A SLANDER, CASE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7402, 18 September 1902, Page 2

A SLANDER, CASE.

THKreub. of an action at the Napier Suprme Coirs in "h'.h Edward Crowley sued J. V. Brown for -£_000 damages for.-*ar:der, -hows that men in pro-inint-i position* should be careful in the matt rof speech. After v. leautby j bearing the plain.iff was awarded £800 darrnges an_ costs. It appear.' th<i. Mr Brown ia Chairman of the Napier Building Society, and at a meeting of the shareholders it was alleged that be _aid beb_dbeenC_.ak.m-n of tbe Building Society for ten years and uuri-.g that time he had detected three secretaries in .n-b-zzlcin-nt. As Crowley was one of the eecr.tarits durin-.' Mr Brown's rei-*n, ho naturally came to tho conclu.ion that a grave reflection had been cast upon bis character and furthermore asserted tbat his reputation had suff r-d by the words used. Defendant d.nicd that he bad u-cd the exact words imputed to him, but admitted ihat he bad .aid Cowlev lad been tampering with the funds of tbe Society by pa< ing an account ou'. oi the fur.d<- Of course there is very liulo diff.rencs in being aocas .d of " tamperin- " aad embczz ing, and evidently the jury c-itneto the conclusion that they mr-ant one and the sani. thing by awarding plaintiff substantial d_m_;.e3. Ac.cording fo the evidence th-.e w.i. not the slightest proof thai Crowlc had appropriated any portion o'- the f ui.ds of the Society and from this distance it lookt as if Mr Brown had let.his tongue run riot. As a rule it is very hard to sheet home slanderous statements circulated because they are mostly whispered by people to one another and it would be an extremely difficult matter to collect evidence to punish the slanderers. But in tbe Napier cisp evidently the defendant had the courage to openly express his thoughts,., hence the action.