STARTLING SEQUEL TO SLANDER ACTION

NZ Truth, Issue 1293, 18 September 1930, Page 1

STARTLING SEQUEL TO SLANDER ACTION

ROTORUA CITIZENS PROTEST OVER S.M's COMMENTS •■-.-■ VERBAL CASTIGATION OF THOMAS HULTON (From " N.Z. Truth's" Special Rotorua Representative). No event since the Tarawera eruption has thrown -Rotorua and its district into such a turmoil as has the scathing verbal casti--gation uttered by .Ml*. S. L. Paterson, S.M., m respect to the late Thomas Henry Hulton, on the occasion of the slander action brought against her ex-chauffeur by Mrs. Colin Smith, wife of a wealthy retired farmer of Kawha Point. Tlie attendance of close upon one thousand people at a public meeting of protest was eloquent testimony of tlie popularity and esteem m which the deceased was held by his fellow citizens.

THE words used by Mr. Paterson, S.M., when finding against Hulton on three counts of slandering Mrs. Smith were: "I cannot believe the evidence of Hulton who is admitted to be first a thief, secondly a blackmailer m thought if not m deed, thirdly a drunkard and drug addict, and fourthly by his demeanor m the witness-box, a perjurer and utter blackguard. The statements made by Hulton are little more than the figments of the disordered imagining of a drink-sodden, drug-infested mind." Thomas Hulton died seventeen days after the action. $ The Rotorua Branch of the R.S.A. received letters condemning the magistrate's attitude m the strongest terms and sympathising with the bereaved family. The Branch decided to take action and to -give the _ people 0f ;'...., the minds of the citizens. r *" v V Following upbn this public meeting of protest ■ the appended resolution was passed with the unanimous voice of one thousand citizens :'— That the Rotorua Returned SolI diers' Association and this meeting protest: (a) At the harsh and unwarranted statements recently made by the presiding magistrate with regard to the late Thomas JHenry Hulton m the .case of Smith v. > Hulton whereijn he referred to Mr. Hulton as a thief, blackmailer, perjurer, drunkard, drug addict, and a blackguard, and (b) That the Minister of Justice be requested to institute a public enquiry as to the grounds for such statements and as to the reason for the magistrate not directing police action against Mr. pulton for perjury, theft, and

blackmail, m order to substantiate his judgment. And this meeting desires to place on record its appreciation of the excellent war service rendered by the late Mr. Hulton and of his conduct as a citizen of Rotorua during the past twenty years. The crowd of close on' a thousand people which heard this resolution and acclaimed it with one voice, was unique. It represented every shade of thought and opinion m the district and its absolute unanimity on this most controversial matter was m itself a splendid tribute to its estimation of Hulton. Promptly on the zero hour, the curtain went up and the speakers took their places. In the chair was the Mayor of Rotorua, Mr. T. Jackson, and with him were Mr. H. L. Martin, president of the local branch

of the Returned Soldiers' Associai tion, Major Roger Dansey, Major W. , Sumner, and Mr. E. G. Johnston, a . well-known Rotorua merchant and [ borough 'councillor. His Worship, who opened, the pro- , ceedings. Mr. Martin briefly stated the case : for the association. ' "This matter has been very care- ' fully considered by our executive," . he stated, "and it seems to us there r have been some unnecessarily harsh statements made." (Applause.)----i Major Dansey, m wording the resolution, said: — "Even if this meeting reaches no . finality, the very fact that it is a ; meeting representative of Rotorua '. must tend to" lighten the burden that has been thrust upon Hulton's family of eight young sons. If it does that, the association. wO^e^l:^^ ■ major^nia Ml; 'fMs siaX^<^M^oi^^ was'.drowneid m .entousiastic a^plaiis "While our association .-; does not in any shape or form, question the verdict ;or the amount of damages assessed, we do J question -on •"■ what grounds the presiding magistrate based his summing up When, our comrade was referred to as thief, blackniailer, drug addict, and utter blackguard and the possessor of a drink-, sodden and drug-infested mind." y Without carrying the matter to any further lengths, the major s then referred to Hulton's' previous record as a sportsman and gentleman and asked whether his known character was m accord with what the magistrate had said. Major Sumner, who seconded it, dealt with Hulton's sports record and pointed out that deceased had been an ex-champion of the Rotorua Golf Club, a very keen and proficient tennis player, and one of the best chess players m Rotorua if not m New Zealand. He had also been a member of the N.Z. Expeditionary Force team formed m England at the beginning of the war — a team which had won 31 of 33 games played. "Can a man play chess; or football or golf, or. tennis, if he has a drinksodden or drug-infested mind?" asked the major. "No, he must have a clear mind, therefore that remark about drink-sodden and drug-infested must be false— it is unwarranted. "The wearer of a fern leaf could never be what was alluded , to by the magistrate," concluded the major . holding up the silver, fern cut from Hulton's rep. . jersey* and once again the crowd added its own tribute. Mr. Johnston was the last speaker and he was brief. . "This is a matter which interests the whole of Rotorua," he said. " "I have known Hulton for 20 years and have, always found him anything but what has been expressed by the pre-: siding magistrate. I think it very unfair that' a man who has been a sportsman and who has fought for his country m the Great War and m the South African War, should be referred to m this manner. "I know there are hundreds m Rotorua who think the same and I only wish they had sufficient' inside , to come up here and expressj them- j selves." i The Mayor then put the resolution I to the meeting. It was carried | unanimously. ]