The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1875-08-07
OUR BONANZA.
Petition Of PlaIntir In the Great Libel
Salt OF Fannie Smith vs. The
Herald Printing Co.
The Richest Document OF the Season
A Small Iceberg In the Midst
Of the TrOpIcs.
Probable Line OF Defense Of Respond.
ents--Wlth q Brief Synopsis OF
the Pro. pcCtiVe Grafton OF
Plaintiffs Counsel.

| PlalnllH'S COunSel.
Legal and social circles have been ol
the qui UiCC since the announcement
that the charming and fascinating
leader of society in her own brigh
sphere, Mrs. Fannie Smith, had insti
tuted against THE DALLAS HERALI
PRINTING COMPANY, in the sum o
thirty-one thousand five hundred dol
lars, for an alleged libel. Mrs. Smitl
having taken the pauper oath, the pa
pers were regularly issued and served
on defendants.
AS the petition is ineXpressibly rich
and exhibits such wonderful degre,
of legal lore and scholarly finish, the
subjoined extracts are given. Aftel
reciting that her husband has long
since abandoned her and fails ant
neglects to join her in the suit, she
prays to be permitted to bring ant
carry on the suit in her own name
She states thatshe was born in the city
of Richmond, Va, of Caucasian race
and has no mixture of any other blood
in her veins; neither had or was evel
suspected of having any colored BLOOD
in her veins; that she is white wo
man, and has ever been so regarded
and has ever been respected and
treated as such; that the white citizens
of her native State, Virginia, and OF
all other places where it has been hel
lot to live, hare sought her society, and
have received and treated her with re.
spect and Kindness. Then follows q
brief biographical sketch of herself
and parents, together with her trials,
troubles, tribulations, gains and losses
in Memphis, which eliminated in
leaving her in destitute condition.
She further states that while in this
destitute condition
She obtained information that the
State of Texas was q fine, prosperous,
productive and thrifty State, with good
society, and overflowing with plenty,
wherefore she was prompted and in
huenced to remove to said State of
Texas to build up her broken down
fortune; that she first stopped in the
city of Jefferson, Texas, and after, to-
wit, in 1873, she moved to and settled
i'm the city of Dallas, where she has
since lived; that for the last six months
Oh ha hnnI, Iiyinp of tln 4
Jackson and Market streets, where she
has been keeping boarding house, en-
tertainlng bOarders and guests for hire
as means of support and maintain
ance; that up till the 23d day of July,
1875, she had good reputation as II
worthy and respectable hOusekeeper,
and was up til said time last aforesaid
in good repute us a worthy housekcep-
er, and had a good run of custom in her
said business of keeping boarding
house as aforesaid; that thereby she
was enabled to support and maintain
herself; that up till said 23d day of July,
1875, she never had been suspected Of
having any colored blood in herveius
or of being u cOlored woman, but on
the contrary she had always been high
ly respected as a white woman; that
Notwithstanding all these facts, the de-
PENDANTS, being engaged in the publi-
cation and circulation of II newspaper
in the city and county of Dallas, Texas,
to-wit: THE DALLAS DAILY HERALD,
which said paper had large circula-
tion in the city and county of Dallas,
Texas; she further AYERS and charges
that said company aforesaid, well
that plaintiff was white wo-
man and of the Caucasian race, through
their duly authorized agent and
business manager of said company
aforesaid, to-wit: w. G.. Holland,
contriving to injure,
disgrace, defame and bring into
disrerute plaintiff and to injure her in
her business of keeping boarders lber
means of support and maintenance)
and to deprive her of her good name
and reputation rs white woman in
the society in which she your petition
er lives, tO-wit, in the city and county
of Dallas, Texas, did, OH the 23d day of
July, 1875, compose and publish I'm
said DALLAS DAILY HERALD and did
then and there circulate said DALLAS
DAILY HERALD in the city and county
of Dallas, Texas, of and concerning
the following false, scanda-
ious and libelous matter; said publi-
cation so far as relates to plaintiff in
tdcc uer6d is as follows, to-wit:
"From the International the couple
went to house kept by colored
woman named Fannie Smith, where
hey remained until last Thursday
night, when they suddenly left and
,oOk quarters at the Planters House,
,n Elm street. Immediately after
heir departure Fannie missed forty
our dollars-the proceeds of sale of
buggy, which she had placed in her