LIBEL ACTION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5378, 19 January 1889, Page 2

LIBEL ACTION.

Wellington, yesterday

Another insurance libel case was begun this morning, M. C. Hickey, canvasser, suing D. M. Luekie, Commissioner of Government Insurance Association, for £GOO damages for accusing him of appropriating a promissory note given by one Hogg in payment of a premium and threatening to put the matter in the hands of the police if the money was not paid. The defence is a, general denial. The plaintiff in his evidence ssated it was against the instructions of the department to take promissory notes, and to accelerate transactions with Hogg he agreed to pay the latter's premium himself. If Hogg gave him a promissory note it was purely a private matter between them.

To-day. At the conclusion of the plaintiff's case in the libel action M. C. Hiekey, v. D. M. Luekie, Commissioner of the New Zealand Government Insurance Company, coun sel for the defence contended that there was nothing to answer. His Honor polluted out to the jury that if they were unanimous the case should not go on, and the proceedings could be stopped at once. It was ascertained that the jury were not unanimous on the point, and evidence was then called. Defendant was examined, and on his leaving the box the jury intimated that they did not wish to go any further, as they were satisfied there was nothing to answer. Thereupon plaintiff's counsel accepted a nonsuit with costs on the highest scale.