Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-09-11
The Perils OF lsumcr.


The perls of humorous journalism
are becoming very great, as recent
events show conclusively. Not long
ago the New York Times published an
interview with Mark Twain. and it
was very funny as ali of Mark Twain's
interviews are. Everybody enjoyed
II except one man whose name was
freely used. and whose peculiarities
were made the subject of Mark Twain's
irres.stihle wit. This sensitive gentle
man appeared in court shortly after,
and represented under oath that the
prhiished article had dam
ageu his reputation among his
neighbors and caused him great dis
Tire @s Of mind, which could not be re-
paireo "nd relieved for less sum
than $4,000 in money. The case
came to trial and the editor of the
Times placed the burden upon tue
shoulders of Mr.. Twain, insisting that
If any damage had been done the
man who had uttered the words was
responsible for it, and not the paper
in which they were published. The
court has taken the matter under con.
sideration and its decision has not been
announced.
Just ut the time this case was being
argued the Times published another
humorous story to the effect that
member of the Democratic executive
committee of the state of New York
who did not appear at the recent meet
ing of that body had been abducted by
the anti-rilden men, and forcibly pre-
vented from attendance. From the
fact that this gentleman had private
reasons of a political nature for desiring
not to attend the meeting, and could
not have been drawn there by n yoke
of oxen, the suggestion that he had
been forcibly detained was considered
extremely funny by those who under
stood the circumstances, and the writer
prided himself upon the success OF his
satire, 1t was successful, so far as il
aroused the wrath Of the gentleman
mentioned and he has now brought
suit against the paper for S3O,080
claiming that the modification and
distress of mind, loss of public esteem
and the respect of society which he
was made to SITTER by the article can
only be repaired by the receipt OF that
amount. A few weeks ago the Gin
cinnati Eaquircr published an article
about man named Lee, II shoemaker
Of that city, in which he was repre-
/ ScnIpu us IL uuIt. hOSC WV WHY a'
| miliar with Lees eccentricities
thought the article was eXcruciatingiy
| funny. but he had the editor arrested
! for criminal libel, and has sued nm
for $50, 600 damages.
/ II used TO be understood that only
| serious articles were libelous, and that
one might joke As much as he desired
without being held responsible for
| what was said in jest.
4 little nonsense now and then,
Is relshed by the best OF men.
| according to the poet, but newspapers
must hereafter be cautious in selecting
! the topics Of their humorous disserta-
! tations. 1t has been decided by Il
/ PENNSYLVANIA court that to hold up
man to public ridicule is as serious a,'
oftense against society and the individ-
ual as to blacken his reputation ~
false and malicious charges. Ihis po-
! sition was taken In case tried by tne
courts at Ete, Pa. A newspaper OF
that city copied a humorous article
from an exchange, describing the
1 ludicrous adventures OF nclitlous
person, but in order to give II u local
| interest took the liberty 10 introduce
the name of citizen Of Erie, ana
/ made him the hero of tie romance.
This gentleman was very ilucil
annoyed. and brought q suit for
damt.ges against the editor,
which was decided in his favor on
the ground chat the publication had
made him appear in an undignitieed
and preposterous situation; that 1t suo.
iected him to ridicule, and made him
the laughing stock for the community.
This was the first case OF the sort ever
tried, it is believed, and the result ,.i
taken in connection with the expert
ence of Others recently ought to teach
newspapers the danger OF being funny'