CLAIM FOR DAMAGES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 49, Issue 15048, 29 November 1923, Page 6

CLAIM FOR DAMAGES.

TEACHES SUES MINISTER,

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Tues da v.

The Anglican vicar of Waimate North, Bay of Islands, the Rev. .John William Robinson, was sued iij the Supreme Court for £SOO damages for alleged libel, the plaintiff being William John May, school teacher at Waimate North.

The alleged libel was contained in a letter which defendant wrote to Mr. i’urdie, secretary of the Auckland Education Board, in tiie course of which ho said that “May said to one of my parishioners, ‘lf you people do not want to see your vicar in court you had better drop this matter altogether.’ My reply has been to publicly challenge the man to take the case to court. 1 know well that he dare not. lie is the most unmitigated scoundrel I have ever met, and I have met some queer characters in my time.’’ Plaintiff alleged that that was a false and malicious publication. The defence denied that publication was false and malicious, and further pleaded that the words were published to the secretary of the Education Board in reference to and in course of a seines of complaints against plaintiff made by the school committee and householders to the board. Defendant believed that every word was true when he published them, and did so with the honest desire to protect himself and the children attending the school. Mr. Endcan, for the plaintiff, said that the school committee had summoned the plaintiff to appear before them, and according to him defendant had accused him of being guilty of immoral teaching to the children. Naturally plaintiff jumped to .his feet and said, “It’s a lie.” Defendant amended his statement to improper teaching. Apparently, in the course of giving civic, instruction to the school children, May gave a brief account of the Pon-

souby murder trial, with the object that it might bo a deterrent to boys not to commit crime. Then there was a reference to a woman who committed suicide, to illustrate the meaning of the term “despondency.”

“There was nothing very serious about that,” commented counsel. “You will hear from Mr. Dunlop, the advisory inspector, who investigated the matter, that he considered what was read to the children was reprehensible, and that May was told uot to do it again,” said Mr. Wtst, for defendant. “He was censured.” Mr. Endean: Yes, he was censured, but does that justify a minister saying that a schoolmaster, who has been 42 years teaching, was the most unmitigated scoundrel that he had ever met? Cross-examined, plaintiff said that he did not read the) Ponsonbv murder case to the children. He had mentioned it. He admitted that he might have told the children how an execution took place and that ho might have drawn the gallows, with the trap door, on the blackboard. A considerable amount of evidence was heard, and the hearing was adjourned.