Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-06-19 | Page 2 | William J. Lynch Loses Libel Suit

WILLIAM J. LICI LOSES LIBEL SUIT Demurrer of Ogden Standard Stand-ard to $50,000 Action Sustained Sus-tained in District Court. OGDEN, June 18. The $50,000 libel suit of William J. Lynch, former secretary of the state land boarfl, against the Ogrlejl Standard Publisliius company was decided de-cided in favor of the newspaper concern in the district court here today, when Judge A. W. Agee sustained the demurrer de-murrer of the defendants and thereby decided de-cided there was no cause for action. A similar case of Fred V. Chambers, former for-mer state fisli and name commissioner, against the Ogden newspaper company was held under consideration, pending a possible appeal of the Jynch action. Both suits are based on a news article and editorial appearinp; in the issue of the Oftden Standard of February IS, 1017, referring to the temporary suspension of the two state officers by Governor Bamberger. Bam-berger. Judge Asee held, in deciding the Lynch case, that the editorial mentioned no names and therefore could not have been libelous. His decision paves the way for a possible appeal of the Lynch ca."-e to the supreme court of the state. A. )t. Barnes, former attorney general, represents the plaintiffs in both cases and John D. Murphy the defendant company.