Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-11-10
WAS FOUkLY SLANDERED.
MRS. LEADER VICTORIOUS IN
HER SUIT.
The Jury Returns a Verdict In the
Latest Society Imbroglio in
London to the Cha
grin of Mrs. Gen.
Smyth.
Complete Indication.

London, Nov. 5.-The jury in the
Leader-Smyth case to-day returned a
verdict awarding $500 damages to Mrs.
Leader. The court room was again
crowded to-day with an aristocratic
throng, all curious to hear the conclusion
of the celebrated case. When Justice
Day had taken his seat on the bench
and the court was declared open, Mr..
Lockwood, counsel for Mrs. Leader,
took up the summing up, at the point
where he was interrupted yesterday by
the adjournment of the court. He re-
minded the jewclcr who sold Mrs. Smyth
the brooch had failed after three OK
aminations to find his private mark on
the brooch produced in court, which was
the brooch Mrs. Leader had sold. The
main issue of the case being one of
identity, the evidence of this jewcler was
absolutely in favor of Mrs. Leader. A
bad feature in the line of defense was
the harping upon Mrs. Leaders as
ISOLATION with Capt. French. Counsel
for the defendants asked the jury to
think lightly of Mrs. Leader. Why were
these shafts leveled at Mrs. Leader.
unless it were to hurt her reputation
and perchance wound the heart of her
husband? That must have been the OBJ
Ject OF the defendants in instructing
their counsel to refer to Capt. French,
but they seemed to have forgotten that
If Mrs. Leader had been so friendly
with Capt. French, it made it all the
more probable that he would have sent
her present on the occasion of her
marriage. He asked the jury to con-
slder the strong imrrobnbility Of a woman
OF Mrs. Leaders position with plenty
OF money and jewclry stealing Il brooch
OF minor value from the dressing table of
her friend while the friend was in the
room, wearing it on the same day and
selling it within Il stones throw of Mrs.
Smyths house.
Justice Day then proceeded to sum ny
the case. He expressed surprise ut the
line of defense. Continuing he said that
If the defendant had pleaded that she
had uttered the SANDER. on a privileged
occasion, he might have held that that
view was right in the absence of express
proof OF malice. But the defense justi-
ned the SANDER and undertook to prove
to the satisfaction of the jury that the
brooch had been stolen by Mrs. Leader
from Mrs. Smyth's room. 1t was Il curl
GUS coincidence that these two ladies',
friends, should possess brooches of a
pattern from which the original maker
knew of only nine being manufactured
until 1891. 1t was also il curious coin
cidencc that both ladies should cease to
possess them at about the same time,
Mrs. Smyth losing hers and Mrs Leader
selling hers. With regard to Mrs.
Leaders, position, it was important to
remember that she was not in want of
money. Viewing all the evidence, he
must say that if the case had been taken
to criminal court, he would not, on the
evidence of Mrs. Smyth, have allowed
the charge, to go before jury. 1t was
open to the present jury to decide
whether Mrs. Smyth was actuated by
malice in uttering the charges against
Mrs. Leader.
The jury retired and in few minutes
returned with a verdict awarding Mrs
Leader $1,000 damages. The verdict
was greeted with applause, which the
friends of Mrs. Leader crowded around
her enthusiastically congratuiating her.
She waited in the court room long
enough to shake hands with Mr. Lock
wood, after which, accompanied by her
husband, she quickly walked through
the corridor and entered cab. A large
crowd was blocking the Strand, and
Mrs. Leader, when she was recognized,
was loudly chccred The police at
tempted to clear the street, but their eff
forts were vain, until after Mrs. Leader
had passed
Gen. and Mrs. Smyth waited in the
court room until the spectators had dis
persed. In the meantime they held
whispered consultation with their
friends. The verdict means, with costs
and additional damages, that the de-
PENDANTS will have to pay ut least
$500.