LAW REPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 736, 8 February 1910, Page 9

LAW REPORTS.

, IMPROPER PRINTS. : A/NEWSPAPER MANAGER TRIED. AND CONVICTED. , new jnry; was '' sworn ; .. iii/. at, tho Supremo. Court yesterday/ morninij; -and tho;'criminal /trials: proceeded, ■'under, tho ': presidency- 6[ : , Jlr./Justico ,_Chapman., . j; : '.Heury: Stopho.iicharged 'with liaviiig knowingly, and without lawful; justification or excuse, distributed for public sale certain printed matter tending to"; corrupt : morals,;" ntiinely,-' copies/ of.;, a. newspaper ;?>' known' V;as'; , :"New.;^Zealand; t Triith,''; , pf. ;tho ,'dati) of /, Novombor. ' 13, '.I|oo./; ''A second/ eoun tVr'elutrid to ■a : part icular article in that iasUev.-7. "" "'/'r /'-Jtr. "Myers proso'w behalf'of. the' -Crown, and Mr. Wilford- and; Mr.: Dunn. 'appeared for accused. ' " . . • :: .Tho following were the' jury ompauolled ■to try; the qase:—H.; J.: : 33xton (foroman)i' John, Steward;;]?.'J.Rudge,'Thomas. Gar- .' diner,;. 'Tfiomasf Caldwoll,.; Heniy ■ Seyoni. Wallace Sinipions,-' ; James. : E.'Dawson, :Henry. ';Horo'n,. :'Kobert . Brown,.: John : H. Burn, and J. II.• I'airbairn. / <";■■'.' In opening the i case,; Mr. Myers...said :that./accusetl: had .admitted that: he was: the,'manager, of the papor',(acting propfietpr,/John'Norton,. 1 who . was' : in :New;.Soutli\:Wa|es),.'.and' ; jv6'uld : a'cce"pt. the responsibility of a.pros6ciition, ;Thetest in. Riioh .■'R';'w'sb'.;uos\whether/thp..tcndchcy. .of; l^h«^■nlat.to^■:was■■/to■'/.depray^^;'ali , d'■'cbr-' jitpt;,::those;. whose . minds . were - open I. to such,'influences. Tilis paper :was." pubfor private- gain, and,: if publicar tion?/containing:/s\tcli/ matter were' : al ; .lowed /unrestricted .circulation, God. help: ,the/country. : iu : 'tho future./: Tho article xoniplaiii^:.''of ./belonged / to, the.' "penny, dreadful"-: type; ; :aiid /its : effect/;must, be pimiliii: tp/,tiut bf'-"boys' libraries,":: .The .ihcide.hts''iecordsd .were : supposed tp jhave; happenal 19 years - ago. ... , '// : / fcvideneo was ' given : : by . Alexander .Bailey' .iHerbert' Mow.telt; mewsagciit),' /Kennetli ' AitHeii (news-, ageiit), and:-:ChiefDefective : Droberg. Their statements wbra'/ to: the effect • tliat tho ".newspaper:,; off; the/ issue" 'complained of;had:been purchased at "Truth" offioe, /nerbert/'Mowtelli'-. booksellers. ..' -Accused had given it to be understood that he of. tSb'''pap:er; '''r+'iJ/,.VV,■'"■i'-Y--' 'i- ;J •: ; i' : " ;i.-:''llr.VWjlfor'd -raised' threo :Ho "contended (1) tliat? "distributqr"- was not included in tho'"seller, publisher, or .eshibitor/^th'e'three'; words'mentioned' in .'the ;'Di'imes i Act; Aty ;,'that : : there' was , ; bo : :eyldenca. ; ,;that:;r.(:cused had any. knowledgo of ':inijlrbper;'-iiatur6;,of l tlie article"; :ahd -(3)" that..there ■ was':no. proof :p!,, tlistribution-vby:: the; 'accused:,

His::,Hojiotir . the; distributor , iaiisht 'rbß : either* publisher or eellev,'.'and ;..cxprcssod;-; the:-.opinion Vthat.■ there ,that ac-', ousbd.;kriew of the; contents, -and that, lv.' distributed .the .paper, ■. ;i;. : '' - ."^Aco'ij»acl, 7 ; ; .-iii£;ovi<toii'co;'... ; stated. that hj was -ihaiiager. of •• the .'paper.His:appoint;.' ment liad not been inado untilInst ■\Vc(lnesda r v. , ;;. .The : present: publisher.\yas iiQedtgo ], lluinnw ryV" Five> ye.irs.;: as'o,, when 'ho first , arrived .in -New Zealand, witness :hbad "'been 'V.the Jpub-i Jislieivl'i ® ; ! cdlleot«d' : ; accounts,'. writing .. or ' exclusion :of aiiy article,'-V>He'Vwas'i.nqt.;n and had; not:- r'end;-, the' : nrticip ! .conipjtiine<j : ; : of.It rwM' the ; :;publislier:;Ai;ho, looketl i'a'fier .the and - deliver};-;of Vthij; mptgrn. '•■To'-Mr..Myorsi Av'JvlEees vuV editor<of, the paper : no>f j SXAi/Rosa lia4' ; hcld tjio opp^nfm«nt?bn;:NoiSml»i-<lß.v : - , He*lttow-' for,'sell-. ■ing '.the v paper;iv Tliei/publislier had 110; power; to; 6^j^th'Si:^it6r.."pwwss^ f v.tliait , that ho 'Would, accept tho'-responsibility' of.-a .prosecution. /..'He/.bad'. said,. "You : Havp. .get'y.tho ;;)vi'on|t t ':;"man j; iniaringer."-h'Ho <Ud'.;not 'say,*: "f ;ceptKall-.Yon/;baveV'Eot-.jnei''';"'ahdf;ybtf; need:' not' ; botljersabout ; the .clerks." vMi\ : rEbsa , liad written tho.nrtiole, and lio'went.!o Sydney about, a .fortnight '''iftoty'tte fsjoJis? w,ent'but.:^itn'eM',had^.taken''pMcbution» : that articles of the."kind', should 'riot .Vaiipear again. Mr. John Norton wos .pay-'' 4ng- : the OmcG had; paid the 'expenses 'of booksellers,Who;h'ad:been fined. sailing the papwlv> , 'lteiidtoe7Uo;TMticle'>;'i>PW l '.vlie' admitted:', its Cnature l ' and'/tendency. v. j •' Jqsepb. Gijlchrist,counter; olerk,; deniod 1 ' Bai ley. ! . /.The -. napoi' 'had been;-purchased froin; one Minifie. . :: 'f. ■ '■-■/. ' THisconciuded the caso for the 'defence. Detective Brobevg,. rccullcd . by. Mr. thatV awused;-;called" .him .'the! express : purpose of'accepting the responsibility, of.a.prosecution. ... Ho ;said, ; . "Mr./ Bornstein, general. manager; for .Ausfralasia; and; attorney.for. not iiey.e;.oii 'Novemljer .13,;' when' the paper was published/'... , •• ' His .Honour, >ih summing ,up; said : that there'/wa-s; poi call' fQp tlie ,publication' of .tho' aHicle .complainediof, : Xt'-.ivas' liiglily; undesirable, continued/Ms Houomy that : .tbertr,»hoii|d : '.-managed.'.that the -'control came directly. from - Australia, /niid ■ tlii'it' tho.lniv.'. :< / WJTijbti five,' to.CoTirt,v\Yitli "a- vci'dict of guilty, : st . roD &lyV;^ '.s.Hort period of. nccuecdV W W" 1 "?..' : !?' i.Wellmgtbnv: and-'on;ac-; £_>k*? previousgood' character. • :;His„ ; Honohr. sentence'- until- to.morrow,;in order ithat. Mr. 'Wilford"might 'haw time'.to -state ,in .writing' the-.points s®. r.",® 5 , 1 'od■ to ... have.'' argued -. before the Court of Appeal. • ' v-: :r .;•• ■/■