Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-26
Music at East Lake. 5-2o-tf
HOT AFTER THE PILOT.
Massey's Attorney Presents His Case m
 Strong, Unmistakable Words.

Mossey's Attorney Presents His Case in
 Strong, Unmistakable w ords:
 Norfolk, Va, June 25.-The city cir cult court convened at 1:3O o'clock today in the second days trial of the Pilot Massey suit to recover $50,0O0 damages for defamation of character. The slow and tedious part of the trial is over, and before the closing of tomorrows session there will be clash of arms.
 As soon as it was announced that the jury had been selected the lawyers be- gan to open up vast piles of paper, scrap books, etc, containing hundreds Of pages of typewriter matter.
 Mr. A. P. Thom, leading counsel TOT the plaintiff, arose to present his side or the case. MT. Thom spoke with great deliberation and clearness, and not tlll he had been speaking for nearly an hour did he raise his voice above the conversational tone. At this time his language was severe, his irony as sharp as a Damascus blade and his challenge to the opposition the most defiant.
 He said that on the 23d of last Decem- Der the Pilot published the article com plained of in this suit. He then named the date of the charter and read the list of directors under whose control the pa- per Is conducted. He said these men were ambitious gentlemen, who desired to control the city, state and nation. They selected as their watchword Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neigh bor" It was to be truthful and fearless. They needed an editor. No ordinary man would be selected. He must be man o1 ability and of distinguished antecedents, and so they selected Rev. Sam w. Small, a preacher of the gospel of love and peace.
 At first they confined their efforts to a narrow limit-the limits of the city-but .afx 1 abusers and would-be savers.
 Continuing, MT. Thom said: Twenty one days before they published the item they announced they would turn the search-lights on the schools of the state and since their paper had it's birth in sensation and exhausting it's local field it was compelled to branch out into wider fields.
 If they prove the plaintiff is guilty he will have to disappear and will go down ruined in reputation and God knows he ought to go. But this old man, knowing his innocence, challenges m in- vestigation. If he is innocent it means the same downfall to the defendants
 We shall prove to you that R. D. Byrd of Winchester, Va, is the agent of the Ginnac of Boston and is the author of the article in question: and that de- liberate effort was made by a disap- pointed bidder for business to destroy MT. Massey. That man promised to stand between the Pilot in costs which would result from trials growing out of the very case you are now trying. We shall show you not one ounce of money, honest or dishonest, ever passed from the American Book company to this plaintiff at any time or under any circumstances. We will show to you that this is Q de- liberate and malicious publication to break down the character of this state official by a disappointed bidder
 El.a fbara T TOW morning, when Judge Heath, leading counsel for the defendants. will present the other side of the case, after which the taking of testimony will begin.