ACTION FOR SLANDER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1683, 1 June 1904, Page 21

ACTION FOR SLANDER.

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST A PARSON

AUCKLAND, May 25. Mr Justice Edwards and a jury of four have been occupied in the Supreme Court with an action for alleged slander brought by the Rev Gabriel Elliott, Methodist minister, formerly of Te Awamutu. against Miss Louisa Crosher. The alleged libel consisted in statements in two letters said to have been written by defendant to her friends, asserting that Mr Elliott ivas the father of a child to which she expected to give birth. Plaintiff claimed £SOO damages. Evidence was given by two ladies as to their receiving letters containing the subject of the alleged libel. Plaintiff, in his evidence, said,that Miss Crosher and himself boarded in the same house, were very intimate, and became engaged. He frequently received her in his study. He received a letter from Miss Crosher stating that she was in trouble, and that he was the man. He burned her letter, which astounded him. On receiving communications from Mr Crosher and a solicitor, he placed the matter before his church trustees. He denied having ever misconducted himself with Miss Crosher. Cross-examined, * plaintiff denied having lent defendant books (produced) entitled “Library of Medicine,” dealing with female troubles, and “Natural Pregnancy and Deviation,” with leaves turned down. He admitted that' these books belonged to him, but he did not know that she had them.

in the course of her evidence, which was unfinished when the Court adjourned, emphatically stated that plaintiff had been guilty of misconduct with her on several occasions, and that she had not only verbally told him of her condition, but had referred to it in letters she wrote him while she was on a brief visit to her home at Auckland. He lent her certain medical books, but the medicine he prescribed had no effect. She ‘denied absolutely intimacy with anyone other than plaintiff. . • ' Cross-examined, defendant admitted that she corresponded with another young man with whom she was only slightly acquainted, and obtained money from him. She also made a confidant of him, telling him of her condition, as she was in need of a confidential friend at that time. * - m VERDICT FOR DEFENDANT. . AUCKLAND, May 26. The hearing of the slander case Rev Gabriel Elliott,Methodist minister,versus Miss Louisa Crosher, was concluded today The alleged libel consisted in statements ia two letters said to have been

written by defendant to her friends, asserting that Mr Elliott was the father of a child to which she expected to give birth. Plaintiff claimed <£soo damages. Edward Cox, landlord of the boardinghouse occupied by plaintiff and defendant, said the Rev Air Elliott left the place because witness complained of the late hours they kept out at night, and also of their being shut in the library after witness and his wife had gone to bed. Miss Croaker left about the same time.

The statement in yesterday’s message that plaintiff and defendant were engaged is ineorreet. Plaintiff said he was engaged to another iadjy Counsel addressed the Court at considerable length. Ilis Honor, in summing up, remarked that a man who had any respect for a woman and appreciated what was due to •her would never have exposed her to the imputations that must necessarily follow such conduct as plaintiff was guilty of in sitting alone in his study till a late hour with her, driving and walking out on church work together, and returning late and lingering over supper after the landlady had retired. It reflected the greatest discredit on the plaintiff, because he had induced the woman’s parents (as letters showed) to allow her to return to Te Awamutu. and he made arrangements for her to board at the same house as himself. The suggestion that these hours were spent in the service rf the Deity vus untenable. After a short retirement the jury returned a’verdict in favour of the defendant. Costs were made against plaintiff according to scale.