NORTON-BIRTLING LIBEL CASE

West Coast Times, 19 March 1910, Page 4

NORTON-BIRTLING LIBEL CASE

TELEGRAMS.

VERDICT FOR £IOOO,

[BT TELEGRAPH—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

WELLINGTON, March 18.

The case in which Albert Ernest Louis Bertling (Superintendent of the Wellington Zoo) claimed £2OOO damages for libel from John Norton (proprietor of the newspaper “New Zealand Truth”) was concluded to-day in the Supreme Court after a three days trial. The jury found that palintiff had been libelled and awarded him £IOOO. The jury was an hour considering the verdict and added to its decision a rider that the evidence had not only failed to establish charges against the plaintiff but had fully proved his competency for the post he holds. Judgment was entered for the plaintiff for £IOOO damages. An order was granted to stay execution for four days pending the application for a. new trial on the ground of misdirection by His Honour (Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout) before who (and special jury) the case was heard.