Daily Republican., 1882-05-17
EDITION
sUPERIOR COURT.

The Ar4umont IN tho Tatn.,,
Courtney suit for Damsre,-r"'
Plainiin asks $1,000, bu, =.
.Whiteloy Thinks shat q eepts A..
Court convened this morning At N
o'clock and Immediately resumad ~ .t ~
trial Of the suit for damages asa,nae 'ne
Henry G. Courtney. Mr.. Emm.nss
opened the argument for the ls nla;n,;a
by saying that now all the evidence
has been submitted and the only thine
that the jury had to do was to cons;das %
the damage that had been sustained Sn
Mr.. Tatnall and render their verd;cs, ;Cs
accordingly. He said the only causa ~
the assault was because their dsughts,
married without their consent. eA'''
Mr.. Tatnall had nothing to do with
the marriage, and even If the paran.a
were incensed, they had no right 10 ~.
tack him, and there are no extenns,;ns
circumstances In the matter. Mr., I'm.
mons reviewed the articles that had
been published In the News, and aaiS
that Mr.. Tatnall was entitled to n,aiss
tor what he had done. The spaaks,
said that if anyone would take tba
average newspaper, and eliminate from
it all that is untruelor exapperatsd
there would he very little left Tho
evidence has clearly shown that th;S
attack was wilful and premeditatad
and with the facts before them, it ia thu
duty of the jury to award exemplary
damages.
This should be done not only for ths
purpose OF recompensing Mr. Tatnall
| in degree for the suffering and dam.
age he has sustained from the beating
but it will also be the means of deterinn
others from committing similar acts q
violence. The speaker thought that
81, 900 would be little enough to recon.
pense Mr.. Tatnall. Mr.. Emmons con,
tinued for some time and closed by askI
ing the court to charge the jury on 4
number of points which he submitted,
Mr.. Whiteley opened for the delence,
and said that the whole tronbls had
| been caused by Mr.. Tatnall going h
office Of the Morning News, and slsnl
dering Mis-. Courtney and her daurb,
ter.
Such charges and statements as MI,
Tatnall made to Mr.. Conrad, were
enough to infuriate any woman, and
cause her to take something diffsren
than the strap with which she wallo,
ed her children to chastise the Offender
IMr. Whiteley said that he was nd
here to Justify the assault, because tha
was an offence contrary to the law
but he was here to say that there wal
great provocation, and on account Of
he would ask for mitigation Of dana
lges.
The counsel for the plaintiff had sai|
that this thing OF women whppn
men for slight provocation, was b(
coming too common and must \
stopped; but the best way to stop it,
to put a bride on the mischief maxim
tongue of such men as the plaintif
The speaker thought that under Il
circumstances cents damages au
costs, would be ample compensate
for all the injury that had been SUI
tanned
Mr.. Whiteley ridiculed the idea th1
Mr.. Tatnall had sustained any physic
Injury, and said that if he had receiv
the injury to the eye that his attorne
7 claimed, it was to say the least a litl
singular, that he deferred going to d.
: tor for four months, and then the ply
clan only ordered him to bathe 1t vi
A little warm water, and he had no
casion to return for whole year,
Mr.. Spruance also spoke for the
, fence, and said that if the jury award
the amount $5,OO0) asked for by
, plaintitf, for something that only
. cupied Ave or six minutes, then \
: Tatnall will have been paid the larg
wages ever given to a man in Wilml
ton, Mr.. Spruance contendod tna' 'n
was suffi cient provocation to cause
assault. He reviewed the evidence,
:. support of his argument, and asker
q iury to take TIE case to themselves
. deal with Mr.. Courtney the same
. they would wish to be done oy' uu
similar circumstances. -.
Mr.. Spruance was very severe
: the newspapers and said that artle
snch as this should never be puotlls
and we're often the cause OF mucn
and sorrow to the parties coneeiu
The speaker said that he nav .hs s'1
picture in the Art gallery az tne
ltenpial that had made a greasi.
Ipression on his mind than sny'n'n
had ever seen. ,viud
II was that of six dead boys lyln'
the oround and standing over thsn
the mother, wildly beating OF laV
tnr.a wbo would have mangled
su.o, -. ona he made the app
ton, that in this instance, .ar .arsr sl, f.
Sv %Ai her spTea marriage Ri dead to them snd sss
mother ny the was only beating off II y the y
lture who would have roDVeu s. tvn Snru
cod name she had left. M, n,anr 1F
Icoucluded his able arsud s.nad mi
o'clock and Court adjourned y
O'Clock this afternoon