The Herald of Wales and Monmouthshire Recorder. — 1885-03-21 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

THE WORLD. 0. Monday. before Mr. Justice Hawkins sad • 'Paula /012 in the Queen's Beach Division, the action wee reamed in which Mr. George Grant. • . stockjobber in the Oity, stied Mr. Edmund Yates to . recover demagog for an alleged libel published in . the World on the 12th of March last year. The oomplaint was that the article imputed that the plaintiff had engaged in oertsie stookjobbing transactions without the knowledge of his partner, that the speculations had involved the firm in loss, and that the plaintiff had subsequently absconded. The defendant, while ref us.ng to disclose the name of the writer, admitted the responsibility for the publication of the rticle, but pleaded that the words were Fair comment on a matter of public interest, and in the alternative that they were true in substance and in faot.—The judge summed up the evidence at considerable length, saying it was For the jury to form their own opinion as to the nattre of the transactions between the plaint& and his partner, , Mr. McMoroland, and whether those transactions . were in accordance with the terms of the partnership. , After an absence of upwards of two hours the jury returned a verdict for the dedeadant, but intimated ' that they wished to odd • rider. Ilia lordship said his experience was that riders generally led to cow. I m'ion, and the jury, therefore, did not insist. F Judgment was entered for the defendant accordingly'  In the Queen's Bench Division on Monday, biifore Mr, Justice Hawkins and a special jury, an action was commenced in whicb Mr. Edward Legge, a journalist. brought an action against Mr. Edmund Yates proprietor of the World, to recover damages ' for libeL The defendant admitted publication, but denied the innuendoes attributed to the article complained of, and further contended that the alleged libel was true in substance and in fact. Mr. M. Walley's, in opening the case for the plaintiff, stated t155tin1876, when so-called society papers were much the rage, the plaintiff conceived the idea of starting the Whitehall Review, but not being a man of great means himself, he mentioned the matter to several of his friends, including Mr. Peacock, who,had amassed a fortune as an egg merchant, and who arranged to subsidise the paper. After a considerable lapm of time Mr. Legge's connection with the journal ceased, and on the 11th of June last the following paragraph appeared in the World s "By-the-way, it would seem that the man Legge, who invented that delightful phrase Society Journal,' andepplied it to the newspaper which he persuaded the poor egg.merchant to produce and carry on at a loss of so many theusands, is now cote ducting a trade organ for fishmongers. 'Excellent well" Legge, always well namell,ha4 gi it into his right place at last. His connection with thiegs fishy is extensive andyeculiar." This veleta paragraph was brought to the notice of the plaintiff, whose 'solicitor wrote to the defendant demanding either that an apology should be inserted in the World or that the name of the writer of the paragraph should be given up. The defendant declined to do either .the onsor the other, and the plaintiff had no alternative but to institute the present action. The defendant, in reply to interrogatories, maintained that the alleged libel was true, because the plaintiff was himself a libeller, two instances being given. One was a case in which proceedings were taken tgainst the Whitehall Review for an article headed 'Suicide or Murder ?"for which both Mr. Peacock and the plaintiff were prosecuted and the former ordered to pay a penalty of L'2oo. The second ease had reference to a divorce suit, bat the indictment was dropped and Mr. Peacock paid Messrs. Lewis and Lewis I:100 for costa. The plaintiff gave evidence in support of the opening statement, and, in cross.exammation by Mr. Russell, he said he was not aware that he had been ailed "the Jeames of the Morning l'ost." Last year ie edited Life, but only for • few months. The article eaded "Suicide or Murder?" in the Whitehall .eview charged a Mrs. Thornton with the murder of s. Wood. The court soon afterwards adjourned.