LIBEL ALLEGED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 111, 20 February 1935, Page 8

LIBEL ALLEGED

CLAIM BY FOUR DETECTIVES. CASE AGAINST NEWSPAPER. (Per Press Association.) ;j ■: WELLINGTON, February 10. Four claims, each for £220 damages, for, alleged libel on Wellington detectives, were heard in the Magistrate's Court to-day. The defendants were the New Zealand Sunday News Publishing Company, Ltd., William Henry Bowman, publisher, and Johnson, Ltd., printers. The- plaintiffs were Frank Hayhurst, Frederick Neville Robinson, William Tridklebank and William Robert Murray. The statement of claim alleged that in the issue of the newspaper dated January 19, 1935, under the heading '?What Is Intended Sedition?" the defendants falsely and maliciously published find caused; to be published a statement* that the detectives were guilty of harsh and cruel conduct to inoffensive citizens, cohtraiy to the provisions of the police regulations; that they arrested named men without preferring a charge against them • that they were guilty of harsh and cruel conduct toward one man by detaining him for five hours without water; that plaintiffs were too ready to use batons when other methods were open; and that they were guilty of unprovoked assault. For the plaintiffs, Mr Mazengarb said the defendants had printed a libellous article, and afterward published a withdrawal, in which it admitted that the story was absolutely without foundation! The facts in the article were without a grain of truth. F6r the "Sunday News/' Mr Harding said the question was how far the admittedly false statements had damaged each plaintiff. The apology was as complete- and unequivocal as could have been composed. The hearing was adjourned until later in the week.