The evening times., 1901-06-05
PRICE ONE CENT.
THE ALLEGED EDDY LIBEL
Judge Bell Rules Against Mrs.
WOOdbury's Attorney.

He Decides Not to Admit ns Evi-
dence the Message Published in n
Boston Newspaper-Au Letters,
However. TO Go to the jury
BOSTON, June Whether the trial
of Mrs. Josephine Curtis Woodbury's
libel suit against Mrs Mary Baker
Glover Eddy, he Christian Science
leader, for $3.50. 600 VIII come to a rather
unexpected close this week or viii be
prolonged until the annual meeting OF
the Christian Scientists in the Mother
Church here on June 70 and Is, viii de-
pend largely upon Judge Bells rulings
today
Counsel for Mrs Woodbury. at the
close Of yesterday afternoons session
intimated that unless Judge Bel would
admit certain lines Of testimony, which
/ he thought was proper proof, the evi-
deuce of the plaintim was nearly all in.
The court thereup0n listened to an ar
gument by counsel for Mrs. EDDY. in
which II was c0ntcnded that it was not
proper TO receive any further evidence
tending to show that Mrs Eddy sought
to have the alleged HbeIous message
published in the Boston Herald
Argument by AIr Peabody for Mrs.
Woodbury. was set down for the first
thing this morning upon the opening Of
court. Long before that hour, the usual
gathering of spectators, consisting
mostly OF Christian Scientists. tried TO
get into the courtroom. only TO find that
of witnesses on both sides of the case.
Mr. Peabody began his argument by
showing that one Of the allegations in
the complaint was that, after Mrs Ed
dy's alleged libeIous message was read
in the Mother" Church she permitted
it TO be printed as news in the "Boston
Herald" His contention was that, al
though the reading of the message in
the church and its subsequent publica-
ton in the official organs Of the church
was bad enough, in that they tended to
prejudice all Christian Scientists
against Mrs. Woodbury., the publ:ea-
ton Of the message in the Boston Her
add was also exceedingly. damaging
because it was a paper Of much wider
circulation than the Christian Science
periodicals.
He did not hold the Herald" respon-
sible for the alleged libel because that
newspaper had evidently published the
matter in good faith as news fer the
Christian Scientists. But what he
would like to show, ne said, was that
Mrs. ELay saw to it that her message
directed against Mrs Woodbury. slip
ped into the columns Of the Herald
He had shown yesterday that Mrs. Ed
dy bought a large number of copies of
the Herald" and he thought, if the
court would permit, ne could show con-
cIusively that Mrs Eddy was respon-
sibIe for the publication OF the alleged
libel in the Boston newspaper.
After listening TO both sides,i' said
Judge Bell, = think IT has not been
shown that there was any actual or in
piled agency on the part Of the defen-
dant in the publication of the article
in the Herald and I so rule On the.
other point that I was TO decide today.
the question Of admitting other letters
in the Eddy Woodbury. correspondence,
have decided to let all the letters in
Some have already been admitted, and.
although I don't see that any of the
others may be of much help to the jury,
I think it best that all Of the CORES
pondence be laid before the jury"
The ruling that no more evidence be
taken on the subject of Mrs. Eddy's
responsibility for the publication n the
Herald" tended to shorten the trial,
but the decision Of the judge 10 let in
correspondence tends to prolong it Mrs
Woodbury. then resumed the witness
stand and identified various letters, and
was asked to explain many passages
in the letters.