Case Name: Anne Lynott, Respondent, v. Dane A. Pearson, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1910-05-13
Citations: 138 A.D. 306
Docket Number: 
Parties: Anne Lynott, Respondent, v. Dane A. Pearson, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 138
Pages: 306–310

Head Matter:
Anne Lynott, Respondent, v. Dane A. Pearson, Appellant.
First Department,
May 13, 1910.
Slander —words charging domestic servant with drunkenness, etc,— complaint stating cause of action.
A complaint for slander alleging that the defendant falsely stated to the plaintiff's employer in the presence of divers persons that the plaintiff, who was a. domestic servant, having a reputation in that business for probity, etc., “is both drunk and crazy, out late at night, and a very untidy person,” sufficiently alleges that the words were spoken of and concerning the plaintiff .in her ■ business or calling., "■
Laughlin and Miller, JJ., dissented, with opinion.
Appeal by the defendant, Dane A. Pearson, from an interlocutory judgment of the Supreme Court in- favor of the plaintiff,entered in the office of the clerk of the county of New York on the 4th day of November, 1909, upon the decision of the court, rendered after a trial at the New York Special Term, overruling the defendant’s demurrer to the complaint.
Oliver 0. Reynolds, for the appellant.
Bartley J. Wright,' for the respondent-.

Opinion:
Ingraham, P. J.:
. We.ah agree that-the crucial question in this case is'whether the complaint sufficiently alleges that the defendant spoke the words complained of concerning the plaintiff in her business or calling as a domestic.
Considering the rule now vrell settled that on demurrer the complaint must be deemed to allege all that can by fair intendment be gathered from the language used, it seems to me that the complaint does charge that the defendant-spoke these words to the employer of the plaintiff in her business or calling as a domestic. When á person goes to the employer of a woman who is in domestic service and says to that employer that the employee "is.both drunk and crazy, out late at night, and a very untidy person,'.' the charge relates directly to the calling of the person so spoken of, and necessarily refers to her in the employment in which she was at that time engaged.
I think, therefore,, that the complaint. sufficiently alleges that the words were spoken of the plaintiff in her employment or calling, and the judgment should be affirmed, with costs, with leave to the defendant to withdraw his demurrer and to answer within-twenty days, upon payment of costs in this court and in the court below.
MoLaughlin and Dowling, JJ., concurred; Laughlin and Millee, JJ., dissented.