison •■_vly friend can telL us about it if he will. His Honour stated that the Telegraph Department would probably want to know about it. He directed tho Registrar to impound the -wjlograni. This development caused a little flutter of excitement. Airs Patteison, under cross-examina-tion, explainod that prior to sending this telegram to Aliles, sho had i.eceived a telegram from her husband who had that day arrived in Auckland, telling her to go to Palmerston North for. the week and take a room at the Grand Hotel and meet him thero when tho Alain Trunk express arrived at 3 o'clock in the morning; She was positive that sho received her husband's telegram before she telegraphed to Miles. The telegram to Miles was sent about 11 o'clock, the telegram from her husband arriving a quarter of an hour previously. Sho had replied to her husband's telegram, but he had never received tho reply. . Tho reason 6ho telegraphed to Miles was that she had previously asked him to dine with her husband, and that sho wanted, under tho circumstances, to explain to him ! that sho would-, not be at -home, ohe had told her husband that she had telegraphed to Aliles. 'The appointment was not kept. During tie cross-examination the following discussion took place: — Mr Wilford: Do you tTiink it fair that a married woman should allow the run of-her home to boys,—Yes. And mako love to you?— They never made love to mo. I havo always had gentlemen friends. Mr Wilford: You are a pretty woman, and a temptation to young men? . His Honour: How old are these "brats of boys"? " .Mr Wilford (to witness): How old is Miles ? Witness: Eighteen. His Honour: In my day schoolboys of these ages did not make love to married women, but things appear to be different now. However, you,' Sff V.Tlford, are probably a more recent authority on these matters than I am. Air Wilford: I have had a good deal of experience, your Honour, in my practice at the Courts. (PRESS ASSOCIATION* TEI.EGKAM.) WANGANUI, June 2. The jury in the Patterson-Smytbe libel case retired at 9 p.m., and were still out when the Telegraph Office closed at midnight.