In addressing the Court prior te the judgment Mr. Faison" trated that "defendant should have -examined everything clearly before they charged Ross with being an incendiary. 'The reporter, " Sweet Jand, had no clear idea of the situa. tion' and he implicated Rees ina story of arson. "The effects of this faction. would. probably follow him to the grave," continued Mr. Faison, "until Ross lays down this life."
Tt was his hope that the Court would. find for punitive damages trid give the defendants a lesson against careless and indifferent Journalism. Mr. Faison then continued to state that Mr. Ross's profits in following the beer dear would have amounted to $10,000 in tone year and Mr. Davie in giving evidence, the contract would run for three years, Mr. Fessenden replied, admitting the liability of the defendant, per sey and that by law he was entities to'some damages, but as far as any serious claim. for damages was concerned, the Court would not hold that there had been any. Plaintiff did not inform the "China Press" that he had been libelled and this rmiuat Tead to one of two conclusions ST(i) either he had no reputation that could be damaged, or (2) the alleged libel had not damaged his reputation.
The first witness during the morn= Tue Tsoy-kor, compradore of the firm of Richard Howard. "Tee stated that he had known plaintiff for 12 or 13 years, daring which Ross had always acted faithfully and fairly.
To Mr. Faison's question regarding what witness had heard people say about the article complained of Mr. Fessenden raised an objection, which was sustained.
Mr. Faison told the Court that he had had two other Chinese witnesses but that they had failed to come during the morning, He als wished to call Mr. Heath, before losing hhis case. He would show hhow the arson case came to their office, but as counsel could not reach him ever the telephone, Judge Purdy suggested that this evidence was not vital, Reduced Subscription: Rates to Chinese Mr. J, B. Powell, editor of the "China Press" for three years, was called for plaintiff concerning the circulation of the paper. In answer to Mr. Faison, Mr. Powell montia that the average daily circulation was about 4,000, They had many Chinese subscribers, just how many he could not state, or the ratio between foreign and Chinese subscribers. The paper had at times reduced. their subseri Chinese, "Judge Purdy then asked Ross to into the box again. Ho stated that Fong Wei-soong was a godown-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.