LAND SCANDALS.
■♦ Telegraph. Press Association Copyright Sydney, July 81. Melville, who was acting for Willis, made a statement at the Land Commission. He admitted that he offered £500, not to stop legal proceedings, but to stop the venomous newspaper attacks which were causing Mrs Willis and family much distress. He had several interviews with Haynes, who said that he was sorry for Mrs Willis, and also said that she must not take it all as against Willis. He didn't care twopenoe for him, and had no feeling against him, but he wanted to get at Carruthero and Ashton. Willis was simply nothing, bnt the other fellows were "pious hypocrites" whom he would bring down. Haynes asked how much Willis would stand. Melville said he thought about £500. Haynes said " get the money and I'll drop Willis out." Haynes visited witness at his private residence and urged him to communicate with Willis, as the money would be useful to him just (hen. Melville showed that he was reluctant to produce his telegram to Willis, but he ultimately did so. On the face, it does not seem to indicate that the money was to stop newspaper attacks. Haynes, recalled, emphatically asserted that the money was offered to stop legal proceedings. He visited Melville with the hope of getting possession of the telegram. The Full Court fined the publisher of the Newsletter LSO and costs for commenting on Willis while action by the latter for libel against the paper was pending.
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Bibliographic details
Feilding Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 6, 1 August 1905, Page 3
Word Count
248LAND SCANDALS. Feilding Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 6, 1 August 1905, Page 3
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