LIBELLING A LAWYER.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1318, 2 November 1883, Page 2

LIBELLING A LAWYER.

♦ The libel case Deiniistou v. theOtagc Daily Times and Witness, was heard before Judge Williams aud' a special jury. The plaintiff" claimed £60C damages fora libel contaiued in "Passing Notes," published ou Sspternbej 15th over the signature of "Ci vis," it i which it was stated that Mr Demiistor ■ was actuated by strange fits for whici he was surely irresponsible. Iu his appearing as solicitor in the lowei . Courts he could not help snapping al the H.M. or his fellow Counsel. His attacks were pure frenzy, and just as a ; mad dog snaps at whatever comes in its way, so did Mr Denniston. He was j the subject or victim of a kind of ini t.ellectual rabies. The defendants pleaded in effect that these were comments justified not only by Mr Den- , niston's conduct in the particular Court case which gave rise to the passing note, but in other cases previously, in which his conduct had be^n of a similar character. For the prosecution the only evidence adduced, the publication being admitted, was that of Mr Gordon, ! Registrar of the Supreme Court, who proved that Mr Denniston was on the roll of barlsters, and that he believed the article referred to him. For the defence the first witness was a solicitoi 1 , named Mr McDonald, with whom Mr Denniston had a scene in the Court, upon which the article was founded. He stated, amongst other evidence, that on one occasion he had called Mr Deuniston his learned friend, but Mr Denniston said he regarded that as an insult. The witness proceeded — "I called him 'he,' and he objected to being called ' he. 1 I then said I w uld call him 'she,' but he would not have that. I offered to call him 'my learned friend,' but he would not be called, and, finally, I called him ' Mr Denniston.' He did not seem much pleased then. The other evidence was given by various reporters, who gave evidence as to scenes at various times in which Mr Denniston had been concerned. The reading of these frequently caused laughter, as in some cases the altercations had taken place with Mr Stout, who now appeared on behalf of Mr Denniston.