The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-01-02 00:00:00

THE BELT LIBEL OABE.

We were enabled in pact of our edition of Met week's
Telegrams to give the verdict in the great Belt libel Pm,
the hearing of which had oocupi.di the Court 43 days.
L dig before the Usual hour of the Court's siting the oat r
dow was, on Thursday. besieged by e crowd in the vain
hope of obtaining admisaioa, and tiers they lingered in
large numbers throughout he day. Long, too, before his
lordship took his seat on the bench the Court itself was
well tilled, the audience including Lady Diana Huddle
-
don and the witnesses calied for the plaintiff and the
defendaot Mr. Belk on eotering the Court, was greeted
with applause by hie friends and partisans.
Baron Huddled." continuing his summing up irons the
point at which he broke off on Wednesday, analysed the
evidence applicable to the various busts clamed by Mr.
deltas his, and which, according to Me libel, bed be-n
"executed, fidebei,and ineeted with artist c merit " by
Kr. Brock and Mr. Ver Rep.°, beginning with the bust
of arc Tree°, and taming on to those of of the Honour-
able Robert Liddeil, Sir Sin.th Child—respectiog which tie
learned judge said au one denied that Mr. Belt n.d done
Buichothheim, and Mr. Webb. of Neestead
Abbey, with respect to whch latter one of the jury had
put a most apt:imprinte question to tie accouthilehed
preeideut at the it dital Acadeuiy—Sir Frederick Leighton
—namely, whether be wee on the Committee of Sdection
when Mr. Bales busts were admitted for exhib.t.on at the
Royal Academy. And in answer to him (Baron Huddle'
stool as to whether the bust of Mi. Webb had been among
trio., admitted for exhibition, Ms Frederick Leightou said I
it bed, but be added "It was a Very poor busk" and me, I
Udder Maral.ll described it In pretty muse the game
terms, so that these two distinguished artiste had both dm-
claimed any pretension to merit in • bust whine the &attn.
gobbed Committee of Selection of the Royal Academy had
thought worthy of exhibition within its walla. ff. tuehter.l
His lordship continued: The question for you to consider
now is, a. I told you at the commencement of the case,
whether the defendant has made out his case, and whether
he has provel to your eatidection that the libel, which
was undoubtedly published, is true in substance and in
fact That is to say, hes ha satisfied you that the plaintiff
has been palming off other men's work as his own; that
he is a broker of other men's goods, and the sculptor of
other usith's idea.. I will not read you the libel, for you
have • copy of it, but you hove to asy whether toe &den.
dank who has the onus of proof upon him, has made out
his statements. If he ha., your verdict should he for the
defendant, and you will then say th it altar coneidering
the whole of this evidence Mx. 5.11 1. an impastar ; Met
he has beim palming off other men', work cabis own ; that
he has practised as • broker of other roan's ideas; that he
has been guilty of perjury, or conthincy wits others ; end
that Harrison, Schots, and Gnaw., and must include
Mr. Nicholls, have all beep gouty of Perjury. It, on tits
other hand, you believe their and Mr. Belts evidence, and
do not trust that of Ver Hayden, Brock and Birch, Men
your verdict ought to be for the plaintiff, and is that ca.,
gentlemen, your next question will be to consider what
damages you think the punkff entitled to. It you think
the defendant has just failed to make out his jusuficauon
of the libel, although you feel that still there is • greet
deal that requires explanation on the part of the plaintiff,
you have • perfect rigut to flnd • verdict for the plaintiff
with small and contemptuous damages—say a shilling or
a farthing—which would be ea disastrous to him as •
verdict against him. But if you And that the defendant
has fetid to soak. oat his case, If you think that this has
been a crud and a wanton &mace made upon • young
artist covering years of his life, exposing him to ignominy
and shame, destroying the prospects of his future dee in
his ; poisoning, as it is calculated to do if untrue,
his amodation with those whom he might wish to cal his
compeer' • if you think thi libel points Li that, arid that
It is caudated to destroy this young man's career, 1 s
in that ca., I should give damages with no niggard hand.
(Applause) One word more only, and it is a piece of
sdrith I give you and I euould wish you ti consider it.
Give your verdict for the plaintiff or the defendant, but
give it without any comment or remark, because mat
sometimes invalidates. verdat. If you think the defen-
dant has made out his case against the plaintiff, say,
" Verdict for the de( sndaet ;" and if, on the other hood,
you think the plaintdf Is entitled to your verdict, pray
say simply " Verdict for plaintiff," and the aIIIOUIIi of
damages you award him. In conclusion, itenUernerk and
In leaving the matter to you for settlement, I can only say
It is & consolation to me to think that, il I have omitted
anything in my ad bees, you wiU not tall to supply it.
The jury the. retired, st being twenty minutes to one
o'clock, and the learned judge left the bench abort y
afterwards. Immediately upon hie withdravrd the excite-
ment of the spectator., an crowded into court, broke
out into loud and open speculation as to what tee verdict
would be, and the amount of the damages peen to to.
plaintiff in the event of toe thee being brought to • suc-
cessful Ilene for him. During this interval • diverting
Incident occurred, in coon...tie@ with the Pinsky; in of
the cast of the new Pagliatti oust, which had just been
completed. The unrestrained cheers wnich greeted the
simple ceremony of placing it on the AllatlaSkill table
were turned to loud and hearty laughter as Kr. Pegliatti
himself quickly followed up his terra-cotta image arid
posed Mende it with me.. .nosing couipiaceocy. The
jury rettuoed lobo court at twenty minutes pad 000,
having been &Pont forty minute.
The AisiluCiatil Car. David—Oentlemen, have you agreed
ape. your
The Foremen—We find a verdict for the plaintiff, with
L7/01.10 damage',
Immediately upon this announcement being made,
loud cheers burst forth from every pert ut the count, and
two or three minutes elapied before order was
while even then the cheers of the large crowd which had
areembled in Westminster Hall could be distinctly heard.
Mr. Webster, for the defendant, thea sail—i have to ask
your lordship to stay execution till next sittings.
The Jidge—Certatioly nit, Kr. Webster. (More cheer-
ing.)
Sir Harding. Giffard said—l have to ask your lordship
to certify for • special jury.
The Judge—Certainly.
Hie Lordship also certified for the shorthand notes.
Many of the people in tie court then round
Kr. Belt to congratulate him on the resurkiernert he had
to undergo • fatiguing amount of hand-shaking, which
detained him several minutes, before he could reach the
door. The moment he got out of court the crowd
sasembled in Westminster Hall gave him • loud
cheer. then premed on him on all ei&e, and at length
lifted him on the shotildere of some of his sympathisers
and curried him in triumph, cheering lustily all the while,
through the hall and into Palace-yard, where he got into a
hansom crib, and waa driven off.
During the trial there had been fit exhibits, 1W busts
and drawings. 143 witnesses and depositions (82 for the
plaintiff. 81 for the defendant). 1,517 pages or closely.
written notes. !.j dare of counsels speeches, 321 days of
evidence, arid kl 3 ethos to treat upon—each one a cause
In Itself; the whole being nothing less than an ineestigs•
lion of ten years of the plaintiff. We.
MM. LANG TRY IN sttIIEBICA.
-

Kra Lingtry is drawing only moderately large houses
in Brooklyn. The preliminary sal• of mate in Chicago.
where she goes next. began Wednesday, end was a greet
Gomm The buyers formed in line tot four hours before
the aloe opened, and two hundred were there when the
sale began. Om 8,000 tickets ware gold before night for
the week's engagement.

BREAKING INTO A SOMERSZT AND DORSBT
RAILWAY STATION.

_
At Wells. on Thursday. John Jacobs (17) was charged
with breakint Into and entering the railway stetion at
West Pell■l2l, on tee Ind bat—Mr. ac.o. blagood Pro-
sesuted—Mter considerable evidence bad been taken. the
prisoner pleaded guilty. and was sentenced to two months
Imprisonment.

ACCIDZNT TO LORD EBRINOPON.
Lord Ebrionton. the junior mettib.r for Tivertou. ao4
muter of the Dania and Somer.., Staghounris, has met
with • rather serious accident. The hon.
_member, while
playing racqoet. with big sister at Cattle Hill, the seat of
hi.laVier, Burl Forteseu.. at Southincriltnn. by a jailer.
verruca ruptured tSis • n ion Atkins., situatt at tie back
oth. leg. Idedical aid eras soon in att.ndatice, act hls
lordship is molder good prnerws, hot the nature of the
accident will condos his lordship to the bowie for several
weeks.