The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-08
ASTOR GETS AN APOLOGY
HE ALSO SECURES A GOOD DEAL OF
PUBLIC NOTORIETY.
settlement of His Suit Against the
marIks-Newspaper Sarcasm.

LONDON, Feb. I'm the Queens bench
division of the High Court of Justice to-
day, before the lord chief justice of Eng
land, Baron Russell of Killowen, and spe-
cial jury, was heard the suit of VIM Wal
dorf Aston against the Daily Mail, Of this
city, to recover 81, 900 damages for a libel
which held him up to ridicuIe and con-
tempt" There was an imposing array of
counsel on both sides Sir Edward Clarke.
Q. c., counsel for the plaintiff, said the
libel was published on Oct. Is last, and was
headed Mr. Astors Strange Dinner Party.
1t declared, counsel continued that as the
outcome of a wager of $500 with owen
Williams, Mr.. Aston brought the trunk of a
California red wood tree here and gave a
dinner party at Cliveden around it. A ficti-
tious list of guests. counsel said, was pub
lished, and, indeed the whole details, ex-
cept the mere fact that Mr. Astor brought
the tree to England, was an effort of inn
agination, and Mr.. Astor claimed he was
and ridiculous person."
Sir Edward Clarke also said Mr. Aston
was an American gentleman of great
wealth. who had made this country his
home, had house on Carlton House ter
race, and was the owner of the beautiful
estate of CIiveden," and that soon after he
offensive paragraphs from time to time an
peared about him
Mr.. Aston then took the stand and con-
firmed Sid Edward Clarke's statements. He
added that many of the guests mentioned
were unknown to him and he expressed the
1belief that some of them did not exist The
matter caused him great annoyance, but he
was always willing TO accept an apology
Thereupon the lord chief justice asked if it
was not possible. for an apology to be given
at that stage of the proceedings.
The Rt. Hon. Edward Henry Carson, @.
c., formerly solicitor general for Ireland, in
behalf of Alfred Charles Harmsworth, prin-
cipal proprietor of the Daily Mail and other
papers, said his client was always ready and
willing to apologize.
Whether the matter published is a libel
or not" the lord chief justice remarked lis
a question for the jury to decide, but surely
1t is proper to apologize for giving annoy
MY clients" said Mr. Carson, while they
do not admit the libel, are anxious not to
push anything which may cause annoy
ance."
1T cannot be said.'' replied the lord chief
justice, that these personal paragraphs
are not sometimes very annoying. This is
the fringe of a very large question One
cannot fail to that there is a growing
fashlon, perhaps copied from the press with
which Mr.. Aston is better acquainted than
we are laughter. of publishing personal
paragraphs which are very annoying. A par
agraph appears in a newspaper this morn
ing regarding myself [laughterl, enormously
stating that l forced my carriage through
the Horse Guards passage Notwithstanding
the opposition of the guards, and an Amer
lean paper the other day described a pain
Iul incident in my career. 1t said il had
been my duty, in the position of president
OF the divorce Court, to pronounce a divorce
decree between myself and my first wife
AS matter of fact, have only had one
WIFE, she Is alive now we have never been
divorced, and am not president of the
divorce Court" Laughter
Addressing Mr.. Carson. the chief Justice
sald; think your client ought to apologize
Tor publishing the paragraph which has
given annoyance to Mr.. Astor.''
To this Mr.. Carson replied: II adopt your
lordships suggestion absolutely. The pro-
prietors of the Daily Mail wish me to say
that they had no wish to give annoyance
though some people are annoyed by these
things and others are not Laughter They
regret they gave annoyance TO Mr. Astor
and apologize for doing"
The case was then settled the Jury be-
ing Withdrawn and the proceedings coming
to an end.
Mr.. HarmswoTth's Evening News. in re-
porting the case, says: Mr.. Astor is a Gull
tured American who does US the honor to
prefer our company to that of his own
countrymen Ills remembrance of the
courteous. polished manner in which his ma
tive newspapers deal with him makes him.
apparently. a highly censorious critic. The
malice in the dinner party paragraph is so
subtle as TO escape any ordinary reader;
but II did not escape Mr.. Aston. According
TO Sir Edward Clarke. the Inference drawn
from the paragraph would be that Mr.. AS
tor allowed the information to be supplied
to the press. This awfal crime would. nat
Astor's nationality"