New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-14
THE FAMOUS BELT LIBEL CASE
srom ma london Daflu T.r.aranh n.. oo

from The London Daily TsteoraDh Dee %
After fOrty-three days devoted tn av;do
counterevdence and rebutting evidence 70 nroion,
speeches by counsel and protracted sumnn vvnsSo
have anSestaney decided in favor Of f fss 1s csss
They have awarded him. as compensation ~ hnsn.
the actionexcept those between solicitor sa cTss II
which must In themselves amount to o con.,Snrshi.
Originally the libel which was the cause Of ass
appeared 10 the pages Of weknown weekly Journal.
" and systematically claimed TO be the author Of w rsse
for which be was only the broker that while he rem
nohSs beter than Statue ober Mr. e. Law. We:
made himself responsible for the statements Contained
cnmbent upon him 70 dispatch q copy TO the Lord
Mayor Mr. Belt then engaged in the civic compet
I'm the tiudba Mr.. Belt seems TO have gone TO TIA
oce Of journal and demanded an explanation and
he was then challenged 70 submit himsen 10 an exami-
nation OF his whole career.
The case for the defence was that Mr.: Belt was an
arTant postor and that he with three others had
tered into a conspiracy 10 palm of ss his own pro-
auctions works which he had never executed The three
CHIEF coconspraors we're alleged TO be MI Verhyden,
VINO was the real undiscovered genius that put on the
artistic merit in secret studios NJ Cnrtice End
Mr. Walter Belt. brother Of the plaintiff The whes4
story was OF the complexion usually met with in the
pages OF sensational novels There was 10 begin with,
the TO which nobody but the consprator
admitted Here the model OF the colossal statue
of Lord Byron, now standing Ia Hyde Park was sup
who worked for Mr. Belt said that he himself and Mr.
Harrison. also professional assistant. were in the
another witness Sir. Meilen. caster. sWore that be
asked Mr.. Harrison who it was that modelled
teriousy 1.-The gLost Here is another sensational eie
ment added only e must be Admitted justee to Mr.
Harrison, that ne d-ned ever having sad anything OF
the nnd and that Mr Melen appeared 10 be witness
Belts favor the number OF independent witnesses
who forward to that they bad him with
st0nee IT viii he remembered M Alexander YorEs
swOre that suggested various alterations IN the bust
Of bis brother, Mr. Reginald lorxe, and that Mr.
Belt carried out various occasions under his
eyes Canon Wilkinson bore his testimony that Mr..
Belt hal under ais inspection. executed improvements
in the bust Of tue Late Mrs WilknsOn. Mr. Arnold Nor
himself artist depOsed that be saw MI Belt exc
cute the whole Of the bust Of Canon Conway, from
commencement 70 compleon yet this was one OF the
pieces Of sculpture which u was alleged DR. Belt had
fraudulently passed OF as his own. Mr. Morris also
stated that he Mr. Belt execute several other Dsts
and three small sketches OF Byron, and likewise saw
him at work on the colossal Byron. Then, In
Mr. Belt should give an example of his skill be-
fore jury. Accordingly ne allowed to try his
the head OF NJ. Pagstti under eceLt inspection, TO
prevent any help from being afforded MIN.
aekn0w ged was very NJ Pagliatti; but 1t al
legged that had "artistlc merit" compared with
large a%%6er Of Royal AcsdemicaHs including
and Mr.. MIllais-who is painter and not sculptor
were called defence and most Of them gave 1t as
att was as compared with Mr. Belts bust beautiful
creation that the rival busts were distinctly the
dence of taese experts" Mr. Maempre then for
ward and stated that he saw Mr Belt working on the
fret terrscotta, bust This incident shattered the
whole mass Of testimony furnished by the Royal Acad.
emclans thus again showing the worth OK
mere Hypothetical expert evidence compared with tnas
of a single credible eyewitness.
Impossible for the defence TO justify the state
ment that Mr. Belt was not sculptor, out statue
obber" Thus the attempt 10 rake the whole career
Mr. Belt, aud hold aim TO public scorn has been
miserable failure and the result of the present Trial will
teud to show that caumnious not to be
printed and retailed fact without investigation ia
private enemy.