THE ACTIONS AGAINST A NEWSPAPER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10223, 29 August 1896, Page 5

THE ACTIONS AGAINST A NEWSPAPER.

fBY TKIJ'.fIRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Wellington', Friday. In the Supremo Court to-day, Richard Crabb, temperance lecturer, began an action for £2000 damages against the Mew Zealand Times and its publisher. The statement of claim set forth that on the 10th June defendants false!/ and mali ciously printed and published in the New Zealand Times certain words calculated to affect the fair trial of ail action brought by Alfred Cros«ey against Richard Crabb to recover £500 as damages for defamation. In consequence plaintiff had been preju diced in his credit and influence for good as a temperance lecturer in New Zealand and elsewhere, and he therefore Claimed fi!000 as damages. For the defence It was deniod that, Richard Crabb was known in New Zealand and the Australian colonies. Defendants admitted that they had published certain words in reference to Mr. Crabb, but denied that the words were defamatory, and stated that the article was fair comment published bona fide for the benefit of the public. After deliberating for three hours, the jury returned with a verdict for i!. 1 again»t the New Zealand Times, with costs according to scale. In the Supreme Court to day, Mr. Jollicoe Slid there was still on the list an action for criminal libel brought by Austin Kirby, ex detective, against Patrick Cassidy and Alfred Ashbolt, in which lie had applied to enter a nolle prowqui, hut M to which the Crown Prosecutor had not filed his fiat. It had now been determined to procoed with the case, as the attacks against Kirby had been renewod in that morning's Times. The Chief Justice said that he had read tho paragraph reined to, and certain supposed that it was a renewal of the libel. Mr Skerrett objected to the case being proceeded with after an application had been made tor a mo Ik pt'ontijui- Ultimately His Honor said that the case should stand. It will probably come on at the next sitting of the Supreme Court.