The Sun. — 1857-06-25 (London, England)

HALES.  • (Prom the Daily News) Our readers will perceive that the action of Jones v. Hales has terminated in a verdict of 1501.  damages against the proprietors of this journal. Even independently of the cansciousness that the complaints of losers are only laughed at, -we have no wish to impugn the fairness of the trial or the correctness of the law as laid down by the learned judge. Our ground of defence was correctly stated by the learned counsel who so ably conducted our case. It was simply this, that in communicating the facts constituting the alleged libel we have not transcended that duty imposed upon us as public journalists, of keeping the public informed upon all matters of general interest, sedulously taking care that in so doing we allow nothing to appear that is prompted by malice or inspired by an intention to inflict injury on individual character. For the precise terms of the alleged libel, and the nature of the facts adduced in evidence, we refer our readers to the report of the trial. I Reviewing the whole, we defy any unprejudiced  mind to arrive at any other conclusion than that which we know to be the ttuth, viz., that in. communicating the rumours with which Paris was then filled as to the cause of Mr. Brettell's death, and the facts on which those rumours were founded, we were actuated by no kind of personal malice against Dr. Jones, of whom we than knew nothing, and were guilty of only the most trifling inaccuracies of statement. Our correspondent stated that Mr. Brettell had died within two hours after the administration of the powder by Dr. Jones : this was true. He stated that the body was exhumed for the purpose of post mortem examination : this was true. He stated that Dr. Jones was at the time of writing under surveillance : this was also strictly true, the state of surveillance having ceased directly after the post rnortcna examination hal terminated. He stated that the whole of Mr. Brettell's fortune hail been left to an English lady who was no relation or connexion—this, again, was not exactly aclurate, as only half the decea'ed's fortune was thus SC of.disused Finally, our correspondent wound up pO by stating, "I cannot help thinking that there has been no wilful poisoning in the caul." Had Dr. Jones adopted the usual course, and applied for an explanation or apology, on the ground that this communication was calculated, if unexplained, to prove injurious to his character, it was scarcely necessary to observe that according to our invariable practice on all occasions of the kind we should have afforded him instant and ample reparation. Instead of doing so, he proceeded at once to serve a writ, and our only course was to fall back upon the defence that the paragraphs comp', fined of had been inserted withou the shadow of a shade of malicious intent, and with the sole desire of communicatingintelligence of general interest. In what way those passages of our Correspondent's letter could possibly be perverted into a charge of wilful murder against Dr. Jones, entirely passes our comprehension. The plaintiff's counsel of course urged this view of the case ; the learned Judge seemed partially to adopt it. That the jury acted upon it we can scarcely believe, for had they done so the damages must have been tenfold the inconsiderable amount they actually gave. Their feeling probably was, that though there had been no malice, there had been some want of caution. It is not to be expectel that ou this latter point we should agree with them. We know that tbere was no desire to .nilict injury ; and we still think there was no \ cue able able negligence. It is however, which mainly concerns us ; on the latter we must be content to leave the decision with . those in whom it has been wisely the first point, isely vested by the aw. _  was Tuesday,?omm theltte d23d,at mfoerMidanuschAD:litLsSoDnidSnouaaimacdiendinsirod°rneurer, wife of one of the countyy Postman, was seen to take her three children (the eldest a boy of about eight and the other two much about 9 on all night, an alarm was raised, and after searching the river for some time the bodies of the three children were discovered cold and dead. After a further search the body of the mother was found, also dead. The bodies were removed to the Town Arms, there to await the coroner's inquest. Mrs. Corner was a most respectable and industrious woman, much respected by all who knew her ,and the shocking event has cast a gloom over the whole town, which is seldom disturbed by anything ro fearful as this sad 00. currence.