LIBEL CHARGE AGAINST HUSBAND FAILS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18057, 18 January 1927, Page 5

LIBEL CHARGE AGAINST HUSBAND FAILS.

ACTOR’S ACTION IS STRONGLY CONDEMNED. (Special to the “Star.”) LONDON. November 25. Indicted at the Central Criminal Court before the Common Serjeant, Sir H. F. Dickens, K.C., yesterday, for publishing defamatory libels concerning Clifford Barclay, knowing them to be false, Archie Gillinson (38), agent, pleaded not guilty and also justification. J• lb Thorpe, who prosecuted, 6tated that Gillinson was a Russian subject, who had been in this country a number of years, while the prosecutor was Mr Clifford Foster, a young actor, whose stage name was Barclay. . Early this year Mr Barclay was playing in a revue in a touring company. Arnong the other artists was Gillinson’s wife. The libels complained of were contained in two letters which Gillinson wrote to the producer of the revue. In the first letter Gillinson said:— When the show first came to London I heard that my wife had been associating with this Mr Foster, or Barclay, as he styles himself. I met him a week after, the show left East Ham, and he gave me his assurance that he would not see her again, but after much trouble and expense I found that he was seeing her practically every day. . Gillinson also stated in the letter that m his opinion, as there were young girls m the show, Mr Barclay was not a suitable person to be there. Mr Barclay would say that in -the whole course of his acquaintance he had never had any relations with Mrs Gillinson. Mr Elkin, for Gillinson, contended that the occasion was privileged Gillinson’s statement that “ I heard that my wife had been associating with this Mr Foster or Barclay,” was not a charge of immorality. The Common Serjeant said he thought the occasion was privileged He was not saying that there was impropnetjE Mr Elkin then said he would withdraw the plea of justification and submuted there was no evidence of malice. When Gillinson was cross-examined as to other letters, the Common Serjeant said:— To my' mind all these letters were admirable letters. His one desire was to give his wife a ?hcr nCe - Ju° th , e L ur - v) :Do you think there was the slightest malice in this case r The Foreman: No. O JL h ® , Serjeant: I quite agiee, and I think this man was very by v being put into that dock, and the charge ought never to have been made, for if ever a man tried to do his best for his wife this find him not guilty ? ~,,h c l“ r y concurred, and found Gilunson Not Guilty. The Common Serjeant: I think this is a monstrous prosecution myself.