£1000 LIBEL DAMAGES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8377, 25 July 1905, Page 2

£1000 LIBEL DAMAGES.

FALSE IMPUTATIONS AGAINST A WORKHOUSE MASTER.

At Dublin last month the master of the Balliuasloo Workhouse, Mr Nicholas o' Carroll, was awarded £1000 damages in* a libel action against Mr William Hastings, the proprietor of the " Western News."

The libel consisted of allegations published in that newspaper refloating on the plaintiff's moral character and the manner in which the 'plaintiff fulfilled, the responsibilities of his position.

In cross-examination the* defendant admitted that he had been sentenced to Gix months' imprisonment for a criminal libel published in a paper called "The Citizen," which "infamous paper," counsel for the plaintiff said, " had be&n hurled into the Liffey by the citizens of Dublin with the cart in which it was sold."

In on© article the defendant said: — "There are two conditions on which honest journalism can do Its duty to the public — if it has plenty of money it is certain to bo the victim of knai|ps and eooundrels, as is the' case with Mr Labouchere, or he (the journalist) must have no money. We aire, therefore, in the latter happy position. No, knavp oaai rob us on a technical or a' chance shot, and the worst that can happen- ib that' we can defend ourselves "ac best we oan." Counsel, however, decla-red that the defendant lived upon "garbage, vilification and infamous libels."'

Th© defence pleaded truth, fair comment and th© public invest.