Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1886-02-07
TWO LIBEL SUITS
Entered Against Major
Horace Bell.
HON. G. WILEY WELLS
Makes the Complaints for Articles
Appearing in Yesterdays
"Porcupine.y

Yesterday a complaint against Horace
Bell was filed in Justice Ranney's Court
by Hon. G. Wiley Wells. The com
plant reads as follows:
In the Justice Court Of Los Angeles
township. in the County Of Los Angeles,
state Of California. The people Of the
State Of California va. Horace Bell
Complaint criminal. Personally appear
ed before me this 9th day OF February,
1885, @. Wiley Wells, of Los Angeles,
who, first being duly sworn, complains
and says: That one Horace Bell, OF said
Los Angeles township and county, on
the 9th day of February, 1886. at said
township, in the county Of Los Angeles,
contrary and unlawfully, wickedly and
maIiciously, intending to injure, Willy,
libel and prejudice the said q. WHEY
Wells. and to deprive him Of his good
name. fame, credit and reputation, and
to impeach the honesty, integrity, vir-
tue and reputation of said q. Wiley
Wells. and thereby TO expose him, the
said Wells, TO public hatred, contempt
and ridicule, unlawfully, wickedly and
maliciously did publish false, scandal
ous. malicious and defamatory libel,
in the form of newspaper article. pub
lished in newspaper called the Porcu-
zine. the said article then and there con
tanning divers false, scandalous, malici-
GUS and defamatory matter and things
Of and concerning the said u. Wiley
Wells, and OF and concerning the hon
esty, integrity, virtue and reputation OF
the said q. Wiley Wells, according ia
the tenor aud effect following, that is to
say;
WAS IT HIS wIfEg
at is claimed that the lady arrayed
In diamonds, whom the Hon. G. Wiley
Wells took to Beast Baldwins den in
San Francisco, was not the carpet
bacger's lady wife, but some woman,
person. or body, and the whole structure
Of the Methodist church trembles in re.
spouse to the shock. Hailelujah
Amen"
He. the said Bell, thereby meaning
and intending to convey the impression
by said article, and did then and there
convey the impression BY said article,
that he, the said G.. Wiley Wells, was
at the time referred to in said article
consorting aud assoeiating with and
Introducing as his wife some woman
Of bad repute, and was at said tim
visiting an improper place for immoral
aud improper purpose, and that said
lady who dined with e. j. Baldwin and
said Wells was not the wife OF said
Wells. but was some immoral person,
he. the said Horace Bell, then and there
well knowing the said defamatory libel
to be false.
All of which is contrary to the forms
of the statute in such cases made and
provided, and against the peace and dig
nifty of the people of tho State OF Cali
fornia.
Said complainant therefore prays that
A warrant may be issued for the arrest
of the said Horace Bell, and that he
may be dealt with according to law.
G.. WILEY WELLS.
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this 9th day of February, 1885.
K. RANNEY,
Justice of the Peace Los Angeles Tewn-
ship.
Later in the day second complaint
was filed of about the same tenor, quot
ing another article in the same paper
which reads;
FISHERMAN ON WELLS.
"When Senator John Sherman was in
Los Angeles about year age Honorable
@. Wiley Wells, honorable for having
been carpet-bag Congressman from Mis-
sissippi, ran after him and followed him
around in q most servile manner. until
Sherman got tired of it. Hedidn't know
the delectable carpet Dagger, and inquir-
ed of a gentleman: Who is this man
Wells, anyway The gentleman in
formed the Senator that Honorable G..
Wiley Wells had baen carpet.bag Con
gresham from Mississippi and afterward
a Consul to China, where he had made
money enough to buy the largest library
in America, and had set up as lawyer
without having read any one of the
$40, 900 worth of books he had so pur-
chased. The explanation recalled the
deleotable to the Senatorial mind, and he
scratched the Senatorial head and said
why, yes; | now recognise and remem-
Der him. He is the fellow who used to
buzz around us so much in Washington,
aud we called him sc. Oily Wells. ""
The allegations in the second COM
plant are, OF course, as may appear from
the article quoted, to the effect that
he is injured in his reputation as law
yer because of the imputations cast
therein upon his legal bearing.
The offence is misdemeanor, punish
able by fine or imprisonment. or by both
such fine aud imprisonment, ii the YER
dict is guilty.