Salt Lake Telegram | 1919-08-14 | Page 3 | Ford Libel Case Goes to Jury

FORD f UOlA CASE A ROES T To J Court Tells T ells Auto Maker Subject to Fair Comment Because of MT CLEMENS Mich l Aug 14 The H-The The jury which for three months has been hearing testimony and anti arguments in Henry Fords Ford's libel suit against the Chicago Daily Dally Tribune Tribune Tribune Trib Trib- une retired today to consider Its ver ver- dict Judge James G G. Tucker instructed the Jury that the right of fair comment comment com corn ment was to be expected In the case cace of Mr Ford because his position as asa asa asa a great employer of labor and his entry a as a propagandist Into the discussion discussion dis dis- clis- clis of the preparedness question made him a public character The judge held that a newspaper has no greater privileges in making comment than has an individual The Tho Jury was instructed further to dismiss the case against the Solomon News sews company which on a purely technical charge that it distributed in Michigan copies of the Tribune Issue Essue of June 23 1916 containing the alleged libelous editorial headed Ford FordIs FordEs Is Es an Anarchist was made a co- co defendant Counsel for the plaintiff at the opening of the case announced that as ca the Solomon company distributed the he paper In Ignorance of its contents no rio damages s were sought The Judge Instructed that plaintiffs plaintiff's charges harges of pro against the Tribune and of a selfish interest in advocating intervention in Mexico had hadnot hadnot not ot been proven and the jury need not consider It