Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-11-09
INJURED IN PROFESSION
Former City Auditor, Through coun-
sci, Says Accountant 5ianton in
Audit Report and The Daily Press
In Article Detained Him.

clerks Office of the Corporation
Court the declaration in Mr..
Reads suit against The Daily Press
Inc, and f. stuart Bianton. who. in
the employ of the council as an ex-
pert accountant, recently audited the
! books of the city auditors office, LOT
damages in the sum of $4,000. No
tice OF this suit was fled about
month ago. and the action grows out
of the publication by the newspaper
of an account of the proceedings vi
| the finance committee of the city
council on the night of October 3.
when Mr.. Blanton made his report TO
the committee on his audit OF the
books of the city auditor for the three
years ending on July 81, 1910.
| After setting forth that the plain
| tiff complains of The Daily press. Inc.
la corporation existing under the laws
of the State of Virginia. which cor
poration publishes a newspaper winch
circulates in Newport News. Hamp-
| ton, Phoebus, and the surrounding
counties and in Virginia and else
where. the declaration goes on to say
that the plaintiff was employed and
| is still by profession a bookkeeper
and accountant and for period OF
| three years and more was auditor OF
| the city of Newport News, serving 10
| the end of his elective term, ending
| on July 1,t1910, in such capacity and
| had used. exercised and carried on
! the profession and business of book
keeper and accountant with great
credit and reputation.
Libel Alleged.
Continuing, the declaration says:
yet said defendant, well knowing
the premises. but contriving and false
| " and fraudulently. intending to in
| jure the said plaintic in his said
credit and reputation and also in mis-
4 said profession and business, and TO
cause it to be suspected and believed
that the said plaintiff had conduc ea
himself dishonesty, injudiciously, i'm
properly, negligently, carelessiy ana
| unskilifully in relation to his saio
business and profession and to vex'
harass, Cypress, impoverish and wholly
ruin the said plaintiff, heretofore, to-
wit: On the fourth day Of October,
1910, wrongfully, maliciously and IN
juriously composed and published and
caused to be composed and published
| in the said newspaper, called Inc
Daily Press, a certain false. scandal
GUS. malicious and defamatory libel of
and concerning the said> plaintiff anu
of and concerning him in the way Oh
and in respect to his said profession
/ and business, containing, amongst
other things, false, scandalous, defam-
atory and libelous matter. following,
| Of and concerning the said pielnun
| and of and concerning him in said
profession and business: that is to
say, REPORT ON BOOKS OF AUDI
TOR FILED (meaning the report OF
! Accountant E. Stuart Blanton on the
books of said plaintiff, or kept by the
said plaintiff as auditor Of the city
Of Newport News, Va, fled with the
! finance committee of the said city,
land Accountant Bianton Tells
Finance Committee Many Errors Have
Been Made"
Further Allegations.
1 Further the declaration says, AND
e. Stuart Blanton, cashier of Schmelz
Brothers. Bank who was employed
three months ago to audit the books
of the city auditor for three years
ending July 81, 1910. made his report
last night to the finance committee OF
1.-THE city council Besides giving
mass Of other information, the report
sets forth that many errors in book
keeping have been made during the
three, years And again under the
following heading,
ERRORS IN BOOKKEEPING,
Meaning errors in bookkeeping
made by said plaintiff. the following:
The account covers fifteen typewrit-
ten pages. II shows that in the past
three wears many errors in bookkeep-
ing have been made
Further on the declaration sets
forth the following Quotations from
| the article of the newspaper as
further grounds on which the suit Is
, based: THAT errors were made IN
some Of the pay~rolis and tina; there
are no receipts for the amounts PAID
out for jury service in October and
December. 1907 and That the re
ceipt for the s5ss.s4 paid the Ameri
can Sewer Pipe Company has been
lost" and. The report also shows
that he item of ss.9S5.41. OF the ere
matorv frnd. was included in the &C
count Of 1909 in error and that s12.-
600 paid the city By the Newport
News 4 Old Point Railway 4 Electric
Company vas not included
Asks $4,000 Damages
The declaration then sets forth thai
~by means OF which said premises
said plaintiff hath been and Is great
~ prejrdiced in his credit srd repu-
tafior aforesaid and brought into pub
NC scandal and disgrace and Is sus-
pected Of having been guilty OF the
misccuduct 50 aforesaid menftoned
70 have been charged upon and In
pnied to him and 20 hsve ACTED dis
honestly and unskillfuily in the way
of his said busincss and profession.
and - have conducted himself dis
honestly. iriudiciousiv. improperly
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