MR. SEMPLE'S HONOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17460, 3 May 1920, Page 6

MR. SEMPLE'S HONOUR.

AN ACTION FOR SLANDER.

UNRESERVED APOLOGY MADE. [BY XKLKJRAPn.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Saturday. 'In the Magistrate's Court to-day Robert Semplo, late member for Wellington South, sought to recover £50 damages from Sydney John Sapsford, for slander alleged to have been spoken by the defendant to Walter Hadley in December last. It was alleged that Sapsford had stated before the jearliamentary election that Sample had kept a house of ill-fume under license in Brisbane, and had asked whether Hadley would' vote for such a man. Mr. O'Leary appeared for .defendant, and, on his behalf, tendered an unreserved apology to Mr. Semplo. He said the statement had been made during the heat of an argument, without thought of the seriousness of the allegation. Defendant admitted frankly that there was no justification for such a statement. Mr. Serople had accepted the apology, and agrefjpto take a comparatively small sum of mopey, sufficient to cover expenses. Mr. Organ, counsel for Mr. Scrapie, accepted the apology, and said ho was quite prepared to believo defendant was not the originator of the statement. , Mr. Biddell, S.M., agreed to the closing of the matter.