GORE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1918, 24 August 1888, Page 17

GORE.

August 21.— 0n Saturday last, the 18th, the libel case ol Palmer v. Frastr came on for hearing at the Supreme • Court at Invercargill, before Mr Justice Williams and a jury of four. The plaintiff, Walter Henry Palmer, was utitil lately clerk ot the K.M. Court and of the Licensing Bench at Gore, and the defendant, John Gideon b rascr, is editor and manager of the Southern Standard, a bi-weekly paper published at Gore. The alleged libels forming thd subject of the action were published in tho Southern Staudard ou tho : Ist February and 5" h June last. The first ran as follows: "And we are further of opinion that the Clerk of the Court should be removed to some other sphere. He has shown himself so clearly a partisan that his own comfort, as well as his public usefulness, will be best consulted by a change of scene." The damage claimed for that alleged libel was £50. The secoud alleged libel, published on the sth June, was a leading article un<ier the heading " Very Suspicious," and the innuendo of that article was that plaintiff intentionally omitted the production of a police report affecting theapplkatipn of one White for a license for the Bailway Hotel, Gore. The article ended by referring to the former alleged libel with the expression " it both were accidental coincidences the Fates are very cruel to Mr Palmer." The damage claimed for theeesond iibel wbb £150. Mr Solomon, ofDune iih. opened the plaintiff s case at considerable length and then called evidence. The first witness be.ng the plaintiff who was, at the conclusion of hit evidence in chief, subjected to a very long cross-exami-nation by Mr J. B. Denntston, of Dun* din, who appeared for defendant. The whole morning was occupied by the proceedings up to this i.oint. After the luucheon adj ■■u'nment Mr Solomon called as witnesses for plaintiff Mr William Soun> ss and Mr Ballintine, who were also cross-examined'at some length. Mr Denniston having announced that ha should call no witnesses, counsel addressed the jury, after which His Honor tho jadge summed up. going very minutely into the evidence and points of law. The jury theu retired, aud in a few minutes brought in a verdict for defi;ndont on both issues. '

FIRE — About 1 o'clock on tho.mnrning of Monday last. Mr IS. S. M'Orill's ironmonger's sh'>p at Gordoh was burnt down. Nothing was saved, the owner being away at luvercartult. <he iri6iirauce is said to be £500. The Fire Brigade did all that could be done, but their efforts were too late to be of much use.