THE OPOTIKI LIBEL CASES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 586, 24 March 1891, Page 2

THE OPOTIKI LIBEL CASES.

CLERGYMAN AND SCHOOLMASTER,

SUMMING UP AGAINST MR WILLS

[SFSCIAL TO TUB STANDARD.]

Auckland, last night.

The Wyatt v, Wills libel action commenced on Saturday. Mr Rasa was for the pros' - cuiion, and Mr Cooper for defence; Mr Jones acted as prosecutor’s solicitor. Dfe idant pleaded not guilty and also made a plea of jusifflcation. The Judge suggested the withdrawal Of the jua’ifloation plea, bat defendant went on, and to-day ihe ca*e continued. The whole day was taken up, and the Judge. has just finished summing up. After reviewing the evidence, the Judge, on the question whether th- pub ioation was for the public bent- fit, spoke strongly. Ha said to understand the matter ooe bad to go back to the foundation, and he Was startled at Mr Cooper’s remark that Mr Wi'ls had dnne what all clergymen should do. Mr Wills went to Opotiki in 1887. Before that it was a peaceable settlement. He started bv characterising the Licensing Committee’s conduct as disgraceful, and the local paper defended them. He found young people had grown irreligious, according to his idea, and sought the cause in the fact that Wyatt was a freethinker, but in any case Wyatt could not have taught religion, so he could not be b’amed. He went ou the School Committee with an avowed intention of having Wyatt oared. The Judge here stared that the shuffling way in which Wilis had answered the question in regard to this was not creditable to him as a man and a gentleman. After he got on the Committee he did not hurry. Therefore Wills cou d not have attached much importance to Wyatt’s drinking habits. If Wyatt drank, as suggested. then the Committee should have noticed it, and probably would have done so. Although Wills had the intention to remove Wyatt he could find nothing tangible undl a teacher told him Wyatt drank. Instead of bringing it h fore tue Committee he wries a private letter, but the Board properly referred tha matter to the Committee. The secretary was puzzled, and asked for his informant, but Wills had told him it would come out at the meeting. What led up to the alleged libel was then explained, and Judge Connolly wound up hy referring to the narrow ground on which Wills rested his plea that the publication was for the public benefit. Wills said Wyatt was 72, broken down, and yet a Christian clergyman deemed it for the public benefit to blacken his character as much as possible 1 There was no other end to gain beyond preventing him getting farther employment. In answer to an interjection by Mr Cooper, the Judge said Wyatt was practically dead, and he might as well write the letter ten years after his death. The summing up was strongly against Mr Wills. Th u jury has now retired, and as the telegraph office closes in a couple of minutes I will be unable to let you know the verdiat in time for the morning paper.