STEALING CABLE NEWS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2777, 1 May 1890, Page 2

STEALING CABLE NEWS.

[BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION. 1 Gishoknk, Last Night. At the Resident Magistrates Court this morning, the manager of the Press Association, sued the publisher of the Gisborne Standard, for piracy of cable messages. Three informations were laid. The evidence of Mr Atack, manager of the Association, showed the pirating of cable news without paying for it, although defendant had been repeatedly warned. For the defence it was attempted to show that messages had been telegraphed from Auckland by thuir agent, Mr W. J. Geddis, who was supposed to know the difference) between telegrams which were protected and those which were not. Some amusement was caused by the fact that defendant had attempted to cunuoal Ihe name of the lender by tearing oil' the signature, but the K.M. refused to admit the document so mutilated, and counsel had to produce the missing link from his waistcoat pocket. A large number of objections of various forms -jt were raised by the defendant, but Mr Booth over-ruled them all, holding that the Press Association had a perfect right to have its cables protected. On the first information defendant was fined £1, with 15s costs. The other cases were adjourned till to-morrow.