The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-18 00:00:00

WESTERN CIRCUIT—SALISBURY, July 16.
NISI PRITJS COURT.
(Before Mr Justice Byles.)
RHOADES V. COOPER—LIBEL—£I,OOO DAMAGES.
Mr Coleridge, Q.C., and Mr H. T. Cole were counse
for the plaintiff; Mr Sleigh (specially retained) and Mr
Turner represented the defendant.
This was an action for libel under very peculiar circum-
stances. The defendant pleaded not guilty and justification.
Mr Sleigh, however, withdrew the latter plea before the case
was gone into.
The plaintiff, Susan Rhoades, is the daughter of a former
tradesman of Salisbury, now deceased, Mr Cooper is a
solicitor, about 60, practising in the same town. It appeared
he had known the plaintiff all her life, and was always appa-
rently very fond of her. In 1853 or 1854 he began to pay her
more particular attentions, and desired to become her hus-
band. He walked and drove with her, took her to buy new
furniture for his house, and treated her in every respect as
his affianced wife. In 1856, when she was about 17 years
of age, he seduced her. On her giving birth to a child he
refused to marry her, but offered to settle £lOO a year upon
her for life, on condition that she remained single, and held
no immoral intercourse " with any person whomsoever."
A deed was drawn up, and defendant duly paid the first
quarter's annuity. From that time to the present some-
thing like twenty actions have been brought, and they
have all been given against the defendant with costs.
On each occasion he has pleaded, but failed to prove,
hat the young lady is unchaste. He had himself at-
tempted to renew the intercourse with her, but she refused
to see him except in the presence of a third person. In 1555
he wrote her a letter, in which he considered her to be a most
persecuted lassie. Some time ago he caused a plea which he
intended to plead in " action 21," as he termed it, to be
lithographed, and sent copies to Mr Wilson, one of the
county coroners, the Salisbury magistrates, and others. In
it he charged Miss Rhoades with having had immoral inter-
course with men, and also with having, since the preceding
action, given birth to a second child. This was the libel
complained of. The action was originally brought in Lon-
don, but the defendant applied to a judge at chambers and
got the venue changed to Salisbury, for the purpose, it was
alleged, of rendering her appearance in court more painful
and distressing to the plaintiff, on account of her being so
well known in the town. Defendant's conduct was severely
censured by Mr Coleman, in his opening address.
Miss Rhoades was examined.
Witnesses having been called to prove the publication of
the libel,
Mr Sleigh proceeded to address the court in mitigation of
damages. He admitted that the defendant had acted un-
wisely and upon erroneous impressions, but at the same
time he contended that the plaintiff had sustained no da-
mage through the publication of the libel. Those who
know her were shown to entertain as much respect for her
now as they did before. There was no tmilice on the part
of the defendant, an.'l ho submitted that very moderate
damages would meet tht, justice of the case.
his Lordship, in summing up, said there could be no
question that the document which the defendant had issued
was a libel. The only question, therefore, was one of
damages, and on this point he would say nothing what-
ever to influence their decision.
The jury almost immediately found a verdict for the
plaintiff, damages, £l,OOO.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE—This Day,

CITY BETTING—Tuts DAY.
NOTTINGHAM HANUICAP.
7 to 2 aget Pearl Diver (taken)
sto 1 aget Fisherman's Daughter (taken)
6to 1 apt Sir Roger (taken)
6to 1 agst Weleoms (taken)
7to 1 agst Tartar (takea and offered)
S to 1 agst Dr Syntax (taken)
ROBIN HOOD STAKES.
3to 2 agst Lemonade (taken)
GOODWOOD STAKES.
sto 2 agst Thalestris (taken and offered)
10 ti.; 1 agst Stanton (taken)
100 to 8 ;pit Bally Edmond (offered)
100 to 8 age,: Blondin (taken and offered)
100 to 8 agst Claton (taken and offered)
100 to 6 agst Fisheru2an's Daughter (taken)
20 tcr 1 agst Boatrix (tam n)
GOODWOOD Mr,
9to 2 agst DoiLw (taken)
6to 1 aget Scottish Chief

ST. LEG 1Z
3to 1 agst Blair Athol (taken and offered),
3i to 1 agst General Peel (offered)
500 to 15 agst Claremont (taken)

BETTING AT MANCRESTER-SATuRDA-;.

There was a rather small attendance. The chief feature
was the anxiety manifested to get on Thalestris for the
Goodwood stakes; 3 to 1 would have been taken to a large
amount, but there were no layers. Dollar was in good re-
quest for Goodwood Cup, 6 to 1 being taken when it could
be obtained Closing prices :

GOODWOOD STAN.BS.
3to 1 agst Thalestris (wanted)
12 to 1 agat Claxton (offered)
12 to 1 agat Blondin (offered)
100 to 8 agst Fisherman's Daughter (taken)
20 to 1 agst Bally Edmond (offered)
50 to 1 agat Limosina (taken)
GOODWOOD CUP.
sto 1 agst Dollar (taken and wanted)
to 1 agat Scottish Chief (offered)
10 to 1 agst Limosina (taken)
10 to 1 agst Claremont (taken)
100 to 8 agst East Lancashire (taken)

LEGER,.
4to 1 agst General Peel (taken)

AMERICAN MAIL STEAMERS DUE AT LIVERPOOL
THIS WEEK.—There are three steamers due at Liverpool
this week, with the mails from 'Amide. and the United
States, viz.:—The City of London, from New York on the
oth, may be looked for off Cap° Clear or Queenstown this
evening (Monday) or early to •rnorrow morning ; the Hiber-
nian, from Quebec, also oa the 9th, will no doubt reach
Londonderry in the course of to-morrow ;notnheSla3tuth,rdmaya,;hbee
THE HERitiNG FISIIEROY;
Cunard steamer Arabia, from N ew Y.;_hoeTrklho
expected to reach Queenstovrn.
Irish hhCcaorans Swhcr were boatsvcry
fishery
Yade from 5....' s'o to £65 per boat ;
engagedfort
unat e
ilnatt3cwheeekri,ihlving
n, Cornwall, reports having
Mr Corsbis, salesman, of Newly
disposed of £2,500 worth of herrings.
boats have also had good luck, but The Irish and Scotch
their principal catches
were taktlf shortly alter the conaneakcement of the season.