Sydney "Truth."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 777, 21 March 1905, Page 2

Sydney "Truth."

(Per Presa rWnoeiation.i WELLINqttHg, March 00. In the Police Court Ho-day (l«vrge_ Ewart, stationer, of *«ta»«treel, ~ aus charged under the OfftSnive Publications Act with having V>ld v on Fob. 18 a newspaper known as Sydney Truth, porliomt of which neff alleged to be of an indecent, lw-' moral, and o'lscent nature. The In- ' * | formation wait laid by the, poMce. Mr Myers prosecuted and Mr Dunn defended. Mr John Norton, pr»||d■ 1 * ,, • tor of the paper, was present.' Mr Myers ex plumed, thati lh« charge was laid in respect of a copy of the paper of Jan. 29, which wus purchased by a detective • from»-» defendant* and particularly la r< r speel of articles headed ''A Salacious She," "An Awful Allegation," 'Meflbourne Abduction Affair,'' and others. It might be said that the articles) were record* of Potto* Court proceeding*, but that efccuw - would not hold good In regard to all of them, and even if it did it hid to be remembered that thing»nnljrht( be said i»i a court of law which it would be indecent to publish. Tl» only evidence, for the prosecution was that of Detective Doddam.

Mr Ihinn, for the defence, miaud » preliminary objection that mew* re* on the part of defendant had to be proved before a conviction could be recorded. Defendant would swear he was not aware of the contents of tlio {taper. Counsel yifaaqT sujbmtttcd that H tlic matter was to be viewed in a moral light, the IMble and hundreds of other book* sold in open market were also open to prosecution. ITie defence vu the justification of the paper, and;. that there wag nothing obscene in iu

John Norton, called, said ait articles were correct reports „f court pryceoding*'.

Defendant elected to be tried by jury, and ttic Magistrate M id ho would give his decision on tho | points rained |,y Mr Dunn on Tfcurs- - day morning, w*en he wijl also say if a prima facto case has Iwen made out.