NOVEL SLANDER ACTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 January 1921, Page 9

NOVEL SLANDER ACTION.

PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. “SPIRIT WORLD MESSAGES.’’ JURY AWARDS £5OO DAMAGES.. London, Nov. 26. The society slander action arising out r of the investigation of psychical phenomenon created a great deal of interest, and on the two days of the hearing the Court was crowded with fashionable people. The plaintiff, Miss Marguerite Rad, elyffe-Hall, is a wealthy woman, living at Hadley Wood, and the defendant, Mr. St. George Fox-Pitt, 63*years of age (brother-in-law of the Marquis of Queejisberry), is a member of the council of the Society for Psychical Research. ' * In January, Miss Radelyffe-TTall was a candidate for eo-option as a member of the council of’ the society, and it was alleged' that Mr. Fox-Pit said to Miss Isabel Newton (secretary of the society) : “Miss Radclyffe-Hall is a grossly immoral woman. Admiral Sir Ernest Troubridge, who has recently been home on leave, has in my presence macle very serioufe accusations against her He said she had wrecked his home 7 . SNe ought not to be co-opted as a member of the council.” Also, he is alleged to have said to Dr. Ellen Salter: “Miss Radclyffe-'Hall is a thoroughly immoral woman. She lived for many years with a woman mentioned in the paper whi?li she and Lady Troubridge wrote—a woman who was a most object.ionabjo person. ' Admiral Troubridge is not at all afraid of anything, and would be quite willing to make tFiTfi Statement publicly. She has got a great influence over Lady Troubridge, and has come between her and her husband and wrecked the admiral’s home. She is quite an unfit person to be on the council.”

COMMUNICATION WITH SPIRITS. Miss Radclyffe-Hall contended that by these statements Mr. Fox-Pitt meant that she was an unchaste and immoral woman, who ought to be shunned by all decent members of society Mr. Fox-Pitt denied the correctness of the words attributed to him, and also pleaded privilege. The evidence disclosed that a great friendship arose between Miss RadclyffeHall and Lady Tnbubridge, second wife of Admiral Sir E. Troubridge, who had command of the Mediterranean at the outbreak of war. With the consent of the admiral. Lady Troubridge went to live with Miss Radclyffe-Hall in 1916. The two became interested in psychical research, and wrote to Sir Oliver Lodge, who suggested that they should join the Society for Psychical Research, which they eventually did. The two women then started to make tome investigations of their own. They employed a medium, and got into communication, or were supposed to have done so, with the spirits of those who had gone before. They set down the results of these investigations in a paper, which was subsequently read at a meeting of the Psychical Research Society, and it was on this paper that the defendant asserted he based his remarks concerning the plaintiff. It appears that last November differences arose between the admiral and his wife, and there was a serious scene at Miss Radclyffe-Hall’s house. This was followed in February by a deed of separation between Admiral and Lady Troubridge. Admiral Troubridge had an interview with Mr. Fox-Pitt, and directly afterwards the latter went to the secretary of the society and uttered the first alleged slander. Later' he saw the editress of the society’s journal and uttered the second alleged slander.

“UNSCIENTIFIC RUBBISH.” Mr. Fox-Pitt, who conducted his own case, cross-examined plaintiff as to whether she understood psychology in relation to physiology, and he explained: “My contention is that the paper was unscienti.’. • rubbish, quite unworthy of the society, that its publication was extremely harmful, and that It produces a condition of mind which I consider immoral.” In further cross-examination, witness said she had been to Mrs- Osborne Leonard, the medium, once a week, and paid her a guinea each time. Mr. Fox-Pitt: In your paper you refer to “Eeda.” Who 'is “Feda”?—The information was obtained through “Feda,” but I should be sorry to pronounce on what “Feda” is. The Lord Chief Justice: Then I may take it that “Feda” is Mrs. Leonard, the medium, in a trance. (Laughter.) —Witness agreed.

HORSES IN SPIRIT WORLD. Witness was referred to a passage m her paper dealing with “A.V.8.,” and said the latter purported to be a person who had passed over to the spirit world. , ~ - Mr Fox-Pitt asked whether reference was not made to “A.V.8.” having annexed a horse belonging to witness, whitfli went lame, and had to be shot, and had also gone over to the spirit world, and that “A.A'.B.’ was learning to ride on it. —'Witness said she only put down on record what a medium said to frer in trance. Mr. Fox-Pitt next read to Miss Rad-clyffe-Hall another extract from the Journal, referring to somebody m the spirit world who said she was enjoying bathing. ... His Lordship: I must renuna you that in a Court of justice hearsay evidence cannot be admitted. (Laughter.) Lady Troubridge, in evidence, first referred to her quarrel with Admiral Troubridge and her separation from him. The' Lord Chief Justice observed that they had heard a great deal about “A.V.8.” who, he •presumed, was a lady. Witness: A lady now dead- She was my cousin, my Lord, and if you will allow me to say so, as she is dead and cannot speak for herself . I will say she li'ed all her life in the highest social position and in perfect amity with her husband, who onlv predeceased her a short time. Miss Isabel Newton gave evidence as to'her interview with .Mr. Fox-Pitt, who said lie had seen Admiral Troubriage, who had made very serious accusations against Miss Radclyffe-Hall, and h”< said that “she was a vulgar ehmbei and a grossly immoral woman, and that “she had a great influence over Lady Troubridge, and had wrecked Admiral Troubridge’s home.” Mrs De G. Salter, of Crown House, Newport, Essex, editress of the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research said she was the wife of a member of : the Bar. previous to the election I of the council. Ml -' i.imt QQusidcred Miss

very vulgar woman. He also said she was a thoroughly immoral woman, THE “SPOOK SOCIETY.” ' Nir. Fox-Pitt said he had always taken the deepest interest in psychical research, but he regarded spiritualism as a mischievous and dangerous creed, and this recrimescence of the ancient superstition was very dangerous for the people. He called on Miss Newton at the society’s offices, and suggested that the name of Miss Radclyffe-Hall should be quietly withdrawn. Their society in the past had been called the “Spook looked at askance and ridiculed, and was still so regarded in some quarters, and he thought it advisable that nothing should be done to cause it to be farther treated in this way. When he spoke to Admiral Troubridge the latter said that “A.V.B.’s” name was coupled with that of several men. “I did not,” said defendant, “'say that Miss Radclyffe-Hall was thoroughly immoral in every way. It never occurred to me. I did not use those words.” The jury first found that defendant had used the words “a thoroughly immoral woman,” but that the words were not intended to apply to the plaintiff’s personal character, but to the influence of the research work engaged on by the plaintiff, which was calculated to affect the Psychical Research Society. His Lordship objected to the word “intended,” and another retirement the foreman announced: “We find for the plaintiff— £5OO damages.”