REPORTER AND ACTOR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 139, 14 June 1909, Page 2

REPORTER AND ACTOR.

« . AN ASSAULT. [BY __EGRAPH — PIIES9 ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, 12th June. In giving judgment in the case against Ted Kalman, a comedian connected with Rickards's Vaudeville Company, charged with assaulting Stanley East, a Lyttelton Times reporter, Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M., said the case was a very simple, one. He was not prepared to admit that the newspapers of Christchurch were hypercritical in these matters. If vulgar stuff, almost filth, was used on the stage, he did not think a paper could be called hypercritical in taking up the matter in its report. Newspapers attempted to lead public opinion in this matter and set up as high a standard of public decency . as was possible or reasonable. People should be protected from having to listen to stuff that could not be used in a drawingroom or 1 among decent people. The fact that some enjoyed it was nothing. It was to the credit of the company that that sort of stuff should have been dropped out on the second night, and the puolic owed a debt of gratitude to the paper for having drawn attention . to the fact that objectionable matter was being purveyed. When a reporter was carrying out a public duty rightly, and was justified, he was 'entitled to the fullest protection. Defendant had clearly used Dad language ; he had knocked East down and followed him up, and continued the assault. He did not agree with Mr. Wright that no adequate punishment could be meted out by fine. He was not prepared to brand defendant as a gaol bird. "After I have voiced the opinion," Mr. Bishop continued, "held by respectable people, that theie should be no attempt on the pai-t of persons -wlien they feel aggrieved by newspaper criticism to go and assault the reporter — if exception is taken to the general tenor of criticism, complaint should be made to the management of the paper. lam going to deal out exemplary punishment. Defendant is fined £10, with costs."