Supreme Court of South Carolina, 1930

Smith v. Spartanburg Herald-Journal Co.

Supreme Court of South Carolina · Decided April 17, 1930 · Cothran, Watts, Messrs, Brease, Stabrer, Carter

152 S.E. 823; 156 S.C. 69; 1930 S.C. LEXIS 98 (South Eastern Reporter)

Counsel

Messrs. Bomar Osborne , for appellant, cite: Colloquium unnecessary: 1 Civ. Code 1922, Sec. 425. On demurrer complaint taken as true: 134 S.C. 324 ; 141 S.C. 98 ; 148 S.C. 133 . Pleading in libel actions: 4 McC. L., 491; 36 C.J., 1158; 48 L.R.A. (N.S.) 355; 129 S.C. 242 ; 148 S.C. 249 ; 20 F.2d 763 ; 138 S.C. 47 . Messrs. Perrin Tinsley , for respondent, cite: Demurrer does not admit legal conclusions: 139 S.C. 171 ; 124 S.C. 498 ; 116 S.C. 77 . Actionable words: 1 N. McC., 351; Odger "Libel and Slander," 25; 114 S.C. 53 ; 116 S.C. 77 ; 129 S.C. 242 ; 134 S.C. 276 ; 2 Brev., 480.

Opinion of the Court

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

Mr. Justice Cothran.

This is an appeal from an order of his Honor, Judge Johnson, sustaining a demurrer to the plaintiff’s complaint and dismissing the action which was based upon the publication of an article in the newspaper of the defendants, as libelous.

It appears that the demurrer is based entirely upon the absence of a colloquium, the application of the publication to the plaintiff, which under Section 425 of the Code of Civil Procedure is no longer required. See Bell v. Clinton Mill, 129 S. C., 242, 124 S. E., 7; Duncan v. Record Co., *73 145 S. C., 196; 143 S. E., 31; Pierce v. Inter-Ocean Co., 148 S. C., 8, 145 S. E., 541; Spigner v. Provident Co., 148 S. C., 249, 146 S. E., 8.

The order appealed from' is reversed, and the case remanded.

Mr. Chief Justice Watts and Messrs. Justices Brease, Stabrer and Carter concur.

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.