PUNISHING A SCURRILOUS PARAGRAPHIST.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 9660, 13 June 1882, Page 3

PUNISHING A SCURRILOUS PARAGRAPHIST.

The action brought in the Supreme Court at Adelaide by Joseph Charles Augustus Bundle against Messrs Von Doussa, Pade, Bom, and Haytread, to recover, £1000 damages for an assault committed on him by defendants, was concluded on Friday, says the S.A. Advertiser, of the 20th ultimo, when a verdict was returned for the plaintiff, damages £100. The circumstances of the assault, which was committed at Hahudorf in November last, are pretty well known. A great deal of annoyance had been felt iv the township because of certain scurrilous paragraphs appearing in a paper called the Adelaide Bulletin and Lantern, reflecting on many of the inhabitants, and threats were held out that when the , author of them was caught he would be punished. The paragraphs continued to appear for some months, until the defendant, Von Doussa, thinking he had ascertained the offender, informed the'other defendants and some of the other residents that he was going to thrash the Bulletin correspondent, and invited them to join the operation. Accordingly, on Monday, the 21st November, a message was sent by Von Doussa to Bundle stating that Frank Ide, a lad in the employ of Von Doussa, who was also believed to be implicated in the writing of the objectionable paragraphs, wished to see him. Bundle went to the post office, was met by Ide outside, and was received with the cheering remark, " You are in for it, Joe." Von Doussa then appeared on the scene armed with a hunting whip, and on the plaintiff going inside Von Doussa made a short preparatory harangue, and afterwards commenced an application of the whip about Bundle's legs. The youth was next pushed outside, when P.ide, Bom, and Haytr'ead were invited to join in the same method of punishment — a request they appear to have very readily complied with. On the plaintiff averring that ffi|yhad "had enough," a rope was pEjfcuied and placed around his body, and in this fashion he was escorted down the main street, and introduced- to " the various people met with en route as the Bulletin correspondent." After waiting the

establishment of a Mr "Willmer, whose infirmity of bad .eyes had been ridiculed in the "society's. paper in, question, j Bundle received a parting cut with the whip, and was released from his "somewhat irksome' bonds. His cup, 'however, was not yet full, for later on Von Doussa met him, and, in a mild address, advised him that his " career was run in Hahudorf, and that he had better " clear out. " This was the finishing touch, and nothing remained to the inhabitants but to gossip over the proceedings until this trial came on. It was urged on the part of plaintiff, who denied in. court that be had written the paragraphs referred to, that the assault had been most severe and cowardly, while the defendants and one or. two other witnesses described the assault as of a very mild description, rather enjoyable than otherwise, because the plaintiff, according to their statement, wore a pleasant "grin" on his face while the ceremony was being performed. It was also urged that, as the plaintiff had been about the' town as usual after the assault, it could not have been severe, and that the £20 paid into court would amply cover the injury sustained. The jury, however, thought differently, and returned the verdict mentioned above.