THE TWINS THAT WERE NOT.

Evening Star, Issue 11677, 8 February 1902, Page 1

THE TWINS THAT WERE NOT.

A PRACTICAL JOKER’S MISCHIEF,

[From Our London Correspondent.]

.An action of a rather remarkable character was pending early in January before the Court of Session, Edinburgh, in which ■ George Morrison, manager of the Caledonian Hotel, Ullapool, Ross-shire, and his wife claim from the proprietors of tie ‘ Scotsman ’ £I,OOO damages for slander. The plaintiffs were married in July last, and on August 15 there appeared in the ‘ Scotsman ’ jt this birth notice : —“ Morrison.—At the Caledonian Hotel, Ullapool, on the 11th inst., the wife of George Morrison, of sons. Ross-shire papers please copy.” plaintiffs did not authorise the of the notice, and there was no for the statement made in it. Tljey formed the defendants that it was fictitious. On October 2, however, the following notice also appeared in the ‘ Scotsman’—j >' t A “At 6 West Adam street, the wife of George Morrison, secretary Commercial ~ Bums Club, Edinburgh, of twin sons. Ross-shire papers please.copy.’’ The plaintiffs accuse the defendants of gross recklessness in inserting these notices, and say that the statements in them are slanderous. The defendants urge that theysaw nothing suspicions in the notices. They a rule that such notices must be accompanied by the name and address of the person send* ing them, and in this case a name and address were given. They offered to publish a statement to the effect that the notice was unfounded, and that steps were being taken to discover the author of the malicious note, but they never received authority to publish any kind of corxection.and they plead that, having published-the notices bona fide in the ordinary course of their business, and the statements not being per . sa defamatory, the action should be dis- ; missed. Should the plaintiffs succeed newspaper proprietors wDI have seriously to consider tbeir position in regard to births, marriages, and deaths advertisements. The “hatched, mat died, and despatched” columnhas often been used as the medium of spiteful and foolish practical jokes, and of course it, ,j$ impossible for a newspaper to verify'every individual birth, wedding, or death notice : sent in for publication. f V