FULLER v. THE TRIAD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 90, 20 August 1913, Page 6

FULLER v. THE TRIAD.

A CLAIM FOR LIBEL. [Per Press Association.] Auckland, August 20. His Honor Mr Justice Fid wards, and i jury, is hearing au action for allogjd libel, brought by John duller igainst the Triad paper, claiming £5Ol iamages. The case is proceeding. The alleged libellous article referred :o was published in The Triad of March 10, 1913, and was as follows : “The Theatre,” Sydney’s bright little organ of inurumerdom (and thickest flap-doodle of laudation regarding actors), some time ago looked as if it might pick up and become a critical paper in a small way. But that time sno more. To-day everything is grossly praised and fulsomely beslobbered. Even poor old John Fuller has it ladled out to him. It is not fair to encourage an old man like that in the delusion that he has a voice, because the more fully he is persuaded chat he Las one, the more likely he is co make a fool of himself in public in the future some time. Tint “The Theatre” talks the wildest nonsense about Tohn’s voice, and in the end that soft of thing becomes rather disgusting to as. The fact of the matter is that, while John had a shrill and tuneful enough little pipe years ago, it is nowact much more musical than a pig’s whistle. Ho never was a singer o! any special merit because his voice was never properly trained*, and he never knew just what to do with i 1 Otherwise John Fuller is an original and most humorous old bird, and whw he wastes a penny or runs tiio risk of losing sixpence, you may expect to see the stars drop. Some mouths ago in Auckland he stopped a wellknown journalist in the street. “Come up and hear mo sing,” ho said. Old John knew in his heart of course that the writing man could not possibly want to hear him sing. However, that may he, the writer said ho would call up. “I’m pretty busy,” he said, “and I’ve been pretty seedy. Still, I’ll try to look in on Saturday night.” At that John pursed his lips. “Rather big business on Saturdays,” bo said. Now John Fuller is perhaps the only man prominent in the show business ir Australasia that could ho capable ol quite that depth ,of managerial meanness. But that is John all over, am John will never change this side the rolling Jordon. His close-fistednes; doesn’t matter, because that is, aftc: all, his own affairhut, ah, if some body could only persuade him not t( “sing” any more.