VERDICT FOR WOOTTON.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1810, 25 July 1913, Page 5

VERDICT FOR WOOTTON.

ONE FARTHING DAMAGES. SHORT STIRRUPS AND RACING •' FOULS." By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrleht London, July 23. The hearing of the suit in which Richard Wootton, the trainer, claimed damages from Robert Sievior for alleged libel published in Sievior's paper, "The Winning Post," Has concluded. The verdict was for plaintiff, the damages being fixed at one farthing with Mr. Marshall Hall, K.C., on behalf of "The Winning Post," said that Wootton had done everything to conceal the facts. He ' had several banking accounts, and had sent large blocks of money to Australia. His jockeys could not call their souls their own; they had been promised tlwashings if they did not do as they were told. The stable of Wootton was run on commercial lines; hence Wootton's opportunities for perpetrating fraud on the public. Mr. F. E. Smith, IC.C., on behalf of Wootton, said that Sievier had been animated by malice and had poured out a volume of filthy insinuations becauso Wootton had refused to give him information. Sievier himself had been warned off the Turf. When members of the alleged "ring" were giving evidence, they were not even cross-examined. The alleged pulling occurred six years ago. Mr. Sievier had then made no complaints, but the stewards had, instead, written denouncing Wootton's detractors. Mr. Justice Darling, in summing up, suggested that the increase of fouls in racing was possibly due to tho jockeys riding with shorter stirrups. The verdict ivas that the words complained of were not true in substance or fact, and not fair and honest comment, but that they had been published without malice. Judgment was entered up for the plaintiff.