INSPIRED BY A WRIT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8309, 6 May 1905, Page 4

INSPIRED BY A WRIT.

LADY'S AMUSING LINES ON A

SLANDER ACTION.

One would think that the last resource of the poet or poetess in search of inspiration would be a writ for damages for slander, but a young woi man of Askeaton, Limerick, who has | a faculty for rhyming, showed a lofty disregard of orthodox themes. On learning that her father, John Sheahan, a butcher, was the defendant in an action brought by Mrs Jane Sheahan, the young poetess, despite tne fact that the; case was sub judice, wrote :— v The jurAf OU - d her gu^T* And tie' judge to her did, say— "Now, my grey-haired woman, What brought you here to-day? i There was a great deal more, and when the case came into court Miss Sheahan, according to the Irish Independent," was encouraged by counsel to recite some of her verses, i Here is the "grey-haired woman's" supposed reply : — My character is taken, . ; And my solicitor laid it down, To go before your Lordship To get justice from the 'Crow _. Even Mr Justice Andrews's reply had been anticipated: — Go home, you foo'ish woman; Go home to Askeaton town; You cannot get back your character, For you struck a woman down. The defendant in the action, Mr Sheahan, was allowed a change of metre in an app.eal to the jury: — Gentlemen of the jury, please listen unto I never used the words alleged, or did her I have one great trouble, which everyone doth know; -,_._. So please give her no verdict, apa.do justice to the law. The alleged slander which the plaintiff complained of was contained m the following language, which the defendant was said to have used : — " My wife often put you in a .nutshell." "You have your shame lost, you are fighting with everyone," " You are worse than Biddy Purcell." ' The jury found for the defendant, though it is not suggested that Miss Sheahan' s lines had any effect upon them. . .