The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-03-13 00:00:00

CAKR OF IIL•NDVIL.

PI"

Hatcher • . Stock, with whom was Mr.
Kingdon, was for the plaintiff, and Mr. Cole was for the
defendant. Mr. Kingdon opened the pleadings,
which set forth that Sarah Rose, the defendant, had
spoken certain slanderous words against Mr. George
Hatcher, charging biter with having feloniously killed
her brother Enos.
Mr. Stock stated the case to the fury. The plaintiff
had been charged with having committed a crane of the
most grievous description known to the law—being
nothing less than the commission of murder. He need not,
therefore, remind the j ury that the inquiry before them was
of a most serious description. Mr. George Hatcher
was a miller, cattle dealer, and fanner, living at Mani-
hull, at • iilace called King's Mill, and the defendant
was the daughter of a beerhotoie keeper in the same
parish. The party, whoise death caused the slander
spoken of, was a carter in the service of the plaintiff. On
the 20th of July last, Enos Rose WAS sent by plaintiff
to Milborne Port, about 7 miles from King's Mill, with
a wagon and two horses and a load of flour, and he was
directed by his master to bring back, from Babcary, •
load of cider. According to the time it would take to
perform the journey be should have been back by the
next morning, but he did not return. Samuel Down,
another person in plaintiff's service, while getting up
at the time Enos was expscted, looked out of the win-
dow and saw the two horses which had been sent to Mil-
borne Port, but there was no Enos and no wagon, and
a search was immediately made, and at Copse-hill, about
four or five miles from Mr. Hatcher's, the wagon was
discovered. It was upset, broken, the cider casks were
thrown about the road, Axil • complete destruction of
the property had taken place. Every inquiry was wade
respecting Enos, but in vain. At length, at the sugges-
tion of Downie, the river, near Mr. Hatcher's resident*,
was searched, and the body of Enos Rose wan discovered.
These were the simple facts of the case, and the plain-
tiff came to that court to seek redress—the vindication
of his character against the slanders of the relatives of
EllO4 Rose. It might be suggested that a man in the
high position of the plaintiff—of his unimpeachable
character and unblemished reputation—could afford to
pass over such • charge, but it was to be regretted there
were many persons so weak as to believe the monstrous
and incredible impntatiou. The subject had passed from
mouth to niouth—he had the imputation thrown in his
teeth at fair and market, and wherever be had gone
people had been continually referring to it, until the
',object became a source of pain and misery to him.
The difficulty in these casee was to find out who were
the originators of the slander, and where there was such
a horrible imputation as this the difficulty was increased,
, and it was not till after long and diligent inquiry it was
ascertained that the calumny origivated with
the family of the deceased. The plaintiff did
not coins into that court to put money into his
pocket—he did not ask for excessive damages— he was
there simply and solely to vindicate his character from

the foul imputation. The dafendutt had. not rematered
• plea of vindicatiou—he had rely wid, " I am me
guilty." H• (the learned eouneel) would be ab%
pore against her such fasts as would sable the juty.
without the shadow of • doubt, to ream • verdict for
the plaintiff. Had • public apology and an ample
vindication of his diameter been dead the Saws
would have been content, but Done had been made, sag
perhaps it was bettor that his hitherto unsullied maw
Con should be vindicated in open cart thee by
private arrangement.
Mr. Cole asked to be permitted, on the per es ihs
defendant, at this sage of the proaesiltage, to
the sincerest regret tat his client bad, not as it la=
originated the slander, but, unfortunately, tai"
she had repeated it. He was instracted cm her behalf %
make the most ample retrastiou potable, sad to my thei
so far as she was able to ascertain, tare was Oa the
slightest ground for the imputation. He was prows"
to tender, in open court, every apology • person ia
her position ought to make.
The Judge said this was eery proper for her to 40.
but i/ Mr. Stork wished to put Mr. Hatcher inte the
box, he had no objection to take his aide-are.
Mr. Stock thought that, under the eireumeleaces,
Mr. Hatcher would and 8o perfectly air el the
imputation that be might accept the apology new made.
The Judge, turning to the jury, mid : I think this
case has taken a very proper cane. I have no
the story is utterly untrue, and therefor, Mr. Haase
has taken the only course he could have taken by twing-
ing the matter into a Colin of Law. The leerned
counsel for the defendant has takes an tames* pro.
per course, and therefore you will lad foe the *ail,
with damages to the amount of 40• After this Mr.
Hatcher ought not to have any imputation on his

character. --
The cases Hatcher V. Hatay Bow, sod Ellicks v.
Rose and Wife were not gone into—vesdirts bang ham
by oonsent with 10a. &maga.