New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1897-04-21
Lind Is
Vindicated.
Such is the Result of the Now Famous
Libel Suit Against the Dispatch.
The Judge Instructed the Jury to Return
aVerdict In Llnd's Favor.
They Did So and Assessed the Damages al
Six Hundred Dollars. Il

John Lind is vindicated. Both Judge
and jury in the celebrated libel suit de-.
cided that the Peoples candidate for
governor had been ibeled, and acting
upon the judges instructions the jury
assessed the damages at 5000. The de-
Tense of the Dispatch was that it had
acted IN good faith and had been misled
by Mr.. Lind's New Ulm enemies. The
fact, also, of the article appearing during
the heat of a campaign went far to meas
ure the size of the verdict.
Lind, however, is satisfied, in fact
grati6ed. The verdict is substantial,
sufficient to pay his attorneys, and the
Dispatch must stand all the expenses of
the trial, including witness fees. More
over the Dispatch will pay up and drop
the matter. A large verdict may have
resulted in stubborn appeal. 1t was
not money that Lind was after, but
vindication of his character from the as
saults made upon him by political enemies
| and that he got IN substantial manner
and from Ramsey county jury at that.
Mr.. Thos. D. O'Brien, one of Lind's
attorneys, IN speaking of the outcome
of the case said:
| "The verdict is substantial one. 1t
was not needed for vindication, because
the plaintiff was vindicated when the
defense failed to prove the truth of the
charges. But this substantial verdict
shows that the jury meant by 1t to con-
demn the policy adopted by the paper
to make political point; and: because
of the reasonable amount, it shows that
the jury was intelligent, and was not
moved by passion or partisanship.
Whatever may he said as to either of the
parties to the action, the verdict itself
must be considered pre- eminently just
one''
The Minneapolis Tribune, in commen-
ting on the trial and the verdict, notes
the fact that l. republished the Dis
patch article and apologies for having
done so. 1t also says:
"About the same time The Tribune
published another statement from one
of its correspondents, which in the light
of present facts would appear to have
been unjust to Mr.. Lind. He was cred
itee with having repudiated a note given
to Sam Peterson of New Ulm, upon the
ground that he was minor at the time
the note was given. 1t appears that Mr..
Lind's relation to the note was that of
an indOrser. The real maker of the note
was solvent, and died, solvent, several
years ago. The note was given for a
threshing machine outfit, which proved
to he failure, and the maker of the
note declined to pay it because of fail
ure of consideration If the maker OF
; the note was solvent and the owner OF
| it did not push it to judgment his fail.
ure to do SO would be a practical con.
q fession that the claim of the maker OF
the note was good. This fact is still
further corroborated by the fact that
Mr.. Lima had been Mr.. PetersoD's attor.
ney for Is or. 30 years, and had receivee
from him many hundred dollars for lie.
gal services. Under such circumstances
it would be natural to suppose that Mr.
Peterson, if he thought Mr.. Lind was
even morally obligated to pay the note
would have insisted upon deducting il
!, from the payments made him, or else
found another attorney to do his bus1
ness. 1t would seem reasonable from
the foregoing facts to assume that the
holders of the notes regarded them not
only as not legal obligations, but not
even moral obligations. If so, it is very
Unfair and UNJUST to aliege at tins late
day that Mr.. Lind repudiAted them on
the ground that he was. nlnor when
: he attached his signature
!. The Review congra:u :ulates Mr. Lind on
the successful outcome Of the trial. As
the Dispatch itself says, the people in
the court room looked upon The verdict
! as TOO small, considering the evidence
and the judges charge, but it, great
/ victory just the same
baa' olack sheep, have you ant wool?
Yes, ST yes, sir; three bags full;
One 1s Tor Dingley, two for TIE; trust,
None 'or the laborer, he may |go bust,
: MlinneapoIs Times.