A CHRISTCHURCH LIBEL CASE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 11356, 22 January 1889, Page 2

A C HRISTCHURCH LIBEL CASE.

Christohurch, January 21. In the Supreme Court to-day, a libel action was ■ bronchi by J.- R. Rosewarne, claiming ,£SOO damages from ten other butohers on account of statements in an advertisement in the Lyttelton Times stating that they were not selling frozen mutton saved from the Belfast fire, which Rosewarne had purchased. The advertisements described the meat as unattractive and filthy. It appeared that the butchers agreed to publish a disclaimer that they had nono of the meat, leaving the precise wording ta Mr Ahearne, reporter, who framed two .sensationallyworded advertisements. The defence is that the advertisements were not what the butchers intended, and that the statements therein were true, Later; The butohors' libel case will probably last another day. The evidence so far goes to show that some of the frozen meat purchased by Rosewarne after the fire and sold in town was excellent, but a part waß discoloured and tainted with the smoke. It does not appear that the sale was injuriously affected 'by the advertisements, whioh many of those concerned regarded as a joke; ;The first advertisement to 'ap-. pear was written by Mr Ahearne, at the request of several butchers, who expreßsed approval of it after it appeared, and the second was written by him on his own responsibility. He understood the butohers would p»y for it, which they did 1 notobjeot to do, and one of them approved of it after it had been published.