“Cassandra" Denies Inference In Article

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28920, 13 June 1959, Page 13

“Cassandra" Denies Inference In Article

(Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, June 12. The Liberace libel case jury was told by the High Court Judge, Mr Justice Salmon, yesterday not ,to watch the American'pianist and entertainer when he appeared on television on Sunday night.

Liberace is due to appear In the programme, “Sunday Night at the London Palladium.” Before the Court adjourned until Monday morning, Mr Justice Salmon told the jury of 10 men and two women: “I think it would be a good thing if you did not see the performance. It may convey a wrong impression in your minds.”

Liberace is claiming damages from the “Daily Mirror” and its columnist, “Cassandra” (William Connor). The pianist claims they libelled him in two articles published during his tour of England in 1956 and that the first implied he was a homosexual.

Liberace told the Court he was not a homosexual.

Mr Connor and the “Daily Mirror” have pleaded that the facts in the articles were true and that the expressions of opinion were fair comment.

In the witness box yesterday. Connor agreed that he was one of the highest-paid Fleet street columnists when he was crossexamined by Mr Gilbert Beyfus. Q C.. for Liberace. The crossexamination lasted for five hours. He said that Liberace’s shows nauseated him. but his article did not imply that Liberace was a homosexual. Connor added he thought the article would reduce Liberace to his correct proportions—“as a preposterous clown ” “Honest Opinion” Connor said the article was his honest opinion of Liberace and he had. no intention of imputing homosexuality to him. Connor said he objected

strongly to a woman dressed up as a nun in trout of the Madonna in Liberace’s television show. He felt a sacred occasion was being misused. “In his personal capacity he is entirely unknown to me,” Connor said. “But I strongly dislike what he does on the stage, in the concert hall, and on television.” Connor said Liberace had a totalitarian appeal which transcended anything any other entertainer had done. He could go into a hostile and unhomely place like Madison Square Garden in New York and “armed with nothing except a piano, a candelabra and possibly his mother, attract a whole community, defying all the critics and getting everybody of every age and sex.” Mr Beyfus: “You knew the word ‘fruit’ was slang in the United States / for homosexuality?”—“l did not. It came as a bit of a surprise to me/’ He had used the expression “fruit-flavoured” in association with the other “confectionery” adjectives, Connor said. Connor agreed that in a later article he had referred to Liberace as “a grimacing messlah.” Mr Beyfus asked if he could possibly have chosen a more offensive phrase to use about a devout Roman Catholic. Connor: They were strong words. Mr Beyfus: You thought it right to accuse Mr Liberace of profanity —Yes, sir. One of the reasons being that he played “Ave Maria” with the background of a nun praying?— I That’s right.