TWO LIBEL ACTIONS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 73, 26 November 1913, Page 2

TWO LIBEL ACTIONS.

BOGUS BIRTH NOTICE. [By Electric Telegraph—Copyright] [United Press Association.] (Received 10.5 a.m.) Melbourne, November 26. An unusual type of libel case has ‘ egun at the County Court. Florence label Webbe, of Waverley, Sydney, laimed £IOOO from the newspaper, he Age, as damages for libel. The facts were that Mrs Webbe, ivmerly a Miss Hobson, married Nich alas Percy Webbe, a professional short hand writer, formerly a member of the federal Hansard staff and a wellmown oarsman, on January 8, 1912 (bout June, 1912, Webbe and wife noli up their residence 'at Waverley lydney. They had no children, bul n March 24, 1913, a death notice ap reared in the Age purporting to an ounce the death of an eleven month: 'd son of Webbe and his wife at thei esidence at Waverley. Plaintiff’s counsel said the advertise • ert conveyed the "impression that r hild had been born about April, 1912 nd it might convey -the impress!or- ■ hat misconduct had taken place be ween Mr and Mrs Webbe before mar

■ The defence was that the advertise lent was-not defamatory either t hose knowing nothing of the parties ;r to those intimately acquainted wit. hem .The Age received a copy of the dvertisement purporting to he signed y J Nicholas Wobbc, and taking it ar .emiine, inserted it.. Plaintiff gave evidence that she haot authorised the advertisement i ny form. < Her husband’s signatnr n her marriage.certificate was noth ng like thd signa't'iire on the advertise.heht;’' ’ ’ •Edward Shaw’, handwriting expert 'ave evidence that'he thought sighm uros of Nicholas 'P. Webbe oil tin register and On the l tw opies of theiadvertisemenf were 'writ en by the sfimb 'man. '*• *’ •• The case viashtdfburned’. ■ • It is *sfai -1 that the jsaihe iidverdisementC^p>earod in the Argus. DENHAM V. FERRICKS. (Received 10 a.ra.) Brisbane, November 26. In the libel action, Denham v...E,er •ick«, defendant, denied t|i,4t whfjiSgh vas - returning thaWjvs afj(,£he dSfdir. Ition of the polil;,[.hft charged Deubar vith using Gorermnent ;■ .Rioneyf. «(!t----fight the Labour-Party. What he/fitti vas that the public mioney had (bne ised. He referred to Denham’s us )f special traiWSrv*'A i mTWS7S7''*TTOS?r' examined, said a' at)t reported the remare accurately 'To never nade by the press. He quoted train ictiOns by Denham Brothers to slipv. that the present system of distributio ,vas a large factor in the increased mst of living.