LIBEL ACTION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1770, 7 June 1913, Page 4

LIBEL ACTION.

■£100 DAMAGES 'AWARDED,

(By Tolegr&jh.—Prera Association.) m , „ Wanganui, Juno fl. iho Supremo Court to-day heard an action, Albert Stubbs v. the Wanganui "Chronicle," a claim for .£5Ol for alleged libel, contained in a reference to a case, mentioned among others, in tho historical conclusions to an articlo describing alterations to tho local Courthouse. The evidence showed that tho reporter understood that the cases citod referred to Court incidents long past, and \ with which all tho persons connected had \ passed; away, and further, that tho iniormation as to tho particular case wa» accurate. The alleged libel was in the words publican who did to death • an. old Maori wlio used to dress iix woman's clothes." It transpired that tho person referred to was Stubbs, who kept a hotel 27 years ago. Tho Maori, who was a peculiar character, was drinking in Stubbs's hotel at the time, and trouble occurred, in tho course of which Stubbs knocked tho Maori down and afterwards throw him out. A day or two afterwards tho Maori died. Subsequently, after a coroners inquiry,. Stubbs was, on the in. formation of one of tho deceased's friends, charged with- manslaughter, but tho mag. istrate dismissed tho caso on tho ground of conflict of evidence as to- tho degree oi force used. On discovery of tho mistake the 'Chroniclo" tendered an apology and offered .£SO compensation, but tli'o case -went to trial and tho jury, by a' three-fourths, majority, awarded j»l00,' for which .amount judgment, was entered with costs according, to scale.