CURIOUS SLANDER CASE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 9894, 26 January 1911, Page 7

CURIOUS SLANDER CASE.

The hearing of au unusual slauder action was heard iv the Four Courts. Dubliu, recently.

The plaiutift'a were a County Cork solicitor, Mr Arthur F. Coughlan, and his wife, and the defendant the Very Rev. Canou Rice, parish priest of Mitohelstown. Each plaintiff claimed £1000 damages for slander, alleged to have been spoken by the deonclant in reference to them from the altar of tlie Roman Catholic Church of Mitchelstowu during the course of twelve o'clock Mass on Sunday, April 24th.

The plaintiff, in his statement of claim, said he acted as solicitor and sub-agent for Mr William O'Brien during his contest for the Parliamentary representation of North Cork, at tlie general election in January.

The words complained of were as follows-.—"There is a jackeeu going about talking both in public and pvivate of the priests and all the money they are getting. Now let me tell you about this fellow. His father died about six years ago, and he (meaning plaiutiff) buried him with a public funeral and a Higli Mass for whicn he never paid. This is a matter I do uot wish to speak about from the altar, but priests must defend themselves sometimes from attack like this. If our priests are poor, they are pious, but. thank God, I always, even in tlie poorest parishes I was ever iv. had more than enough. Some time afterwards this jackeen was getting married to a widow, aud this widow not r.loue gave him her hand, but her family as well. She put the comether on in in. He came to me for his papers. I thought lie was a decent boy, like every other boy in the parish, and lie would pay me, so I gave him his papers, but from that day till this he never paid for it. I am wrong; iie did lately pay some little thing of the priests, but he paid that out of poor William O'Brien's money."

Father Rice coucluded with tlie words "Fan go Foill. "

Mr Coughlau had acted as Mr O'rien's election agent, and at the time of his marriage his wife was a widow with seven childen.

The meaning of the word "comether" was one or the chief points before the Court.

Plaintiff declared that "comether," iv its ordinary sense, meant seducing by blandishment (not meaut iv the moral sense)and it also had a meaning impugning immorality. A brother of Mrs Coughlan's also stated that the word had two meanings.

Canou Rica, the defendant, admits ed the substantial accuracy of the re port attributed to him.

Couusel : Was there au Irish phrase, ' Fan go F0i1.," used?

Witness: Yes; and tlie meaning of it is " Wait and see. "

Witness said lie belonged to the Micheistown district, aud from his childhood he had beeu accustomed to hear tlie word "comether" used—always as a common colloquial expression. Mr O'Brien, K.C. : What does it mean? Witness: It means to entice or captivate by mental or physical accomnlisliments. The Rev. Michael Ellard, CO.. said that the common meaning of the word was: When one person is said to pot his "comether" on the other, the person is supposed by his or her nice mauuer, or by winning ways, or by general accomplishments, to win the other person's affections iv some way. He never knew of it to imply unchastity.

The jury held that tlie word "cometlier" did not impute unchastity, and that the references to the male plaiutiff did not imply a criminal ofi'encß or unprofessional conduct. They held, however, that the words should not have been spoken.