SLANDER CASE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18620, 16 July 1930, Page 6

SLANDER CASE

NURSE CLAIMS DAMAGES. By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, July 15. “A case, a most unusual one,” was Mr E. Page. S.M.’s comment, on a slander case before him. Ella Miller, a nurse, claimed £l5O da*mages from Mr£ E. S. Williams, on the ground of an alleged statement that plaintiff had a man in her room till 4.30 a.m. The result was that she had been prevented for a long time in going on the Nurses’ Register, and precluded from earning her livelihood. The defendant was a boarding-house keeper. According to counsel’s statement plaintiff and another nurse returned late from a party, and the next thing Miller knew was that her door was flung violently open at 4.30 a.m., Mrs Williams declaring that both young women had a man in their rooms, and raving about it in violent language. Next morning she heard defendant telephoning to the matron of the Nurses’ Club, accusing plaintiff to the 3ame effect. When interviewed defendant again called into the telephone: “She did, matron, she did.” In evidence the other nurse said the man with her, not with Miller. For the defence, the matron of the Club would not say Mrs Williams had stated that a man was in Miller’s room, and could not remember what defendant said when she first rang up. Plaintiff had not been offered any work by the Nurses’ Association since the report first started. Defendant said she found a man in the other woman’s room, and asked them both to leaves. She rang up the matron later and said a man was found in the other’s room and not Miller’s. Counsel asked why she had to do this unless she had first said the man was in Miller’s room. Defendant said she could not say. Decision was reserved.