The Charge of Libel against Hitchcock.

Otago Witness, Issue 1584, 1 April 1882, Page 24

The Charge of Libel against Hitchcock.

At ' the City Police Court on Tuesday Charles D. Hitchcock was charged with having on 'the' sth of February last unlawfully aifd maliciously written and published a certain false, scandalous, and defamatory' libel of 1 arid concerning Richard Quin, secretary of ! the' 'Beri'eyolenfc Asylum. The alleged libel ,was contained in a letter addressed to Mr E. B. Martin, president of the Asylum, m which the defendant accused the informant of committing a rape on an inmate, a girl of 15 years of age, — Mr Denniston appeared for the informant/and Mr J. A. D. Adams for .the defendant. -rrMr Denniston ' said that as in preliminary inquiries of libel no investigation as to the truth of the statements made could be instituted, he would dimply produce such formal evidence as would be sufficient for a committal.'—Richard Bbwden Martin deposed that he was President of the Otago Benevolent Institution. There was inquiry into certain charges made against Mr and Mrs Quin by the 'defendant some time ago, and witness subsequently received the letter produced on the sth of February, 1882. Witness also produced three other, letters, one headed " rro Bono Publico," another addressed to the informant, and a ,, third .received t by, Mr A. Rennie, vice-president of the institution. — This was the 'case for the prosecution.— Mr Adams raised ,thei question as to whether 'the documents before the court were not privileged, , being, sent to ,osicers of, • the institution, but Mr Dennifltph, pointed tout,, that the matter could only be decided in the superior Court. — The defendant reserved his defence, and was committed for trial, bail -being allowed in a surety of his own reodgnizarice for £50, and two others of £25 each.