DAMAGES FOR LIBEL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2167, 4 June 1914, Page 6

DAMAGES FOR LIBEL.

JURY AWARD £1000. WOMAN'S ANONYMOUS LETTERS. (Br Mezrcph.—Freil Association.) Wanganui, June 3. Tho libel action, Mrs. h. i). Paterson v. Mrs. J. A. Smyth, which has occupied tho attention of the Supremo Court ror several ciays, and attracted, much public attention, ended after midnight last night, when tho special jury Veuirncd iv verdict for plaintiff forJSIOOO. Tho action was based on letters alleged to have been written by Mrs. Smyth l reflecting on Mrs. Paterson's character and her conduct witli a collegiate- schoolboy. Mrs. Paterson claimed £2000 damages. Costs were allowed plaintiff on the lowest scale. Mr. T. M. Wilford, with Mr. N. <?. Armstrong, appeared for the defence, ond Mr. Cr. Hutchison for the plaintiff. First Letter. At the healing Mr. Hutchison, who appeared for plaintiff, read the following letter, which was posted at Palmorston North some days after it was written. Ho read the letter literally:— Palmerstou North, October 16. Rev. Dove (Principal Wanganui Collegiate- School). Dear Sir,—Permit me to bring under your notice a thing which. I think a disgrace, tlio way that - a married woman, whoso husband is in Australia, carries on with your boy at tho college. This woman, I beliejie, lives opposite your college. Sho inti'ces the boy to her house at all hours; sho has been seen at night after church going homo by herself with one of your boys, whoso name is (namo given). Sho uses signals in tho day time when she is by herself, and the boy go .there, sho get's permits, to your church for that purpose. Rev. Dear Sir, this is common talk in this town tho way that this woman is going on. I bring this, to your notice so as to save a scandal which is sure t-o follow if this woman is not stopped from doing so.—l remain, yours faithfully, (No signature.) P.S. —I have had this from Rood authority. I believe jf you keep a watch on this house you will see- for yourself. I don't know who sho is.

Second Letter. Continuing, Air. Hutchison said that the claim lurther set out that on. or about , December 4, 1912, tuo defendant, Sybil .Mary Smyth, falsely and maliciously wrote and published of and concerning tho plaintiff, .tho following anonymous letter by causing such lottor 'to bo delivered to i'lorenct, Louisa Dove, tho wire of the' before-mentioned Julian Llewellyn; Dove, by ivhoin it was received, through the post:— • " ' Wanganui, December 4. Mrs; Dove, : Dear Madam, —Excuse the liberty I tako in drawing your attention to tho carryings on of one of your boys at the college, the name of , with a married woman opposite.'My husband tells me that he with two other men, whose working on tho job close by. On Monday afternoon saw she and misbehaving themselfs in a .most disgraceful manner. Sinco then they have been watching them and they find that he spends a lot of his time there. Ho writes on a black board at tho window and she reads it with the glasses from her house, ho wrote something on it on Tuesday morning. Eo went to town and then sho followed and they were seen in town with her-alone. Why'l write you is that one of these men knows her husband and is 'going to tell him all about it when he returns, this man says that he has. been watching this woman for some time, and has made inquiries about , he thought at first they wore related, but that is not so, slio has only got to know him sinco her husband has been away this last 'time. This is not the first young man that has got into trouble over this woman. A young man tho name of had to leave, tho town through her. And that is why she is being watched. No doubt from what, my husband tells mo she is a most wicked woman, for there is other things sho has done also that may lead her into trouble. Several of tho boys at'the college knows and have told there parents,' and it is com. ing tho talk of the town-. I thought it only my duty to let you know after what I had heard. I cannot give you my name as my .husband has forbidden me not to.. —I remain, Yours faithfully, (No signature.) Mrs. Smyth admitted authorship of the letter's—tho writiife in which was in a disguised hand—but pleaded justification, and evidence was called accordingly. Defendant's husband stated ho was unaware at tho time tnat liis wife had written the letters.