New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-12-16
LieSch Settles
With t Wicherski
GETS OFF EXCEEDINGLY EASY.
IN DAMAGE SUITS FOR
LIBEL.
Hebron GETS COLD FEET.
AGREES TO DISMISSAL. OF
HIS CASE.

<AoA\A1AS AZ DA0Cv1100kAA VI rls-a
HIS CASE.
OF all the cases noticed for trial at
this term, the case of Hebron & Co.
against the City of New Ulm and the
two libel suits Of Ernst Wicherski
against Philip Liesch attracted the
widest attention. In the first suit the
plaintiff attempted to recover balance
of $571.57 claimed to be due him from
the City on account of services rendered
as an expert accountant in auditing the
books of the city. The City not only
denied that they owed Hebron anything,
but demanded return of $1O2O.32
moneys already paid him on account.
This case was reached in the usual
order Friday afternoon. All day Satur-
day Hebron was on the stand and was
subjected to a rigid cross examination
by City Attorney Somsen. In the
course of the examination Hebron was
forced to admit that he had been in
error in many instances in his prelimi-
nary report to the finance committee
of the city and that practically every
statement contained in the report was
either false or did not involve Mr..
Wicherski. The Court having ruled
that the letter of Chairman Retzlaff
addressed to Hebron engaging him to
audit the books Of the City constituted
the agreement of hire and that any oral
conversation about the work had with
the Chairman Of the finance committee
were irrelevant it became plain that the
plaintiffs chances of recovering verdict
against the city were rapidly slipping
away. =.+'~.
It was expected that the Hebron
case would take up the greater portion
of Monday and that the Liesch libel
suits which were next could not be COM
pleted until Thursday at the best. It
came as surprise to almost every body
therefore when on Monday morning
City Attorney Somsen announced upon
the converting of court that Heilbron's
attorneys, realizing that they had no
case against the city, had consented to a
dismissal.
When the Liesch libel suits were called,
defendants attorneys informed the
Court that negotiations were pending
looking toward settlement Of both
libel suits and the Court cheerfully
granted the parties time to reach a
settlement. Shortly after ten o'clock
the Court was notified that a settlement
had been reached and an order was
entered in each case dismissing the suit.
1t developed later that negotiations for
the settlement as consummated were
begun Saturday evening. The terms of
the settlement of the libel suits as far as
the Review has been able to learn,
demand of Liesch full and complete
retraction of the libelous articles in both
the "Volksblatt" and the Journal and
the payment of Wicherski's attorneys fees
and the accrued costs. In other words,
Liesch admits that he twas mistaken
when he published the Hebron pre-
liminary report of the auditing of the
city's books and that without any justi-
fication he blemished the good name of
one of our citizen. Wichersh forgoes
the monetary damages and is satisfied
with as complete vindication as the
retraction in the Liesch organs will give
him. It is also reported that Mr.. Liesch
requested that the other newspaper
publishers be seen and urged not to
comment upon the settlement of the
libel suits any further than to publish
it as a matter of news. This NAV or
may not be true. It is a fact, however,
that two gentlemen called on the Gre
view and asked that Mr.. Liesch be
tenderly dealt with by his brother
publishers. The Review" has no desire
to humiliate Mr.. Liesch nor give him
the roast that so many people feel he is
justly entitled to, but at the same time
it can not allow itself to be muzzled for
the sake Of friendship nor for any other
consideration. The settlement Of the
libel suits came SO unexpectedly and the
terms Of settlement having not been
fully disclosed and considered at this
time, the Review refrains from making
any comment now, but reserves to itself
the right to discuss this matter without
fear Or favor 2, at future date if the facts
warrant it.
Rev. Or. Holm left yesterday for
Walnut Grove where he will deliver 4
lecture for the district meeting 81 the