The Didds-Shepherd Scandal.
The Famous Slandeu Gas©.
Damages £2000.
The case, John Shepherd, M.L.A., r. G. R. Dibbs, merchant, for Blanderdamages laid at £10,000—which has been the excitement in Sydney for the last month, has just concluded with a verdiot for the plaintiff of £2000. The case shews peculiar features. In 1874, a separation had been agreed upon between Mr John Campbell Dibbs, brother of the defendant, and his wife Jane. Mr Shepherd acted as solicitor for Mrs J. 0. Dibbs. She had to take the youngest child and was to get a certain monthly allowance. Years rolled on, and Mr Dibbs became much better off; the child also had became older, and Mrs Dibbs required more money. But on Mr Dibbs refusing to give any more,' Mrs Dibbs brougbt ah action against her husband in the Divorce Court, for restitution of conjugal rights, and Mr Shepherd again acted- aa solicitor for Mrs Dibbs. Mr Dibbs then commenced a divorce suit against his wife, making a Mr~ Charles Litbgow Blair co-respondent. That suit proceeded with up to a certain stage, when Mr G. R. Dibbs, who appeared- to take a warm personal interest in his brother's family affairs, made certain charges against Mr Shepherd. An attempt had also been made to make Mr Shepherd corespondent to the divorce suit. That attempt failed and Mr Shepherd, con-! sidering the charges ruinous to his profession as a solicitor, brought the present action for damages against Mr G. R. Dibbs. A large amount of evidence was produced on the hearing of the case. The specific slander was that defendant had spread a report that Shepherd was improparly intimate with Mrs Dibbs, and that when remonstrated with he had retorted that he was a single man he didn't care a——for anybody, and would do as he liked. The intimacy was alleged to have taken place at Shepherd's office, and at a house of assignation in Elizabeth street, kept by a I woman named Millar. W. H. Hicks, editor of " Sydney Punch, shewed that defendant had borrowed Shepherd's photograph from him for the purpose of I identification, remarking that it was a stupid thing fora man to be improperly intimate with another man's wife in order to "take out his cost" without locking the door. Mr John Hurley, J.P.,-stated that defendant had told him that Shepherd had been caught in adultery with" his brother John's wife. The plaintiff | was called and gave a flat denial to all the | allegations. He denied that he knew a ; woman named Martha Fanning and other females whose names were mentioned, buy admitted that he had frequently wft women at a house of assignation. During the evidence the .witness protested against defendant staring at him through/ those glasses." Lewis Lampson was called and swore that Shepherd had robb*3 him of £700. He purchased £1000 /orth of furniture in Shepherd's name v*th his own money, and had the leas/made out in Shepherd's name also, bui the latter stepped in and seized>?very£Mng. The witness also deposedjMtjie w'cnt to Shepherd's office in li% when the Clerk laughingly pointed^o a chink in the wall, witness looke^ihrough and saw Mr Shepherd and M^s Dibbs under circumstances which he He went to Mrs Dibbs' lodgings, and introduced himself to the landlady, She asked him who should she say called, witness replied " Say Captain Cook." (Laughter). On calling- the second time witness was shown into Mrs Dibbs's. Witness said to Mrs Dibbs, " You know I am not Captain Cook. You know my name. If I sent my name you would not have come to see me. _ I came to warn you not to have anything jto do with Shepherd." Mrs Dibbs I turned as white as a sheet, and ran upstairs. Witness saw Mrs Dibbs twice I misbehaving herself in Shepherd's office. After seeing her the second time witness spoke privately to Shepherd about it, telling him that it was a serious matter. If his (Shepherd's) clients knew it they would not come near him. Witness shewed Shepherd the crack in the partition. Shepherd replied " I don't care a —for anybody. lam a jingle mat,
and will do what I like. What do I care for my clients or anybody else." Martha Fanning when asked by defendant's counsel to point out Mr Shephard, did so, and then stepped out of the box, and amidst great laughter laid her hand on him. She deposed that while living " under the protection of a gentleman" she had seen Shephard come to Mrs Millar's assignation house with Mrs Dibbs.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THS18800312.2.10.2
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Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3499, 12 March 1880, Page 2
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758The Didds-Shepherd Scandal. Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3499, 12 March 1880, Page 2
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