LATEST IN LIBELS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1557, 28 September 1912, Page 5

LATEST IN LIBELS.

FATHER DE LACH SUED.

BY WAIRARAPA MAORI " BISHOP" DAMAGES.—£S. "CHURCH OF Till*] SEVEN HULKS OP JEHOVAH." (From Our Special Correspondent.) Masterton, September 2". A libel action possessing somewhat unusual features was heard at the Supreme Court at Masterton yesterday, before Sir liobert Stout, C.J., and a jury of twelve, in which a well-known Native named 'J'aiawhio te Tau claimed from l'alher Do Lncli, a French priest of the Roman Catholic faith, who is engaged in missionary work among the -Maoris, the sum of .£5Ol. Mr. P. L. Ifollinge appeared for tho plaintiff, and Mr. Blair (Wellington) for tho defendant. Tho alleged libel was contained in. a Maori publication known qs "Whare ICura," which is edited by tlie defendant and printed at l'ahiatua, A religious festival was held at To Ore Ore, near Masterton, last Christmas, in which the plaintiff, who is a bishop of a'religious denomination known as "ThcChurcli of the Seven Utiles of Jehovah," took a leading part. After the festival, there appeared in the newspaper "Whare Kura" an article containing the following:— I

But there was oiio astonishing thing seen at that gathering, which was the {act that some members of tho Church of tho Seventh Rule wore the garments of Anglican .bishops. It is ] a festering disease for persons of no standing to wear such garments, as there is lio authority by which they • may do so; but it is, perhaps, from the jealous desire of the heart that they aspire to those positions. Hut why should they yearn? Let us stick together. No, tho peacock is a peacock, tho woodhen a woodhen, although tho woodhen snatches Hie feathers of the peaecclc as feathers for himself. No, the peacock remains a peacock and the woodhen a woodhen. It was alleged that those words were defamatory, and held the plaintiff and lis religion up te ridicule. For tho defence, it was alleged that the words did not bear the construction put upon them, and if thev did they were fair comment. The plaintiff, in his evidence, stated that the "Church of the Seven Rulers of Jehovah" had been formed in 1901. There were several branches in (ho Wairarapa. Plaintiff was appointed to tho position of bishop at a synod hold in 1910. Tho article complained of held liiiti, as head of the Church, up to ridicule, and he considered it libellous. He was a Roman Catholic at one time, but when he got married he changcd his religion to Protestantism. He knew the defendant at this time, and defendant was angry at his having changed his religion.

Under cross-examination, plaintiff admitted that the garments which lio woro wore in some respects similar to those worn l>y Anglican bishops. They were, however, tho garments chosen by tho "Church of llic Seven 1?ulos of Jehovah," and had distinctive marks. Plaintiff admitted that lie owned racehorses and went to raco meetings. Ho had also been disqualified, but this was some time before lie became a bishop. He had embraced three or four religions dnrinjf his lifetime. Ho was one of the founders of the '''Church of the Seven Rules of Jehovah." Ho had worn gailors and other official robes belonging to the Church at the Christmas festival.

After a number of witnesses hod been called 011 both sides, the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, Taiwhio To Tan, and awarded him .£5 damages. Costs \nre allowed oil the lowest scale.