REMARKABLE SLANDER CASE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3610, 27 April 1886, Page 4

REMARKABLE SLANDER CASE.

♦ ■ — (Home Paper.) At Derbyshire Assizes a few days ago an extraordinary action for slander was heard. The plaintiff was the Bey. W. Hope, vicar of St. Peter's, Derby, and the. defendant a lady named Evered, who resided at Abbot's Hill, Derby. Miss Mary Everod frequently ■visited at the plaintiffs house, and it was alleged that some time last your, when she was staying with the Hopes, the defendant mode several attempts to get her away. Eventually the defendant swore an information under the Criminal Law Amendmont Act that she believed that her daughter was detained for immoral purposes at St. Peter's Vicarage by Gerard Hope, the plaintiff's son. Damage's of £5000 were claimed m respect of thiB 1 alleged slander. The daughter had since- gone to America with several members of tho plaintiff's family. Tho plaintiff was called, and denied that the girl had evor been detained, for immoral purposes. He denied that his Bon Gerard was notoriously dissolute. He had' once called m tho police for protection againet his son. Ho considered him a proper companion for n pure girl. Mis 3 Cicely Hope stated that when Mrs Evered came to the vicarage last October her daughter was removed through a bedroom window by a ladder, 'i'ho counsul for the plaintiff,' m replying on the case, strongly condemned the defendant, Mrs Evered, for making imputations against the Her. Mr Hope's family without attempting to support, them on her oath. If her imputations meant anything they meant not only that Mr Hope's family; but also Mrs Evered'sspnß,' encouraged Gerard Hopo m what he' was* alleged to have done. His lordship, m Bumming up, referred to a recent distinguished case, and said that when any one mado an accusation of a serious character against, another person it was no answer to tne accusation to say that his counsel took the respc.nsibU.ty of not putting him m the t A t f»! Ury 'i ? ft ?« a brief consultation, found for .the plaintiff, with £20 damages. Mr ' Justice Mani B ty declined to stay execution. J