Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1895-06-08
The Reamy-.PiIot Suit.
public Ledger, June 3d.

| uDliC icQBcl, u uhO oN.J
In the Court of Law and Chancery
this morning the famous Onancock
(Reamy-Pilot) case was called for
trial, it being the suit of Rev. A. j.
Reamy. Baptist minister of Oman
cock, Va, and his wife, against the
Pilot Publishing Company, of Nor
folk, Rev. Samuel w. Small, formerly
managing editor of the Pilot, and
Rev. w. G. Lindsay, late pastor of
certain Presbyterian Churches on the
Eastern Shore, to recover from the
defendants $4,000 for the damage
done to the character of Mrs. Reamy
by the publication in the Pilot of the
article written by Rev. Mr.. Lindsay
from Onancock, rejecting most
grievously upon Mrs. Reamy.
Judge G. S. Kendall, of the Eastern
Shore, appeared as counsel for the
Pilot Company, Mr. Small as counsel
for himself, and Mr.. John Nicely. OF
Norfolk, as counsel for the plaintiffs.
The following were the jurors: R.
P. Davis, William Erxleben, A. G
Duncan, l. S. D. Saul. Sidney Ander-
son, A. M. Jones, Thomas Old, w. D..
Simmons, w. T. Webb, w. d. Allard,
w. G. Orr and A. B. Lee.
The trial of the case was preceded
by statements to the jury of the lines
to be followed in the trial, Judge
Kendall insisting that the character
of Mrs. ReamY had not been in the
least injured, that she still stands as
a lady of un4uestioned character, and
that not more than nominal damages
should be allowed the plaintiff in
this case.
Mr.. Nicely expressed great surprise
that such {. gallant, chivalrous man
as Judge Kendall should have taken
this position, and said he could only
account for it by Judge X. being an
unmarried man.
Mr.. Small made statement of the
time and circumstances under which
the Lindsay communication came
into his (Small's) possession, and how
it came to be published, viz: that
Rev. Mr.. Lindsay sent the article and
vouched for its CORE ctness, and that
coming from the source it did, it went
into print just as any other news item
would, and without the least malice
on his (Small's) part.
Rev. Mr.. Reamy was the first wit
ness put on the stand by the plain
tifrs, and he was very closely ques-
toned by Judge Kendall as to wheth-
err Mrs. Reamy's character had been
injured by the publication of the ar
ticle in question, and whether money
damages could possibly wipe out any
stain that could have come to the
character of Mrs. r. by said article.
Mr.. Reamy replied that there had
been no stain left on his wife, and
that money could not purchase char
acter, but that he was entitled to the
protection OF the law and had asked
it, and left the rest to the jury.
Judge Kendall asked, land repeated
with earnestness, whether he (Reamy)
had admitted since said publication
that Mrs. Reamy had not really been
benefited by it.
Mr.. R. replied positively that he
had not. When Judge K. repeated
the question Mr.. Reamy said that his
(Reamy's) friends had said so and
that all he (Reamy) said was, Per
haps So" meaning by those words to
show disdain at the suggestion that
his wife had not been injured
The next most interesting witness
was Mr.. Pierce Brent, of the Eastern
Shore, who, while on the stand, was
asked by Judge Kendall if there had
not been rumor on the Eastern
Shore which, if another name had
been substituted in the article for
that of Mrs. Reamy. would have made
the article entirely correct (the name
of the other lady not being men
toned by Judge K. in his question: y
Mr.. B. answered in the negative.
Rev. Mr.. Small was the first wit
ness for the defense. He testified as
to the circumstances of the publica-
ton of the Onancock article, dis
claiming any malice whatever, and
he read the retractions published in
the Pilot by himself and Rev. Mr..
Lindsay. The witness said that the
prima facie verihcation of the unfor-
tunate article in question was better
than is the case in nineteen out CT
every twenty news items that appear
in newspapers, judging from his FIX
perience He said that it would be
impossible to publish a paper in
these times if absolute verify had to
be secured for all articles published
He said he would be willing for any
editor in Norfolk to go on the stand
and testify on this subject.
Mr.. Nelly asked if he Small,
would be willing for Mr. Murray, OF
the Landmark, and Mr.. Glennan, OF
the Virginian, to testify on the sub
ject.
Mr.. Small replied in the affirmative,
and Mr.. Nicely asked that those gen