Meyers v. Fusilier
Meyers v. Fusilier
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff claims $10,-000 in damages from defendant for an alleged slander which is vile and unnecessary to be produced here.
Defendant excepted on the ground that the petition did not set forth the exact words of the alleged slander. Plaintiff amended her petition, and set out the exact words, without waiting for a trial of the exception. The defect in the original petition was thus cured-The case was tried without a jury; and there was judgment for plaintiff for $250. Defendant appealed; and plaintiff has answered, and asked for an increase of the judgment.
The trial judge was of the opinion that plaintiff had proved her case by a preponderance of evidence; and his finding is concurred in.
Two witnesses swore positively to the utterance of the slander by defendant, and their testimony was not impeached. Defendant denied the slander; and her very young sister-in-law, who was present only a part of the time when the two witnesses and defendant were together, says that she did not hear the language attributed to her older sister-in-law. A male witness testified that he, too, was present most of the time when the three women were together, and that he did not hear the words used by defendant. But the affirmative testimony is very positive and clear that the slander alleged was uttered by defendant.
“It would be impossible to fix upon any sum of money which would altogether make good the injury which has been inflicted by defendant upon plaintiff. Upon the other hand, a favorable judgment in the case is a vindication of the one and a rebuke to the other litigant; and I shall not add a penalty in money greater than the defendant can perhaps bear. There is no testimony that the defendant owns anything.”
Affirmed.
Reference
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- MEYERS v. FUSILIER
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- Syllabus
- (Syllabus by the Court.) 1. Libel and Slander In a civil suit based on slander, there must not be a variance between the proof and the words alleged in the petition; but it is sufficient that the proof of publication is substantially the language charged. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Libel and Slander, Cent. Dig. §§ 262-272.] 2. Libel and Slander The injury inflicted by a slander may not be reasonably estimated in dollars; but a judgment will not be rendered greater in amount than the slanderer can perhaps bear. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Libel and Slander, Cent. Dig. § 354.]